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diff --git a/77010-0.txt b/77010-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7bc4c0 --- /dev/null +++ b/77010-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,853 @@ + +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 77010 *** + + + + + + A SECOND DAY + + IN + + MARY CARROW’S SCHOOL. + +------------------------------------------------------------------------ + +[Illustration: + + ~Second Day.~ + Carry Deacon and her little Sister, looking at the ducks. +] + +------------------------------------------------------------------------ + + + + + A SECOND DAY + + IN + + MARY CARROW’S SCHOOL. + + + American Sunday-School Union: + + _PHILADELPHIA_: 316 CHESTNUT ST. + _NEW YORK_: 147 NASSAU ST. + _BOSTON_: 9 CORNHILL. + _LOUISVILLE_: 103 FOURTH ST. + + -------------------------------- + + Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1849, by the + AMERICAN SUNDAY-SCHOOL UNION, + in the Clerk’s Office of the District Court for the Eastern District of + Pennsylvania. + + -------------------------------- + +☞ No books are published by the AMERICAN SUNDAY-SCHOOL UNION without the +sanction of the Committee of Publication, consisting of fourteen +members, from the following denominations of Christians, viz. Baptist, +Methodist, Congregationalist, Episcopal, Presbyterian and Reformed +Dutch. Not more than three of the members can be of the same +denomination, and no book can be published to which any member of the +Committee shall object. + +------------------------------------------------------------------------ + + + + + A + SECOND DAY + IN + MARY CARROW’S SCHOOL. + + -------------------------------- + + +A cool, rainy morning. The boys and girls all came to school with thick +shoes on, and coats and shawls to protect them from the wet. When Mary +came, she told her scholars she was glad to find the rain had not kept +them at home. Mary smiled, and looked around to see if they had all +come, and she counted. Charles Linn and Harry Linn, and their sister +Lucy. Lily Forester, and her brother Eddy. Susan Field, and Ellen Raby. + +All here, but Carry Deacon. Mary said, “Who can tell why Carry has not +come to school? I do not like to miss one of my little scholars. I like +to have them all with me.” + +No one could tell why Carry had not come. Mary then helped the smaller +scholars to take off their coats and shawls; and she showed them how to +hang up their wet things to dry on the pegs in the entry; and she bade +them put their umbrellas into a pail, which stood by the door on purpose +to receive them. Mary asked if they had all brought their dinners? And +one said, “I have brought mine.” And another said, “We have brought +ours.” And Mary said, “We have brought ours.” It was not far for Mary +and the Linns to go home to dinner; but she liked to indulge her +scholars when she could, and she knew she could not please them better +than to stay and dine with them on rainy days. + +The boys and girls put their dinner-baskets into a little closet outside +the school-room door; and then Mary rang her bell—the signal that it was +time to collect. While they were putting their dinner-baskets away, +Harry Linn said to Lily Forester, + +“Lily, are you glad it’s a rainy day? I am.” + +Lily said, “I am glad, too.” + +“Harry, what have you got for dinner?” + +“I don’t know,” Harry said. “Mary put up our dinner while I was looking +at father when he was getting into the wagon.” + +“I’ll tell you what I’ve got, Harry,” said Lily; “a little pie with my +name on it! Do you remember about Anne Lyle, and the little pie with her +name on it? I told mother about it, when I went home, and she said if I +was a good girl, she would make me a little pie, and put my name on it. +Look here, Harry. I will show you.” And Lily lifted up the cloth that +was over their dinner, and there was a little patty-pan pie, with L. F. +plainly stamped on it. + +Harry said, “How nice that is! Will you give me some of it, Lily?” + +And Lily told Harry she would cut it in halves at dinner-time, and give +him the largest half. + +Mary rang her little bell again, and Harry and Lily went into school. + +While the scholars were taking their seats, Carry Deacon arrived. She +was very wet, and her face was red; and she looked fretted and tired. +Mary said, + +“I am glad to see you, Carry; but what is the matter? How did you get so +wet?” + +Carry told Mary her umbrella was broken, and it did not keep the rain +off. + +“You are so wet, Carry,” said Mary, “that I fear you will be sick; and +you are too far off from home to be sent back in the rain.” + +Mary thought a minute what she should do, and then she told Charles +Linn, (who was the largest boy in the school,) to run home to his +mother, and ask her to please to lend a pair of Lucy’s shoes and +stockings, for a little girl to wear, who had come to school very wet. +Charles Linn was an obliging, lively boy, and he ran off at once. While +he was gone, Mary took off Carry’s wet shawl, and sent her into the +little room adjoining the school-room, to wash her face and her feet. +There was a pitcher of water out in the little room, and soap, and a +basin, and a cup, and a towel. Before Carry had done washing her feet, +Charles Linn came back with the dry shoes and stockings. Then Mary went +out to Carry, and she helped her to put them on. And she took a little +pocket comb out of her pocket, and combed Carry’s hair smoothly, and +then brought her into school. Mary was sure Carry had done something +wrong, but she did not ask her about it, because Carry always told the +truth. Mary thought she would be very kind to Carry, and then Carry +would perhaps come and tell her about the mishaps of her walk to school, +without being asked. Carry was a very giddy, careless little girl, and +she sometimes forgot to do as she was told, when she did not really mean +to be naughty. + +This was Grammar morning; and while Mary attended to the grammar-class, +Harry, and Lily, and Ellen Raby, looked over their spelling-lesson. + +Charles Linn was at the head of the grammar-class. Mary asked Charles if +he could tell her what a NOUN was? Charles said, a noun was the +grammatical name of any thing that we could see, or feel, or taste, or +smell. Mary asked the scholar who stood next in the class, to point to +something in the room which was a noun. She pointed to a book, and Mary +said, “That is right.” Then Mary asked the next one, why book was a +noun, and her little scholar could not tell. The one who stood below her +answered. She said, book was a noun because we could see it; and she +went above the girl who had missed. Mary said to one, “Think of a noun +which you can taste, and tell me what it is.” And he answered, “Apple.” + +Carry Deacon was the one who had missed, and Mary asked Carry to think +of something which she liked to look at and play with. Carry said, +“Kittens.” + +“Now tell me, Carry, what a noun is?” + +Carry answered, “A noun is the name of any thing that we can see.” + +“Then what is a kitten?” + +“O, now I know,” Carry said. “Kitten is a noun, because I can see it.” + +Mary questioned her scholars until she thought they understood all about +a noun; and then she told them, the next grammar-lesson would be the +Adjective. + +“Now you may take your seats,” Mary said, “and look over your +reading-lesson, while I hear the little ones spell.” + +Harry Linn, and Lily Forester, and Ellen Raby, said a spelling-lesson; +and there were some words in their lesson which Mary explained to them, +because they did not understand what these words meant. Ellen Raby +spelled Wild Deer, and she asked Harry Linn if he knew what a wild deer +was? Harry said, “I guess it is a goat. Let us ask Mary.” + +Mary told them it was not a goat, and she would see if she could find a +picture of a wild deer to show them. She had a large book, full of +pictures; and there were horses, and cows and goats, and many different +kinds of animals in it. + +Mary soon found a picture of a wild deer, and all the scholars wished to +come and look at it. She told them they might come. And they asked her +to please to tell them something about a wild deer. Mary told them, that +the part of America where they lived, and where the school-house stood, +was once a great forest of trees, where only Indians lived, and wild +deers and other animals. She told them that the Indians used to hunt the +wild deer, and shoot them, that they might have them to eat. Their flesh +was very tender and good, and was called venison. + +[Illustration: a wild deer] + +“Why are there not any wild deer here now, Mary?” asked Ellen. + +“Because there is no place for them to live in. The forests, where they +like to live, are all cut down; and now, instead of forests, we have +fine farms, and houses on them to live in.” + +“Who cut down the forests, Mary?” said Ellen. + +“Our forefathers, who came here a great while ago.” + +“But why did not our forefathers let the pretty little wild deers stay +here, Mary?” + +“They would not stay,” Mary said. “They are afraid of people, of men and +women, and of little boys and girls, and they ran away from them.” + +“Where did they go, Mary?” + +“Away into the forests, which are many hundreds of miles from here. When +our forefathers came here, they wanted houses to live in, and something +to eat; and they built themselves houses, and cut down the trees before +they could plant corn, and wheat, and rye, and potatoes. They had to cut +down the trees before they could make farms.” + +Carry looked as if she did not quite understand Mary, and Mary said, +“You know, Carry, your mother told you, you might have a little garden +of your own, and she gave you a little piece of ground to make your +garden of, which was full of cedar bushes; and do you not remember, you +asked your father if he would cut down the cedar bushes, so that you +could have a nice smooth place for your flower seeds?” + +Carry said, “Yes, I remember it, and father cut down all the cedar +bushes for me, and then he dug up the ugly roots, and he took out a +spade one morning and dug up the ground and made it soft. And then +mother gave me some flowers out of her garden, and she showed me how to +plant them in my garden; and she gave me some seeds, and she showed me +how to make little holes in the ground to hold the seeds. I put the +seeds in the little holes and covered them up with the soft earth, and +mother says they will grow into beautiful flowers by and by.” + +“Do you understand now, Carry,” said Mary, “why our forefathers cut down +the forest trees? + +“The land was covered all over with trees, just as your little garden +was covered over with cedar bushes; and you know you could not have a +garden of flowers, until the cedar bushes were cut away.” + +Carry said, “Yes, I understand now. The people who came here wanted to +plant wheat, and rye, and corn, and they could not plant seeds till the +great trees were cut down.” + +Charles Linn said he would like to have another look at the wild deer +picture; and Mary allowed him and all the scholars to examine it. + +Eddy Forester said, “The deer’s horns were like some his father had at +home, to hang up his Sunday hat on; and his father called them antlers.” + +“Did your father ever tell you where they came from, Eddy?” asked Mary. + +“Yes,” said Eddy. “He told us one night—Lily and me—that they were the +horns of a deer, which our great-grandfather shot a long time ago, on +the spot where our house now stands.” + +“Oh, yes,” Lily said, “I remember, it was before we went to bed. I was +sitting on father’s lap, and Eddy was sitting on my little stool, and +mother was making me a new frock, when father told us about the +Indians.” + +“Yes,” Eddy said, “he told us that when our great-grandfather came to +this country from England, there was only a great forest of trees here, +and no houses to be seen. He lived in a log-hut, which he, and the men +who came with him, built for themselves: and they had not any thing to +eat but the deer and wild turkeys which they shot. Father told us all +that, and he said the antlers had been kept ever since our +great-grandfather shot the wild deer in the forest.” + + * * * * * + +Mary said, “Now I will put away the large picture book, and you may all +take your seats, while I prepare the black board.” Mary told all her +scholars to stand up, and they answered in concert the questions she +asked. + +She drew a mark on the black board thus, —— and told them to say what +she had drawn; and they answered in concert, “a straight line.” Then she +drew other figures, thus: + +[Illustration: Parallel lines. An angle. A triangle. A quadrangle. A +circle. A semicircle. A hemisphere. An inclined plane.] + +After Mary had exercised her boys and girls in this way, until she +thought they knew all the figures she had drawn, she told them to say +the multiplication table in concert. Ellen Raby called this class the +concert class, and they liked to be in a class altogether. + +Lily said she would like black board exercises every day; but Mary was +wiser than her little scholar, and she knew that Lily would get very +tired of doing the same thing every day. Mary liked her scholars to be +“always busy, never weary,” and she gave them different lessons for each +day. + +Now it was recess time. And what do my little readers think Mary’s +scholars did during recess time, when it rained so fast that they could +not go out of doors to play? They played in the school-room. They played +Blindman Buff and “Poor Pussey wants a corner,” and “Hunt the Slipper.” +Mary lent them her shoe to play with, and when they were tired of +playing Hunt the Slipper, and Puss in the Corner, they gave Mary her +shoe again, and asked her if they might play Blindman Buff. She said +they might, but not in the school-room. She told them to go into the +little room adjoining the school-room, where Blindman Buff, whoever he +might happen to be, could not do any mischief. There was no ink nor +desks in the little room, and he could walk or run about there without +danger of hurting himself. They begged Mary to go with them, and she +said she would. They all ran off, singing, + + Here we go + All together, + We have fun + In rainy weather. + + One, two, three, + Four, and away, + We are glad + Of a rainy day! + +Mary took her handkerchief and asked, who would be Blindman Buff first. +They all wanted to be blindfolded first; and Mary said, “What shall I do +to please all my little scholars? You cannot all be Blindman Buff at +once; so I will take the oldest first.” Charles Linn was the oldest +scholar; and after Mary had bound her handkerchief over his eyes, he +could not see any thing at all. He put out his hands, and felt about the +room, and at last he caught little Ellen Raby. Ellen was so much +delighted, and laughed so merrily to see how queer Charles looked, that +he knew by the sound of her voice where to find her. Carry Deacon came +up to Mary and looked as if she wanted to say something to her, and as +if she did not like to say it. Then Mary took Carry by the hand, and she +said, + +“Do you want to talk to me, Carry?” + +Carry said, “Yes, but not before anybody. Let us go back into the +school-room.” Mary went with Carry into the school-room while the +scholars were at play, and she said, “Now, Carry dear, come and tell me +all about your getting to school so late this morning.” + + _Carry._ “I stopped to see Mike Terry’s kittens.” + + _Mary._ “How did you know about the kittens?” + +[Illustration: + + ~Second Day.~ + “I stopped to see Mike Terry’s Kittens.” p. 28. +] + + _Carry._ “When I was going past neighbour Terry’s, Mike came out, + and he had a porringer of milk, and he was carrying it with both his + hands for fear it would spill.” + + _Mary._ “Well, Carry, did you stop and ask Mike what he had in + the porringer?” + + _Carry._ “Yes! Mike said it was milk for the cat. He said, the + old cat had some kittens in the night, and he was going to feed + her.” + + _Mary._ “What else did Mike say?” + + _Carry._ “He said the kittens were down in the barn, and the old + cat took hold of the kittens by their necks, with her mouth. Mike + asked me to come and see them.” + + _Mary._ “Did you tell Mike you were on your way to school, and + had not leave to stop?” + + _Carry._ “I only told him I was going to school, I did not tell + him about leave to stop.” + + _Mary._ “What did Mike say to that?” + + _Carry._ “He said he did not like to go to school. The master was + cross. He would rather stay at home and play; and then I went with + him to see the kittens. One was black, and one had white spots on + its tail, and one was yellow, just like the old cat, only it was a + kitten. The kittens were little bits of things. They stayed close + together. They climbed over one another’s backs and heads. Mike said + that did not hurt them at all. It was the way they kept one another + warm.” + + _Mary._ “How long did you stay, Carry?” + + _Carry._ “I don’t know, but not a great while. The kittens were + so pretty, I liked to look at them. I and Mike waited to see if the + big cat would take them up by the neck, with her mouth. Mike said it + looked as if she would eat them up.” + + _Mary._ “How did you feel, while you were there?” + + _Carry._ “I felt most about the kittens, they were such little + dear tiny things. I wanted to take them up, and kiss them, but Mike + said if I did, the old cat would scratch me.” + + _Mary._ “Did you think about school?” + + _Carry._ “Yes. When I had done looking at the kittens, I did. I + told Mike, now, I must go, I am afraid it is late. Mike said, if he + was me, he would not go to school at all. It was pleasant to stay at + home and play. I told Mike we had a pleasant time at our school, + rainy days as well as sunny days, and I liked to go all days. Then + Mike showed me a new way to school. He said it was nearer than to go + by the road. I got lost, and did not know where I was. I cried, and + wished I had not gone with Mike.” + + _Mary._ “I thought you told me your umbrella was broken: how was + it done, Carry?” + + _Carry._ “I forgot to put it away the last time it rained, and it + was in the kitchen, and somebody broke it.” + + _Mary._ “How did you get to school at last?” + + _Carry._ “I walked and walked, and I ran some of the way, and I + called ‘Mother,’ and ‘Mary.’ I was afraid. When I walked a little + farther, I got to the play-woods, and then I saw the tool-house + where we keep our playthings. And then I was glad, and I knew I was + almost here.” + + _Mary._ “Does my little Carry think she has suffered enough to + make her remember that she should not stop by the way coming to + school? You know, Carry, the rule is, that the scholars must not + stop on their way to school, nor when they are returning, without + leave from their parents, or from me.” + + _Carry._ “I forgot that.” + +Carry was a very affectionate little girl, and she put her arms round +Mary’s neck, and said, “Will you kiss me now, Mary, and forgive me?” + +Mary kissed Carry, and said, “I will forgive you, dear, but do you not +know that when we do wrong, even in a very little thing, we must ask our +Heavenly Father to forgive us? Whenever you do wrong, a stain is left +upon your soul—upon that part of you which lives for ever and ever. +God’s good spirit within you makes you sensible of this stain; makes you +feel that all is not right with you; and then you are unhappy, +uncomfortable; and you cannot feel happy again until the stain is taken +away. I do not see it. I cannot take it away: but God sees it, and can +take it away. And if you are really sorry and ask Him, He will take it +away, and make you happy again. I will give you a little prayer to +learn; and before you lie down in your bed to-night, think over what you +have been doing to-day. You must try to ask your Heavenly Father’s +forgiveness before you go to sleep, and then you can repeat these +verses.” + +“Will you say the little prayer to me, Mary?” + +“Yes.” + + Heavenly Father! I am little, + And I often go astray; + Wilt Thou love me, and forgive me, + When I do not keep thy way? + + I have read about Thy mercy, + In the Holy Bible shown; + Wilt Thou bring me to my Saviour, + For I cannot come alone? + + He once took up little children, + And they leaned upon His arm, + And I want Him to take me up, + So that I’ll be safe from harm. + +Then Mary lent Carry the little book which had the prayer in it, and she +told her she might take it home with her. + +“There is one thing more, I wish to say to you, Carry. I wish you to try +to think about what you are told to do. What shall I do to make my +little Carry remember?” + + _Carry._ “Don’t call me careless Carry, will you?” + + _Mary._ “Does any one call you so?” + + _Carry._ “Yes! And I do not like to be called careless Carry.” + + _Mary._ “Suppose you try not to deserve the name.” + + _Carry._ “How shall I try, Mary?” + + _Mary._ “I will help you.” + + _Carry._ “Shall we begin now?” + + _Mary._ “Yes. All the scholars, except you, put away their books + and slates, before they went out to play, and yours are all out of + place. Go, now, and put them neatly into your desk.” + +Carry ran away to do as Mary told her. And then Mary rang the bell for +school. + +Now it was reading time. Harry Linn, and Lily Forester, and Ellen Raby, +were in a class by themselves. They were just learning to read. Ellen +Raby was older than Harry and Lily, but she did not know enough to be in +the first class. + +After all the scholars had done reading, they took their slates to do +sums, and make figures. Mary showed those who could cipher, how to do +their sums, and she set lines of figures for the little ones. Mary made +pens, and set copies in the copy books for afternoon. + +One of the copies was, + +[Illustration: Handwritten: Mary loves her scholars.] + +Another copy was, + +[Illustration: Handwritten: They are good children.] + +Another copy was, + +[Illustration: Handwritten: They are sorry when they do wrong.] + +When morning school was done, Mary had all the books and the slates +neatly put into their places. Carry Deacon came running up to Mary to +tell her that she had put every thing into her desk that belonged there, +and that the lid would shut down closely. Mary went to Carry’s desk to +look into it, and she found that the things were not all tumbled in, +helter-skelter, but that each book was in its right place; and she said +Carry was a good little girl, because she was trying to improve. + +Carry looked very much pleased, when Mary praised her. And she said, “I +do love you, Mary, you are so kind to me. You never call me careless +Carry.” + +The boys and girls amused themselves as they liked until dinner-time. + +My little readers will remember, that they had all brought their dinner +to school, because it was a rainy day. They will remember too, that Mary +lived with Harry Linn’s father and mother. Her basket was quite a large +one, with dinner enough in it for four: Charles and Lucy and Harry Linn +and Mary. + +When it was dinner-time, Mary had the napkins taken out of each basket, +and she spread them all upon a little table which stood in the corner of +the school-room, and these served for a table-cloth. Then she took out +of every basket all that was in it. There was bread and butter and cold +meat and biscuit and apple pies. Mary had brought a large pie, and some +of the scholars had brought small pies. Mary placed the large pie in the +centre of the table, and the little pies around it. Lily Forester’s +patty-pan pie, with her name on it, was the least of all. Lily capered +around the table, and was wild with delight. Ellen Raby said the large +pie was the mother-pie and the little pies were the children. + +Charles Linn took the pitcher and brought some fresh water from the +spring, and Mary put the little mug which was in the wash-room, on the +table, for a drinking cup. When the table was arranged, Mary allowed +Ellen Raby to ring the bell. She rang the bell very loud, and she ran +about, saying to every one, “Please to come to dinner.” + +Before they began to eat, they sat in silence[A] for a little while; and +then Mary asked her scholars, if they knew why we sit in silence before +we partake of our meals? Charles Linn said, “We do it that we may think +of our Heavenly Father, before we eat our food, because He gives it to +us.” “Yes,” said Mary, “He gives us every good thing that we have, and +we should try, when we receive his gifts, to ask Him to give us grateful +hearts for them. We cannot give ourselves kind parents and pleasant +homes and health, nor abilities to provide food and raiment. God must +give them to us or we must go without them. + +“Shall I repeat to my little scholars some verses which my mother taught +me to say when I was about as old as Lily Forester?” + +They all said, “Yes, oh do, before we eat our dinner.” And Mary +repeated: + + When my little daughter comes + To the board with plenty spread, + She should try to think of Him, + By whose bounty she is fed. + + From our Heavenly Father’s hand + Come our blessings, health and food, + Parents, homes, and all we have, + All we know and think of good. + + Then, my darling, try to say + To thyself a little prayer; + Ask God for a grateful heart + At thy meals, and everywhere. + +Mary talked with her scholars while they ate their dinner; and after +dinner was over, each scholar put the plates and other things that +belonged to her into her own basket. There was not much left, for they +were all very hungry. Then they went into the wash-room, one at a time, +and washed their hands and faces. Mary required her scholars to eat +slowly and chew their food well; and eating their dinner and washing and +putting their baskets away, had occupied so much time, that now it was +almost two o’clock, and school in the afternoon commenced at two +o’clock. Mary had no recess during the afternoon on rainy days, and she +closed her school at four o’clock. She said it was not healthful to +remain longer than that time in a close room. It had rained so fast all +day that the scholars could not go out to take the air. + + * * * * * + +When Mary said it was school-time, Charles Linn called out, “Now for +school.” “Now for school.” “May I ring the bell?” Mary told him he +might. And he rang the bell. + +Carry Deacon did not come when the bell was rung, nor Ellen Raby, nor +Harry Linn, nor Lily Forester. Mary asked Charles to go and look for +them, and he found them in the wash-room. They had taken all the +dinner-baskets out of the closet, and they were playing “Go to market +and sell apples.” Carry Deacon had a basket on her head, and Ellen Raby +had one on her arm, and Harry Linn had tied a string to their large +basket, and he and Lily Forester were pulling it along. They pretended +the basket was a cart, and that it had apples in it, and that Harry was +Sam the driver, and Lily was Sam’s wife, and she was going to market +with him to measure out the apples in a half-peck measure. + +They were all in high glee, and Carry Deacon said, “Isn’t it nice on +rainy days?” + +Charles Linn told them it was school-time. They asked Charles to help +them put the baskets away. Charles was a kind little boy, and he helped +them, and he untied the string which Harry had put to the large basket, +and then they all came into school. + +When the scholars were in their seats, Mary said, “Which of my little +boys and girls have their Definitions ready?” + +The little ones did not learn definitions, but the larger ones did, and +they had been studying their lessons between schools. After Mary had +heard the definition-class, she called the little ones, and asked them +if they remembered what lesson they said on the second day of the week. +Carry Deacon said, “Oh, yes, this is question-afternoon.” Mary said, +“That is true, Carry, and I am glad to find you remember it.” + +These are some of the questions which Mary asked her little scholars. + + How many hands have you? + How many feet have you? + How many fingers? + How many thumbs? + How many toes on each foot? + How many on both feet? + Which is your right hand? + Which is your left hand? + How many senses have you? + What are your senses called? + What do you taste with? + What do you smell with? + What do you hear with? + What do you handle with? + What do you see with? + +Now, my little readers, suppose you try to answer these questions. Your +kind mothers, or your older brother or sister, will tell you if you +answer them correctly. Mary’s little scholars missed some, but they +answered most of them correctly. + +When they had done answering questions, Mary told them they might go to +their seats and write on their slates. Their copies were already set. + +Instead of having a recess, Mary read to her scholars a pretty story. It +was a true story about a good muffin-man. + +[Illustration: + + ~Second Day.~ + The good muffin-man. p. 49. +] + + + STORY OF THE GOOD MUFFIN-MAN. + +There was once a muffin-man who carried muffins about the streets of a +large city to sell. He carried them in two square baskets, on his +shoulders. In the street where he served the people with muffins, a poor +sailor’s wife lived. She was sick, and she could not work, and she had +not any body to give her money, for her husband was a sailor, and he was +out at sea in a great ship. She had a young child, and she was so poor +that she had not even enough money to buy bread. The good muffin-man +stopped every day and gave her some muffins out of one of his baskets to +eat. Whenever the muffin-man stopped, the little child would run away +from her mother to come to him, because she was so glad to see him. + +Mary’s scholars thought the muffin-man was very good and kind. There was +a picture over the story, and Mary showed them the picture. After they +had talked about the poor sailor’s wife, and the little child, and the +muffin-man, Carry Deacon asked, “Why the people did not make muffins at +home?” Mary told her, “That in large cities, such as Boston, New York +and Philadelphia, the people who lived there bought many things, which +the country people made at home. They bought their milk and their butter +and their meat and their eggs, because the houses were built up closely +together, and there was not room enough, in towns, to keep cows and pigs +and chickens. Mary asked Carry if she had never seen people carrying +milk and bread and fruit about, when she was in Philadelphia.” Carry +said, “Yes, she had seen a man carrying a bucket with bright hoops +around it; and her aunt, at whose house she stayed, told her the bucket +had milk in it.” And Carry said, “She saw a woman carrying oranges in a +basket, and the woman knocked at people’s doors, and asked them to buy +her oranges.” + +[Illustration: + + ~Second Day.~ + The fruit woman on her way to town p. 51. +] + +Mary went around among her scholars, while they were writing, to see +that they held their pens and pencils properly. She rubbed out some of +Lily Forester’s straight marks and round o’s, because her strokes were +crooked and her o’s were not well formed, and Lily said she would try +again. + +While the scholars were writing, Mary looked over the Bible to select a +chapter to read at the close of the school. + +Carry Deacon came up to Mary and whispered to her, to please to read +about the beautiful garden where Adam and Eve lived a great while ago +and talked with our Heavenly Father. + +When school was done, Mary called her little boys and girls to come and +sit around her while she read to them the Bible. She read to them about +God creating the world; and how he made the heavens, and the bright +stars, and the earth and all the people that live on it, and the +flowers, and the birds and beasts, and every thing that has life. And +then she read to them about Adam, the first man, and Eve, the first +woman, and about the beautiful garden, called the garden of Eden, where +they lived, and where they were very happy, until they were disobedient; +and because they were disobedient they had to go out of the beautiful +garden of Eden. + +“Is God, who made every thing, our Heavenly Father, Mary?” said Harry +Linn. + +“Yes, Harry.” + +“Did God send Adam and Eve out of the beautiful garden because they were +disobedient?” asked Carry Deacon. + +“Yes,” said Mary. + +“But, Mary, I thought you said our Heavenly Father loved us, and was +kind to us. I do not think it was kind to send poor Adam and Eve away. +Why did not God forgive them for being disobedient, as you did me this +morning?” + +“They did not ask God to forgive them,” Mary said; “And you know, Carry, +that when we have done wrong, we cannot be forgiven, until we are sorry +that we have done wrong, and sincerely ask our Heavenly Father to +forgive us.” + +“Did Adam and Eve _know_ they were to be sent away, if they were +naughty?” asked Carry. + +Eddy Forester said, “Do you not remember, Carry, Mary read to us, that +God showed Adam and Eve one tree in the garden, and told them not to +touch it? and he told them if they ate the fruit on that tree, they +should surely die.” + +“Oh, yes,” Carry said, “I remember now,” and the scholars all said they +remembered that. + +“Well,” Mary said, “you know GOD IS TRUE. He always keeps his word. We +must believe every word of God; but if God should not do what he said He +would do, we could not believe Him. He said he would punish Adam and +Eve, if they ate the fruit which he told them not to touch, and if he +had not punished them, how could we believe every word God had spoken?” + +Carry said, “Does God love us any more, when He punishes us, Mary?” + +“Yes,” Mary said, “He punishes us sometimes when we do wrong, because He +loves us and wants to make us love and obey Him. You know, Carry, your +mother sends you away from her, when you are naughty, to punish you; and +she does it because she wants to make you a good, obedient little girl; +and do you not think your mother loves you?” + +“Oh, yes,” Carry said; “my mother says she loves me, and I know she +does.” + +Little Ellen Raby was leaning against Mary; she was very tired. Harry +and Lily had slipped off from the bench where they were sitting, and +they were lying on the floor, looking up into Mary’s face while she was +talking. + +Then Mary said, “My little scholars are weary, they have been at school +long enough.” + +The bigger boys and girls begged Mary to talk to them some more about +Adam and Eve. They said they were not weary. Charles Linn said he would +hold Ellen Raby on his lap, while Harry and Lily rested on the floor. +But Mary looked at her watch, and she said, “We will not talk any more +now. It is after four o’clock. It is time for us all to go home. It does +not rain much now, and we can go home without getting very wet.” + +Then Mary put away the Bible, and she went and brought Carry Deacon’s +shoes and stockings to her. + +“Now Carry, dear,” Mary said, “go and take off the borrowed shoes and +stockings, and put on your own. Yours are quite dry.” + +Carry did as she was bidden, and then Mary took the shoes and stockings +which Carry left off, and put them into her basket; for my little +readers will remember they belonged to Lucy Linn, and we must never +forget to return carefully and in good season any thing that we borrow. +Mary took care that each scholar had the right umbrella and the right +dinner-basket, and then she kissed them all, and they went home. + +Charles Linn said he did not care for a little rain, and he took the +large basket and ran home. He left the umbrella for Mary and his little +brother Harry, and his sister Lucy, and Mary and Lucy and Harry walked +home together. + +[Illustration: THE END] + +------------------------------------------------------------------------ + +Footnote A: + + This incident contains a historical fact. In many parts of + Pennsylvania, which were originally settled by members of the Society + of Friends, some of their social customs are still adhered to, even by + families not of their sect, and one of these customs is to observe a + short season of silent supplication before meals. + +------------------------------------------------------------------------ + + =TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE:= + + Italics, bold letters, blackletter font and small + capitals have been converted to _ = ~ and + ALL CAPS respectively. + + Perceived typos have been silently corrected. + + Inconsistencies in hyphenation have been standardized. + + Archaic or variant spelling has been retained. + + + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 77010 *** |