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Page 12
The temptation to Charles was very strong. "I don't believe I will be found
out," he said to himself; "and it is such a pleasant day to go into the
woods!"
Still he held back, and thought of his father's displeasure if he should
discover that he had played the truant. The word "truant," that he repeated
mentally, decided the matter in his mind, and he exclaimed, in a loud and
decided voice, as he dragged away from the hand of Archy, that had still
retained its hold on his arm, "I've never played truant yet, and I don't
think I ever will. Father says he never played truant when he was a boy;
and I'd like to say the same thing when I get to be a man."
"Nonsense, Charley! come, go with me," urged Archy.
But Charles Murray's mind was made up not to play the truant. So he started
off for school, saying, as he did so--
"No, I can't go, Archy; and if I were you, I would wait until Saturday. You
will enjoy it so much better when you have your fathers consent. It always
takes away more than half the pleasure of any enjoyment to think that it is
obtained at the cost of disobedience. Come! go to school with me now, and I
will go into the woods with you on Saturday."
"No, I can't wait until Saturday. I'm sure it will rain by that time; and
if it don't, the hogs will eat up every nut that has fallen before that
time."
"There'll be plenty left on the trees, if they do. It's as fine sport to
knock them down as to pick them up."
But Archy's purpose was settled, and nothing that Charles Murray could say
had any influence with him. So the boys parted, the one for his school, and
the other for a stolen holiday in the woods.
The moment Charles was alone again, he felt no longer any desire to go with
Archy. He had successfully resisted the temptation, and the allurement was
gone. But even for listening to temptation he had some small punishment,
for he was late to school by nearly ten minutes, and had not his lessons as
perfect as usual, for which the teacher felt called upon to reprimand him.
But this was soon forgotten; and he was so good a boy through the whole
day, and studied all his lessons so diligently, that when evening came, the
teacher, who had not forgotten the reprimand, said to him:
"You have been the best boy in the school to-day, Charles. To-morrow
morning try and come in time, and be sure that your lessons are all well
committed to memory."
Charles felt very light and cheerful as he went running, skipping, and
singing homeward. His day had been well spent, and happiness was his
reward. When he came in sight of home, there was no dread of meeting his
father and mother, such as he would have felt if he had played the truant.
Every thing looked bright and pleasant, and when Juno came bounding out to
meet him, he couldn't help hugging the favorite dog in the joy he felt at
seeing her.
When Charles met his mother, she looked at him with a more earnest and
affectionate gaze than usual. And then the boy noticed that her countenance
became serious.
"Ain't you well, mother?" asked Charles.
"Yes, my dear, I am very well," she replied; "but I saw something an hour
ago which has made me feel sad. Archy Benton was brought home from the
woods this afternoon, where he had gone for chestnuts, instead of going to
school, as he should have done, dreadfully hurt. He had fallen from a tree.
Both his arms are broken, and the doctor fears that he has received some
inward injury that may cause his death."
Charles turned pale, when his mother said this.
"Boys rarely get hurt, except when they are acting disobediently, or doing
some harm to others," remarked Mrs Murray. "If Archy had gone to school,
this dreadful accident would not have happened. His father told him that he
might go for chestnuts on Saturday, and if he had waited until then, I am
sure he might have gone into the woods and received no harm, for all who do
right are protected from evil."
"He tried to persuade me to go with him," said Charles, "and I was strongly
tempted to do so. But I resisted the temptation, and have felt glad about
it ever since."
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