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Page 25
"It's spring," he cried happily, and leaped along his way toward the
right. In a flash the tempting little by-path had curled up like a
scroll and disappeared from view; and then Lionel knew that it had not
been real at all, but only imaginary, and he was more grateful than
ever that he had not followed its lead.
"Now, you good little rule," said he, addressing the shining object in
his hand, "I 'll put you in my breast-pocket and keep you safe and warm
next to my heart. Then you 'll be ready if I want you again." And he
was just about to thrust it in his bosom, when his eyes were caught by
something unusual upon its surface, and on examining it very closely he
saw, in exquisitely chased characters, the words,--
Nor sigh nor weep o'er thine own ills;
Such plaining earth with mourning fills.
Forget thyself, and thou shalt see
Thyself remembered blessedly.
For some time after he had read the lines he was plunged in thought.
They seemed to teach him a lesson that it took him some little time to
learn.
"I don't know why it should make the world sad if one complains," he
mused. "But I s'pose it does. I s'pose one has n't any right to make
things unpleasant for other people by crying about things. One ought
to be brave and not bother folks with one's troubles. Well, I 'll try
not to do so any more, because if it's going to make things so
unpleasant it can't be right."
And this last word seemed to link in his mind his escape from the
complaint of his loneliness and the by-path down which he did not turn;
and he was so long trying to unravel the mystery of the connection that
before he knew it he had almost stumbled into quite a bog, and there,
in front of him, sat a wee child,--just where two roads met,--and he
had well-nigh run over her in his carelessness.
"Oh, bother!" said he,--for he was irritated at the thought of having
only so narrowly escaped doing himself serious damage,--"what do you
get in a fellow's way for? You--" But the poor little mite gazed up
at him so sadly, and wept so piteously at his hasty words that he
paused suddenly and did not go on.
He looked down the two paths. The one was wide and curving, the other
narrow and straight; the one was bordered with rich foliage, the other
was bare and sandy. He might have run lightly along the one, he would
have to toil wearisomely along the other. What wonder that his foot
was turning in the direction of the first! But a queer pricking in his
bosom and the child's cry stopped him.
He slowly drew forth his rule and began to measure, while the little
one sobbed,--
"I 'm so told I tan't walt any more. My foots are all tired out, and I
want sumpin to eat;" and there he found himself just on the verge of
making a fearful blunder. He got up from his knees and turning to the
tiny maid, said kindly,--
"There, there! don't cry, dear! We 'll fix you all right;" and he
stripped off his jacket and wrapped it about her, taking her in his
arms, and trudging on with his burden along the more difficult way.
But it was the right one, and he knew it; and so his heart was light,
and he did not have time to think of his own weariness; for all the
time he was trying to comfort his forlorn little companion. And so
well he succeeded that in no time at all she was asleep on his
shoulder. Then he sat down by the roadside, and holding her still in
his arms, began to think.
"There I was a little while ago complaining--no, not quite complaining,
but _almost_--because I hadn't anybody to keep me company. Now I 've
got somebody with a vengeance. She's awful heavy. But, oh, dear! what
a narrow escape I had! I might have run into that bog, and that would
have been a 'pretty how d 'ye do,' as Sarah says. I was so busy
thinking I forgot everything, and ran almost over little Sissy; and
that shows, I s'pose, how without meaning it one can hurt somebody if
one does n't look out."
And then, very carefully, so as not to wake his sleeping charge, he
slipped his hand into his pocket and drew out his rule again.
"What a good friend you are!" he said to it. "I really think you 're
better than any sword or poniard a body could have. You 've saved me
from danger twice now, and--" But here he stared at it in dumb
surprise, for even as he looked he saw appear upon its polished surface
the words,--
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