88

THE YOUTH’S CABINET.

eee eee en .

into the piazza. There were little child-
ren in my family, and they saw the
birds, and even made provision for them,
by scattering more crumbs. Was not
this to exercise their kingly power in a
proper manner? What if they had
thrown stones at them, or in any other
way frightened them? Would a good
king of Great Britain or Spain delight in
frightening his subjects? Would he not
prefer to do them a favor, as often as
possible ?

Would that all our children-kings
loved the birds and fishes, and, indeed,
the whole animal creation, and took as
much pains to make tieir subjects happy
as many now do to make them miserable!

Many wonder that wars continue—
such wars, for example, as the war
against Mexico. But why should not
they who are trained to make war on
all the inferior animals, which God has
placed under their care, follow on in the
same path, as far as Mexico? It would
be strange, to me, if they should not
do so.

 

Obedience and Disobedience.

HEN children are away from
home, they are bound to obey
those to whose care their

7 parents have entrusted them.
Three boys, Robert, George, and Alfred,
went to spend a week with a gentleman,
who took them to be agreeable, well-be-
haved boys. There was a great pond
near his house, with a floodgate, where
the water ran out. It was cold weather,
and the pond was frozen over; but the

gentleman knew that the ice was very
thin near the floodgate. The first morn-
ing after they came, he told them they
might go and slide on the pond, if they
would not go near the floodgate. Soon
after they were gone, he followed them,
to see that they were safe. When he
got there, he found Robert sliding in the
very place where he had told him not
to go. This was disobedience outright.
George was walking sullenly by the side
of the pond, not so much as sliding at
all, because he had been forbidden to
venture on the dangerous part. This
was sullen obedience ; which is, in reality,
no obedience at all, because it comes not
from the heart. But Alfred was cheer-
fully enjoying himself, in a capital long
slide, upon a safe part of the pond. This
was true obedience. Suddenly, the ice
broke where Robert was sliding ; he im-
mediately went under water, and it was
with difficulty that his life was saved.
The gentleman concluded that Alfred
was a lad of integrity, but that his two
brothers were not to be trusted. Obe-
dience secured him happiness, and the
confidence of the kind gentleman with
whom he was staying; while the others
deprived themselves of enjoyment, lost
the gentleman’s confidence, and one of
them nearly lost his life; and yet, to
slide on the dangerous part of the pond
would have added nothing to their en-
joyment. They desired it from mere
wilfulness, because it was forbidden.
This disposition indulged, will always
lead boys into difficulty; and if they
cherish it while boys, it will go with
them through life, and keep them always
“in hot water.” There is never any-
thing lost by obedience to parents, while
there is often a great deal gained by it.