174

The Quarrelsome Children.

HERE was a cottage not a
great way from Mary’s and
... Alfred’s home, and in that
RA cottage lived two boys and
two girls, with their father
} and mother.

It was not a happy fam-
ily; for the children often
quarreled, and called each
other very bad names ; and too often
they also fought with one another.

Sometimes when Mary and Alfred
were at play in their garden, they could
hear the loud cries of these children ;
and they, more than once, had seen
them in the road, beating and throwing
each other in the dirt. It made them
sad to see and hear these things. They
thought, and indeed they said to their
father, one day, “If our dear little
brother John had lived, we would not
have hurt him, and been cross to him.”

Once these quarrelsome children were
‘at play; and one of the girls struck her
elder brother with her hand, and then
ran away. The boy then picked up a
stone which was in the road, and ran
after his sister. He was in a very great
passion ; and, as he ran, he cried out that
he would kill her. This frightened the
little girl very much; for she knew that
her brother was stronger than she, and
- she knew that he would not care what
harm he did, while his passion lasted.
So she ran away from him as fast as she
could. But her brother ran still faster ;
and would have caught her too, if she
had not run into the garden where Mary
was with her father. She ran to them,
and said, “O, do not let my wicked

 

brother come near me; he will kill me.”

 

THE YOUTH’S CABINET.

The boy had run after his sister auite
to the garden, before he saw M
father ; and then he stopped, and w
have gone back, if Mary’s father ha
said, “ Put down that stone, Henry
come here.”

Henry did as he was bid. He
afraid to run away ; but he walked
slowly. At length he reached the }
and Mary’s father took him by one
and his little sister by the other
went with them into a garden arbo
there he talked with them. Mar,
Alfred went too, and heard what their
father said.

Mary’s and Alfred’s father had always
been very kind to the children in the
cottage. He had often given them little
books to read. Sometimes he gave
them money for going on errands, or for
weeding his garden; and when he met

them, he used to speak pleasantly to
them. ‘This is why they were willing to
go with him now.

He sat down in the arbor, and placed
the little girl beside him, while her
brother stood on the other side of his

knee.

«What were you going to do with
that large stone you had in your hand,
Henry 2” he said to the boy.

«Lucy hit me,” he said ; “she is al-
ways hitting me.”

«Yes, but what were you going to do
with the stone?”

“He said he would kill me,”
Lucy.

«T see how it is.
quarreling again.”

Then Henry and Lucy both of them
began to lay the blame upon each other.
Mary’s father heard what they had to
say, and then he talked to them.

said

You have been