"Harvey and Brown were going, and
they are pretty steady fellows, and I really was half inclined to go."
"Well, what saved you?"
"Oh, I knew just how you would look, mother, dear, and I would rather
never see a theater than face that grieved look of yours. Mother, the
thought of you has saved me from many, many temptations to do wrong, and
if I am good for anything, when I am a man, I must thank God for my
mother."
"Thank God for his preserving grace, my dearest Charley, and ask him to
give you more and more of it."
Not many days after, Mrs. Arnold was in company with her son's employer.
"Your son promises well, Mrs. Arnold," said he, "he is very accurate,
obliging, respectful. I am somewhat hasty at times, and a few days since
blamed him severely for something which I thought he had done wrong. He
showed no ill-temper, but received it with so much meekness, my heart
smote me. The next day he asked me very respectfully if I would inquire
of one of the clerks about it, which I did, and found he had done
nothing blameworthy in the least. He is a fine boy, madam, a very fine
boy, and I hope will make as good a man as his father."
But a good _man_ Charley was not destined to be. Her reward was nearer
than she had thought, and he who had learned of the lowly Saviour to be
meek and lowly of heart, was soon to be transplanted to dwell with
loving and holy ones above.
Pages:
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262