Madeline Leslie

“ They had scarcely reached home and put the mare in the barn before back came the old wheels, and the Doctor's broad good-natured face. Jimmy had to turn around he felt so much like laughing.
It was not more than twenty minutes before there was a loud call at the front porch.
"Jimmy Dodge, Jimmy Dodge!"
The good Doctor was sitting in the buggy, wiping his eyes and laughing at the same time. "I tell my wife," he said to Mrs. Dodge, "that the millennium has begun, there are so many good people in the world." ”

“ Ellen will forget all about Ralph before to-morrow."
Jimmy had been taught to kneel by his bedside before he retired, and ask God to forgive his sins of the past day, to help him be a good child, and to take care of him while he was asleep. Never since he could remember had one night passed in which he had not done this, though often his heart was not in his petitions. What was it now that made him hesitate, and finally conclude not to pray this once?
It was the voice of conscience saying, "You are a very wicked boy; you are growing worse every minute. ”

“ From the meadow came the sound of the bull frogs croaking their evening song, while every now and then a cricket chirped out a chorus. Jimmy had now nearly recovered his health, though any unusual exertion brought on a return of the pain in his head. ”

“ A little dog ran out from a house and barked joyfully when he saw who it was; but though Jimmy often had a game with him, now he only said:
"Go away, Gip," and Gip, gazing wonderingly in his face, saw that something was the matter and followed him meekly, with his tail between his legs.
"I wish I dared tell mother," Jimmy said softly. ”

“ The conversation had taken place while the Doctor sat in his buggy, and the farmer stood near his barn.
Jimmy was sitting up in bed with a napkin pinned around his neck, his eyes looking unnaturally large on account of his thin cheeks, but otherwise better than he had done since the accident.
"Oh, this does taste so good, father!" exclaimed the boy smacking his lips with a keen relish. "Toasted bread and pure cream, no fooling!"
"I think he gains strength every day on this diet," said his mother laughing; "but what has happened?" noticing her husband's flushed face. ”

“ It was a great relief therefore to his parents, that the long summer vacation would give their boy an opportunity to gain strength.
Mr. Dodge soon joined them accompanied by their pastor whom he met coming to make a call. Jimmy's head ached; but his mother's hand, passing softly across his forehead, soothed the pain; so he sat quiet, and listened to the conversation.
"I have been to see Mr. Crawson," began the clergyman, "and I am very much pleased with what he says of himself."
"That man's heart is in the right place," responded Mr. Dodge warmly. ”

“ When the bell rang, Dexter came in; and they all sat down together. Finding Jimmy in an obliging mood the man said:
"I wish you'd get up the cows from the pasture. I've got a job in the garden I want to finish before I milk."
"Well, I will," answered Jimmy; "and I'll get in the chickens too."
"He's awful good-natured," thought Ellen as she saw him trudge off whistling, with a stick in his hand. "I hope he isn't going to die, or any such thing; but it looks dangerous to have a boy so terribly good all at once."
Jimmy was usually what would be called a good boy ”

“ Ralph told me about it, and how he saw you skulking round the barn. How did you get off with the teacher?"
"I managed," said Jimmy, ashamed to confess even to this wicked boy that he had told an out and out lie, as he himself had to call it; and tell his kind teacher that he went on a visit with his mother.
"Well," urged Daniel, "you can manage again. If you don't want to go, say so, and not be fooling all day about it. There's enough fellows would be glad of the chance to go and earn two or three dollars by selling lilies." ”

“ Little Jimmy thought there was no fun quite equal to sailing on the water, to be sure he did not know much about it never having been in a boat but once, and that was in company with the Sabbath school children, when they went on a picnic to Deer Island. When Daniel in glowing terms described the pleasure they would have, he said in a hesitating tone.
"I'm afraid father wouldn't like it; and mother thinks it's awful dangerous."
"There isn't a bit of danger," urged Daniel. "Father goes out almost every day in the year, and comes home all safe. We will be back before school is done ”

“ Daniel nodded his head, and went on explaining how they would manage. "We shall have to sail out farther than we did last time. The lilies are thick at the other end; and I want to start half an hour before school begins, can't you get away somehow?"
"I don't know as I shall go," faltered Jimmy, looking down at Gip. "I don't believe mother'll let me leave school."
"Bother the school," exclaimed Dan. "I don't believe in keeping boys studying all the time. If I were you, I wouldn't say a word to my mother about it. You got off real slick last Tuesday." ”

“ The Doctor was bending over the child with his ear to the silent chest, while Mrs. Dodge forcibly suppressing her groans, held her boy's limp hand, kissing it again and again.
"Daniel and he," pointing to the bed, "were in my boat. They had a quarrel about some lilies they had gathered. Daniel has a hot temper, and he struck Jimmy on the head with his oar. If he's killed him, why—"
He could say no more, his face was convulsed with emotion, he went quickly out of the house. ”

“ Daniel shivered. He could almost hear the leather strap whiz through the air. The old man believed in whipping bad boys; and he had not a very light hand, as his two sons well knew.
Daniel threw off his clothes and stretched himself on the bed; but he could hear Amos laughing and talking to their mother in his coarse voice, and he could not sleep.
"I don't think boating pays," he said at last; "though we did have a good time; but there's always such a fuss."
CHAPTER IV. ANOTHER LIE.
POOR Jimmy, how he dreaded to go up to his room and be alone with his wicked heart. ”

“ There's five hundred dollars besides the interest for four years and some little sums added. Yes, I think that will do."
"Oh, father, I'm so glad;" and Jimmy in his excitement shed tears of joy.
He could not understand Dexter's shout of laughter, nor his mother's whispered "Hush! I wouldn't, husband." He only knew that he was very happy.
"What will the Doctor say?" he exclaimed joyfully. "Do you think he'll know it is his." ”

“ This was his last Sunday's verse, and his teacher had explained it to the class. "Yes," faltered poor Jimmy, starting at the shadow his light threw of the bedpost. "Yes, Daniel is a bad boy 'cause he tells awful lies, and he swears too. He is a sinner. He enticed me to go to the pond, and I did consent. I wish I hadn't. I wish I'd said no, I must go to school. Then I shouldn't have had to tell a lie. I suppose 'tis a real lie 'cause Ellen thinks I went. I'm awful sorry. I wish I dared tell mother; but she'd cry so, and then she'd think I'm worse than I am, 'cause I never played truant before ”

“ He says he's seen occasion to change his mind about religion, and if it isn't too late he means to try and get it himself."
Mrs. Dodge urged the teacher to stay to tea; but as she could not, the lady brought in a saucer of raspberries with sugar and delicious sweet cream.
Miss Reynolds said it was years since she had enjoyed such a treat. After she had eaten the fruit, she went away, telling Jimmy to get up a good stock of health so as to be able to study hard in the autumn.
CHAPTER X. JIMMY'S PLAN.
ONE evening in July Jimmy sat on a cricket with his head in his mother's lap. ”

“ I never saw a man so changed. I am told he has not once left home or allowed his son to step over the threshold since the sad accident. He considers himself pledged to you not to let his son escape whatever the consequences may be. ”

“ I aren't agoing to have my boys think I'm partial to ary one."
The next day when Mrs. Dodge went to the kitchen she found a large blue fish, nicely dressed for cooking; lying on a platter.
"Daniel Crawson brought it," Ellen said laughing, "and he'd got another one for the Doctor. He said they were alive this morning. He caught them himself. Oh, there's a little paper too."
She took from her pocket a soiled piece of paper which seemed to have been torn from a book. On it was written with a pencil:
"Father says I may go to Sunday school. ”

“ I might have gone on growing worse and worse. Mother
says, our Father in heaven often does allow his
children to get into trouble, to let them see that
the Bible is true, when it says: 'The way of
transgressors is hard.' So you see it was good for
me to be hurt. ”

“ You told a lie any way."
"You're a pretty fellow to preach about lying," shouted Daniel growing angry. "I should like to know how many lies you told last Tuesday. If you dare to open your head to me again about lying, I'll go and tell your mother all about it."
Daniel's face was as red and fierce as a fighting cock, and poor Jimmy fairly trembled; presently he said humbly:
"I'm sorry I came. I'll go home now if you want me to."
"No, I don't! We're in for it, and we'd better be sailing."
CHAPTER V. THE DISTRACTED MOTHER.
JIMMY got into the boat, and took his seat at the end as Daniel directed ”

“ Was any other boy absent?"
"Now I think of it, Daniel Crawson was away both on Tuesday and to-day; but he plays truant so often I never thought of Jimmy in connection with him."
"Oh, I hope not! he is a profane, wicked boy, and his father is—"
"Oh, Miss Reynolds, the pond! What if Jimmy has gone out in Mr. Crawson's boat! What shall I do? I must send at once."
CHAPTER VI. THE SENSELESS BOY.
MRS. DODGE left the room in great distress, and at the same moment the Doctor's old buggy drove into the yard. ”

“ You must do up the rest of the chores. Amos, you feed the horse well, and scrape up that fish offal for the chickens."
It was nearly nine before Daniel went up into the rough attic chamber where he and his brother slept. He was out of sorts, and ready to quarrel with anybody. This was not the first nor the twentieth time that he had played truant, and told lies to cover his sin. His conscience had often plead with him to confess to his parents, and begin to do better ”