Oliver Optic

“ He seemed to be very poor, but his face beamed with smiles.
[Pg 52]
“What is your name?” inquired Seekpeace.
“My name is Poverty; and I belong to a very large family of that name.”
“Where are you travelling?”
“I am going home to the Valley of Shadows, where I am to meet all my brethren of every name and family.”
“Why don’t you wear better clothes?” asked Seekpeace, [Pg 53] glancing at his coarse garments.
“They are the best I have.”
“Why don’t you buy better?”
“I have no money.”
“What! an old man like you with no money? What have you been doing all your life?” ”

“ I can [Pg 71] give you a conscience void of offence before God and man.”
“Don’t stop to hear her prate; but come with me, and I will show you the Palace of Luxury, in which you may live and be happy, if you will only serve me faithfully, and not bother your head with Pureheart’s nonsense,” said Goldenhand.
“Be wise, Seekpeace, and [Pg 72] do not take a step which you will regret when it is too late to repent,” urged Pureheart.
Then Seekpeace was sorely perplexed. Goldenhand promised him ever so many fine things ”

“ He was dressed in rich garments, and he was just the person to please a young man. He was a very skilful and powerful giant; and just [Pg 63] to show Seekpeace what he could do, he pulled down an old house that stood by the road side, and piled up a handsome stone mansion in its place; and he performed a great many other wonderful things, that filled the young man with unbounded astonishment.
“Now, young man, you have seen what I can do, and if you wish to go with me, I [Pg 64] will help you to become rich and great,” said Goldenhand. ”

“ One day they called Seekpeace to them, and told him they could not afford to take care of him any longer, and that he must go out into the world and make his own fortune. They hoped he would try to be a wise and good man ”

“ The tea bell rang then, and Flora wiped away her tears, and tried to reconcile herself to the loss of the thimble. She was very sad and unhappy, for she felt that it had been lost by her own carelessness.
[Pg 31]
The feeling that we have done wrong is far more painful than the consequences which follow that wrong. Many good and true men have been happy while their bodies were burning at the stake, or while they were shut up in prison.
All the family sat down at the tea table except Mr. Lee, and he went up stairs. ”

“ Let us enter, and examine some of the fine things you saw there.”
Pureheart led the way into the palace, and the young man again admired the splendors of the interior, and wished he might possess them.
“What a rich carpet!” exclaimed he.
“It is very pretty, but let [Pg 78] us examine it a little more closely.” ”

“ Long was taken sick, and for several weeks was confined to her bed. During this illness Susan took care of her mother, and did the house work besides, with the help of her father and her brother John. ”

“ Resist him, as Seekpeace did, and Pureheart will [Pg 88] be your friend to the end of your journey.”
Mr. Lee did not tell the children that he had found the gold thimble in Mary’s basket; but he hoped that his story would do her good. ”