by Jacob Abbott
GETTING IN TROUBLE.
The blueberries were very thick and large, and the bottoms of thebaskets were soon covered with them. Each one picked where he found themmost plenty.
Rollo and Lucy kept pretty near together, talking, and gradually strayedaway to some distance from the rest of the party. After a little while,Rollo looked up, and saw the three boys pretty near them. As soon asLucy saw them so near, she moved along towards their parents; and Rolloought to have done so too, but he remained where he was, and presentlyone of the boys came up to him.
"Why did you not come up where we were?" said he. "They were thicker outthere."
"My father would not let me," said Rollo.
"O, come along," said the boy; "he will not care. Besides, he will notknow it. He is busy picking by himself. He does not mind where you are."
Rollo thought this was not exactly the way that a good boy would speakof obeying a father, but he wanted very much to see the place where theberries were so much thicker.
"How far is it?" said he to the boy.
"O, it is only a little way-just around that rock."
By this time the other two boys came up, and they talked with Rollo alittle while, and endeavored to persuade him to go. He said finally thathe would go and ask his father. So he left his basket, and went andasked his father if he might just go with those boys round the rock. Hesaid the blueberries were much thicker around there, and also that hehad been talking with the boys, and he was sure they were good boys.
"No, Rollo," said his father, decidedly, "I cannot think that any boysthat use bad language can be good boys, or safe companions for you. Ihad rather you would keep with us. If they speak to you, answer themcivilly; but the less you have to say to them or do with them, thebetter. In fact, I had rather you would not go back to them at all."
"I must," said Rollo, "to get my basket."
He accordingly returned to his basket, and told the boys that his fatherpreferred that he should stay where he was.
The biggest boy of the three was a ragged and dirty-looking boy; theothers called him Jim, and he talked with Rollo a good deal. Rollo'sconscience reproved him for not leaving them, and going back to hisfather; but he wanted to stay and hear their talk, and he quieted hisconscience by saying to himself that his father told him to treat themcivilly. At first the boys were careful what they said to Rollo; but atlength Jim grew more and more hold. He used language which Rollo knewwas wrong, and he told Rollo that he was a fool to stick so close to hisfather; that he was big enough to find his way alone all over themountain, if he was of a mind to.
All this Rollo was silly enough to believe, and, as his father onlyrequired him to keep in sight, he thought he would show the boys that hewas not so much afraid as they thought he was; and so hi gradually movedoff farther and farther from his parents, as he went on graduallyfilling up his basket. Lucy, in the mean time, went nearer and nearer tothem, and in a short time was safely gathering her blueberries by heraunt's side.
Things went on so for an hour. Rollo's mother asked his father whetherhe had not better call Rollo to them.
"No," said he; "I have told him his duty once, plainly, and now, if hedoes not do it, he must take the consequences. I believe I shall leavehim to himself."
The boys went on talking to one another and to Rollo, telling variousstories about their running away from school, stealing apples, and suchthings. Rollo was much interested in listening to them, though he knew,all the time, that he was doing wrong. But he had not the courage toleave them abruptly, as he ought to have done, and go back to hisfather.
Rollo took a great deal of pains with the berries he picked; he chosethe largest and ripest, and was very careful not to get in any sticksand leaves. His basket was small, and he intended, as soon as he got itfull, to carry it carefully to his mother, and pour his berries into herlarge tin pail. He was succeeding finely in this, but then he hadinsensibly strayed away so far from his father, that now he was entirelyout of his sight.
At length, as Jim was sitting on a log to rest himself, as he said, hesaw a little bird alight on the branch of a black stump near.
"Hash," said he; "there is a Bob-a-link. See how I will fix him."
So saying, he picked up a stone, and was going to throw it.
Rollo begged him not to kill that pretty little bird but he paid noattention to what Rollo said. He threw the stone with all his force; butfortunately it did not hit the bird. It struck the limb that the birdwas perched upon, and shivered it to fragments, and the bird flew away,terrified.
"Now, what did you do that for?" said Rollo; "you might have hit him."
"Hit him!" said he; "I meant to hit him, to be sure."
"But what good does it do to kill little birds? I found one thismorning, and I would not kill him for any thing."
"Where did you find him?" said Jim.
Rollo then told the boys all about his finding a little bird, in itsnest floating in the brook, and about their naming him Mosette; as isdescribed in the story called "BLUEBERRYING;" and Jim said, if he hadfound him, he would have put him on a fence, for a mark to fire stonesat. "I would have made him peep, I tell you," said he.
Rollo said he would not have him killed on any account. He was going tocarry him home, and feed him, and tame him.
"But where is he now?" said Jim.
"O, we hid him behind a stone, down at the foot of the mountain, whereour horses are tied."
"But how can you find him again?" said Jim.
"O," said Rollo, "we know; it was behind the corner of a stone, just inthe bushes, where we tied the horse."
Jim winked at the other boys when Rollo said this, though Rollo did notsee it. He was vexed with Rollo, because he reproved him for stoning thebird.
"I would set him up for a mark, if I had him," said Jim. "I wish I hadbeen there when you found him; I would have taken him away from you."
"No, you would not have taken him away. Jonas would not let you."
"Jonas! who is Jonas? and what do you think I care for Jonas?" said he.
He then came up to Rollo, and looked into his basket, and saw it nearlyfull of large ripe blueberries.
"And I believe," said he, "that you have stolen some of my berries outof my basket, while I have been sitting here."
"No, I have not," said Rollo. "I have not touched your basket."
"You have," said Jim, fiercely, "and I will have them back again.Besides, I put some into yours, while you went to your father. So halfthe berries in your basket are mine."
This was a lie; but bad boys, like Jim, will always lie, when they haveany thing to gain by it. He came up to Rollo, and began to pull hisbasket away from him. Rollo struggled against him, and began to cry. ButJim was too strong for him: he tipped his basket over, poured a greatmany of the berries into his own basket, and the rest were spilled overon to the ground. Then, angry at Rollo's screams and cries, he trampledon all the berries that were on the ground, and was beginning to runaway. Rollo caught hold of the skirt of his coat, screaming all the timefor his father. Jim turned round, and struck Rollo with his fist,knocked him down, and then he and the other boys set off, as fast asthey could run, through the bushes; and they disappeared just asRollo's father and Jonas came hastening to his aid.
They raised Rollo up, and his father took him in his arms to carry himaway. He saw that there had been some serious difficulty with the badboys, but he did not ask Rollo any thing about it, then; for he knewthat he could not talk intelligibly till he had done crying. Rollo laidhis head down on his father's shoulder, as he walked along, and sobbedbitterly.
A TEST OF PENITENCE.
His father carried him back to where his mother and uncle were, who werecoming towards him looking anxiously.
They presently got pretty near them, Rollo still continuing to cry. Hisfather then said to him,
"Rollo, be still a moment. I want to speak to you."
When he first took Rollo up, he did not command him to be still, for heknew t
hat it would do no good. He was then so overwhelmed with pain andterror, that he could not help crying; and his father never commandedimpossibilities. By this time, however, the pain, and the immediateterror, had so far subsided, that his father knew he could now controlhimself, and Rollo knew that he must obey. He accordingly stopped cryingaloud, and tried to listen to his father.
"Rollo," said his father, "I pity you very much. I warned you againstthis bad company, and now I perceive you have got into some difficultywith them; but I cannot hear your story about it till we get home. It isyour own fault that has brought you into trouble; and now you must notextend your trouble over all our party, and spoil our happiness, as youhave your own. I must go and put you by yourself, until you get entirelycomposed and pleasant, and then you may join us again."
"But, father," said Rollo, beginning to cry afresh at the thoughts ofthe boys' treatment of him, "they came up to me, and--and--"
"Stop, Rollo," said his father. "Be still. You cannot tell the storyintelligibly now, and if you could, I should not be willing to listen toit. You must not say any thing about it, unless you are questioned,until we get home."
By this time they came up pretty near the place where the rest of theparty were; but his father did not take him there. He turned aside, and,putting Rollo down, he led him along to a smooth log, which lay amongsome old trees, close by, and told him to sit there, until he wasentirely composed and pleasant again, and then to come to him, or to goto picking berries again, just as he pleased.
Rollo sat on the log, for some time, with his empty basket by his side,mourning over his sorrows. Lucy came to him, and endeavored to consolehim. She begged him not to cry; and she poured out half of her ownberries into his basket, and told him that they could soon fill it fullagain, if he would come with her to a good thick place she had found.Rollo became gradually quiet and composed, and walked along with Lucy.
Lucy had indeed found a place where the berries were very thick andlarge, and Rollo determined to be as industrious as possible. Theyworked away very busily for half an hour, and Rollo gradually recoveredhis spirits.
His mother watched him from time to time, and when she saw that he wasgood-humored again, she said to his father,
"Rollo seems to be picking his berries very pleasantly. I rather thinkhe is sorry for his conduct."
"Yes, I see he is getting _good-humored_ again, but I am afraid he isnot truly penitent. It is easier _forget_ a sin, than to be sorry forit. It is very easy, however, for us to ascertain."
"How can we ascertain?" asked his mother.
"Why, if you should go and ask him about it, if he is really penitent,he will be troubled most to think of his disobedience in going; into thebad company; but if he is not penitent, he will not think of that, butonly go to scolding about the bad boys."
"That is true," said she. "I have a great mind to go and try him."
Rollo's father thought it would be a good plan, and she, accordingly,walked along towards Rollo slowly, gathering berries as she went.
Rollo saw her coming, and said, "Here is mother, Lucy; let us go andgive her our berries."
So saying, he carried his basket up to her very pleasantly, and said,"Here, mother; see, here are all these berries I have been picking foryou."
"Ah," said she, "did you pick all these for me?"
"E--h--no," said he; "not all; Lucy gave me some."
"Well, Lucy, I am very much obliged to you, and I am glad to see thatyou, Rollo, are pleasant again; I am sorry you went and got intodifficulty with those boys."
"They came and took away my berries," said he, "and struck me--thatgreat ugly Jim."
The feelings of vexation and anger against the bad boys began to riseagain in Rollo's mind, the moment he began to talk about them, and hewas just going to cry. His mother stopped him, saying,
"You need not tell me about him any more. I see how it is."
"How what is?" said Rollo.
"How it is about your being sorry. Your father told me that, if you weretruly penitent for what happened about those boys, I should find you,when I came to talk with you about it, grieved for _your own_ fault, andif you were not penitent, you would only be angry at _theirs_. I seewhich it is."
Rollo was silent a moment. He felt the truth and justice of thedistinction; but, like all boys who are not sorry for the wrong theyhave done, he could not resist the temptation to try to justify himselfby throwing the blame on others. So he began to tell her something moreabout "that cross old Jim," but she interrupted him, and told him shedid not wish to hear any thing about that "cross old Jim." He was nother boy, she said, and she had nothing to do with him or his faults.
She then went to talking about other things, and helped Rollo begin tofill his basket again. He showed her where the berries were thickest,and led her round behind a rock to show her a beautiful wild flower thathe had found; he said he did not bring it to her, for his father hadtold him not to touch any flowers or berries that they did not know, forfear they might be poisonous.
After a little while, Rollo's mother left him and Lucy together, andwent back lo where his father and uncle were.
"Well," said they, "how did you find Rollo?"
"Pleasant, but not _penitent_," said she Lucy and Rollo went ongathering berries some time after Rollo's mother left him, in silence.Rollo felt rather unhappy, but he was not subdued. His heart was stillproud and unhumbled, and after a time, he said to Lucy,
"It seems to me very strange that my mother does not think those boyswere to blame any for doing so."
"She does think they were to blame, Rollo, I know."
"No, she does not; she will not hear me say any thing about them."
Lucy did not answer, because she knew it would do no good to disputewith Rollo, while he was so unreasonable. Rollo ought to have beenwilling to have seen his fault, and to have felt truly sorry for it; buthe was not, and so Lucy thought it was better not to talk with him aboutit at all. If he had been truly sorry, and had gone and told his fatherso, and asked his forgiveness, he would have been happy again.
But as it was, he was not happy. The recollection of his disobedienceand sin would remain in his mind, and though he tried to talk, andlaugh, and play, as usual, his mind was not much at ease. In fact, hewas secretly glad when the time arrived for going home.
The party all gathered together on a smooth piece of ground, about themiddle of the afternoon, to make their arrangements for going down themountain. They put their baskets, filled beautifully with blueberries,together on the grass, while they sat on the stones and logs around, torest a little before walking down.
Then Rollo's father arranged the order of march. Jonas was to go first,with two of the heaviest baskets of berries. Next came Lucy, with herlittle basket about two thirds full, and with leaves and some beautifulpieces of moss she had found, put in upon the top. Then came Rollo'smother leaning on his uncle's arm. His uncle had a basket of berries inhis other hand. Finally, Rollo and his father walked together behind,with each a basket in his hand.
Thus they walked along down the steep path, until they began to enterthe bushes. Rollo's father had made this arrangement so that he mighthave an opportunity to talk with him about the difficulty with the boys,for he thought, on the whole, it would be better to talk with him nowthan to wait till they got home.
After they had walked along a little way, Rollo's father asked himwhether he had a good time blueberrying?
"Why, yes, sir," said Rollo, "pretty good."
"Have you seen any thing more of those boys?"
"No, sir."
"Your mother went to talk with you, and said you did not seem very sorryfor your fault."
"Why, father," said Rollo, "I did not do any thing to the boys at all:it was all their fault, entirely."
"I don't suppose you did do any thing wrong towards _them_, but youcommitted a great fault in respect to me."
"What fault?" said Rollo.
"Disobedience."
"Why, father,
how? You did not tell me to stay close by you."
"And is a boy guilty of disobedience only when he does what his fatherforbids in words?"
"I suppose so," said Rollo.
"What is disobedience?" asked his father.
"Why, it is doing what you tell me not to do; is it not?"
"That is not a sufficient definition of it; for suppose you were outthere in the bushes, and I was to beckon you to come here, and youshould not come, would not that be disobedience?"
"Why, yes, sir."
"And yet I should not _tell_ you to come."
"No, sir."
"And so, if I were to shake my head at you when you were doing any thingwrong, and you wore to continue doing it, that would be disobedience."
Rollo admitted that it would. "So that it is not necessary that I shouldtell you _in words_ what my wishes are: if I express them in any way sothat you plainly understand it, that is enough. The most importantorders that are given by men, are often given without any words."
"How, father?"
"Why, at sea, sometimes, where there is a great fleet of ships, and theadmiral, who commands them all, is in one of them. Now, if he wants allthe fleet to sail in any way; or if he wishes to have some one, vesselcome near to his, or go back home, or go away to any other part of theworld; or if he wants any particular person in the fleet to come onboard his vessel,--he does not send an order in _words_; he only hoistsflags of a particular kind upon the masts of his vessel, and they allobey them.
"Now, suppose," continued he, "one of the ships did not sail as hewished, and when he called the captain to account for it, he should saythat he was not guilty of disobedience, because he did not _tell_ him tosail so."
Rollo laughed, and said he thought that would not be a very good excuse.
"Well, it is just such an excuse as yours. I did not positively commandyou not to go near the boys, or not to have any conversation with themat all, though I expressed my wish that you would not, so that you couldnot help understanding it."
Rollo could not deny that this was so.
"But that is not the only case of disobedience. For you did one thingwhich was contrary to _my express command in words_."
Rollo looked concerned, and said he was sure he did not know it.
"I told you not to go out of my sight."
"Well, but, father," said Rollo eagerly, in reply, "I am sure I did notmean to. I was picking berries so busy, I did not observe where I was."
"I know you were, and that was the disobedience; for when I command youto keep in sight of me, that means that you must take good care that you_do_ mind where you are. Suppose I were to tell Jonas that he might goand take a walk, but that he must be sure to come back in half an hour,and he should go, and pay no attention to the time, and so not come backuntil three quarters of an hour; would that be obedience?"
"No, sir; but it would not be so bad as it would be if he should stayaway when he _knew_ that the time was out."
"No, it would not be so wilful an act of disobedience, but it would bedisobedience, notwithstanding. You see, Rollo," he continued, "when Itell you or any boy to come back in half an hour, there are two thingsimplied in the command--first, that you should _notice the time_, and,secondly, that you should come back when the time is out. Now, you maydisobey the command by neglecting either of these."
"Yes, sir," said Rollo, "I see we may, but I did not think of itbefore."
"No, I presume you did not," said his father; "but I want you tounderstand it, and remember it after this forever. You have disobeyed,to-day, in two ways, in which boys are very apt to disobey, when they donot mean to do it wilfully. I will tell you what the principles are,again, so that you can remember and tell me when I ask you.
"1. Boys must take care to comply with their parents' directions, ifthey are expressed in any way whatsoever; and,
"2. When directed to do any thing in a particular time or way, they mustsee to it themselves, that they _notice_ and _keep in mind thecircumstances_ which they are required to attend to."
Rollo said he would try to remember it, and as he seemed attentive anddocile, his father did not talk with him any more about his fault atthat time. Besides, they came now to some very rough places in the path,and Rollo's father had to lift Lucy over them.
Lucy spilled some of her berries in one place, and Rollo was going tohelp her pick them up, but Jonas said they had better leave them for thebirds, and walk on.
"So we will, Lucy," said Rollo, "and I rather think that Mosette ishungry by this time."
"Yes," said Jonas, "and what are you going to do with Mosette?"
"O, put him in a cage, and bring him up tame," said Rollo. "I mean toteach him to eat out of my hand. I shall treat him very kindly, thoughhe is my little prisoner."
"I would give: him the liberty of the yard, if I were you," said someone behind, laughing.
Rollo looked round. It was his uncle George, walking close behind him.
"What is the liberty of the yard?" said Rollo.
"Why, when _men_ intend to treat a prisoner kindly, they leave theprison door open, and let him walk about the yard; and this is calledletting him have the liberty of the yard; and sometimes they let them goover half the town."
"Do you think I had better do so with Mosette?" said Rollo.
"Yes," said his uncle George; "leave his cage open, and let him go wherehe pleases."
"O, he would fly entirely away," said Rollo.
"Perhaps not, if you should feed him well, and treat him very kindly. Hemight like his cage better than any nest."
"I shall treat him as kindly as I can," said Rollo; "only think, Jonas,_that Jim_ said, if he had found him, he should have set him up upon thefence for a mark to fire stones at!"
"Jim said so?" said Jonas; "how did Jim know any thing about it?"
"Why--e--h--why--I told him," said Rollo.
"What did you tell him for?"
"O, because," said Rollo, "we were talking, and I told him."
"I hope you did not tell him where we hid Mosette, behind the rock."
"Why--yes," said Rollo, "I believe I did."
"Then I am afraid you will never see poor Mosette again," said Jonas.
"Why," said Rollo, "you don't think that he would go and get him."
"I don't know," said Jonas, "what he would do; but I should not havewanted to tell such a boy any thing about him."
Rollo began to be alarmed. He went back to his father, and asked him tolet him and Jonas go on before the rest, to see if their bird was safe.His father told him he might go. "But," said he, "I am afraid you havelost your bird; when a boy allows himself to get into bad company, hedoes not know how many troubles he plunges himself into."
Rollo and Jonas ran on, and soon disappeared among the trees. Rollofound it hard to keep up, as the road was not very smooth, though theyhad got down the steepest part of the mountain. Jonas kept hold ofRollo's hand, and went on running and walking alternately, until theygot down to the end of the trees and bushes, and then they came out insight of the place where the horses were tied.
It was fortunate for poor Mosette, and for Rollo too, that they did thusrun on before, for it happened that Jim, and the boys with him, had comedown the mountain by another road, and were just going up to the placeas Jonas and Rollo came out of the woods.
"There they are," said Jonas. "You stay here; I must run on." And he letgo of Rollo's hand, sprang forward, and ran with all his might. Rollotried to follow, but soon stopped and looked on.
Jim and his boys did not see Jonas coming, and they went to work lookingaround the bushes and stones after Mosette. In a few minutes, onesmaller boy came out from the bushes, close by the place where Rollorecollected the nest was hid, with something in his hand, and Rollocould distinctly hear him calling out,
"Here he is, Jim--I have got him, Jim."
Just that moment, Jonas came running up among the boys, calling out,
"Let that bird alone!--Let that bird alone!" Th
e boys, terrified atthis unexpected onset, started and ran in every direction. The boy whohad the nest, dropped it upon the ground, and dodged back into thebushes. Jonas took it up carefully, put little Mosette, who had fallenout, back in the nest, and walked out into the road to meet Rollo, whowas coming down as fast as he could come, on the other side.
They saw Jim and his comrades no more, and Rollo said he believed heshould never again want to have any thing to do with bad boys.
