Book of One Syllable

by Frank V. Webster

  Now you could tell him that it is far from wise for a man with a fatround face like his, to grieve and want to come to a world that he doesnot know to be a more nice place than the one he lives in.

  You could tell him that there is much grief and pain to be bornehere--that few men who live here have such a round fat face as his, andthat if he came he would have to work hard, and that care, and work,and pain might soon make him look thin, and lose his round bright facethat shines so.

  Yes, man in the moon, stay where you are. Do not long to have what youcan not get, but rest there, and do what you have to do in peace andjoy.

  Be sure, man in the moon, you will find peace and joy if you do all thegood you can in that world of yours, and that if you pine and grieve tocome here, you will do no good at all, and make your life sad.

  Boys and girls should do the same. They should not want to reach theman in the moon, but try to make the best of what they have. They maybe sure that to be good and do as they are bid, will give them more joythan the most bright things they could find in the moon.

  FRANK HART.

  There is in this world one grief of a kind so sad that there are somewho have not heard of it--there are still more who have not felt it.

  This is the grief of a young child when he feels that he who ought tobe his best friend--he who ought to love him more than all else lovehim--he who ought to soothe all his pains, and be glad at all hisjoys,--that _he_ has no thought, no care, no love for him; and what isfar worse than this, who chills the pure first thoughts of a youngchild's mind, and turns such thoughts to pain.

  Let all those who have not heard of grief so great as this, joy and beglad; but let them, while they dwell with thanks on their own lot,think and feel for the lot of poor Frank Hart.

  Mr. Hart was a man who did not know the _rule of self_. He had not beentaught this rule when he was young, and when he grew up to be a man,_self_ had full rule over _him_.

  His young ones, for he had more than Frank, felt this fault hard tobear. So great was their fear of Mr. Hart, that when he was in the roomthey did not dare to speak, or to laugh, or to move. Had they a book inhand, they did not dare to turn the leaves, for fear that they might beheard; nor could they leave the room, for their shoes might creak, orthe door might make a noise.

  Thus would these poor things sit, till (sound of joy!) the well known,and at times the long sought for sound, the push of Mr. Hart's chair,told them he would soon be gone. Then the door would shut; and no shutof door could bring more ease and joy than the shut of that.

  He was gone! and these young ones, freed from such chains as few soyoung have felt, would rise up from their chairs and jump, in proofthat they _were_ free; and though they might not speak a word, eachknew what was felt by all.

  Frank was not so old by two years as the one next to him in age: he wasbut eight years old, and he did not dare to tell how great was his fearof Mr. Hart.

  Frank thought that to feel as he felt must be wrong, and yet he couldnot help it. He thought this when he saw all boys else so glad to seethe friend who was to them all that Mr. Hart ought to have been toFrank.

  Frank, when he saw the rush of joy, when he heard the loud laugh ofglee with which these boys were wont to greet this friend of theirs,has felt sad.

  The bell that calls a child, though from its room of play to the roomdown stairs, that bell which is a sound so full of joy, brought no joyto poor Frank. It was a sound that he could not bear to hear, for tohim it rang a knell of pain. And who can blame Frank for this? who_can_ when they know the scene to which such a bell would call him?

  "Come in, Frank," said Mr. Hart one day to him, "come in: here is anegg for you."

  Frank could not think that such a thing could be for him, yet he _saw_the egg, and his face told how glad he was.

  "Thank you," said Frank, as in great haste he took hold of the spoon.

  He broke the shell with much care, and took it off bit by bit. He hadjust put his spoon so as to take up some of the nice white, when hefound that quite as hard as he had found the shell. This was odd! butstill he broke through _that_, when his spoon fell through it--it wasbut an egg-shell full of air!

  What was poor Frank's look of woe! He gave one quick glance at Mr.Hart: such a glance it was! It said as plain as glance could say, "Howcan you do this to me?"

  Yet the glance did not stop the loud laugh which burst forth; nor didthat laugh cease till Frank had left the room, and _then_ it rung inhis ears for a long time.

  Such a child as Frank was feels a thing like this much more than hefeels pain that he is made to feel when he has done wrong. Such a childas Frank was _knows_ when he has done wrong, and when he is made tofeel pain for it, he thinks it is pain he ought to feel, to make him agood boy.

  A child like Frank soon finds out if he is made to feel pain for hisown good, or if he is made to feel it from some cross thought that maypass through the mind of some one who may not care for his good at all.

  Thus Frank, who was a boy who thought a great deal, as young as he was,knew well when it was right he should be made to feel pain, and when itwas done for no fault of his own.

  Poor Frank! he has thought this last was the case when he has been toldby Mr. Hart to snuff the light on his desk, and he has put it out.

  Poor Frank! he has now and then made all dark; for when he has put outthis desk light, there has been no light but the fire light to guideMr. Hart's hand to Frank's ear. And, oh! that poor ear, how it didsmart, and how loud the noise of the box did sound!

  At these times Frank said not a word, nor did he shrink from the blow;but Frank _thought_, and his mind grew more and more full of thought.

  But what most hurt Frank was, that things were done and said to himjust to make him say what was queer, and then this queer thing would betold by Mr. Hart to his friends, and they would laugh at Frank.

  Now Frank did not like this at all; and one night, when he had still onhis mind some thing that he had said, which Mr. Hart had told, Mr. Hartall at once said to him, "Frank, wish a wish."

  "I can't wish," said Frank.

  "But you must wish, and you shall," said Mr. Hart.

  Still Frank spoke not.

  "What would you most wish to have?" said Mr. Hart.

  "I don't know," said Frank.

  "But you shall know--I'll make you know--you shall not go to bed tillyou _do_ know, so speak at once."

  Still Frank said not a word.

  "Speak, Frank," once more said Mr. Hart: "speak, Frank, and say whatyou would the most wish to have, if you could have what you wish."

  "I don't know," once more said Frank.

  "You don't know! but I say you _shall_ know--you must know--I'll _make_you know, I tell you. Go! you shall be shut up in that dark room! Go!there you shall stay, if it be all night; go!"

  Frank said not a word, but did not move.

  "Do you hear me?" said Mr. Hart.

  Still Frank did not move.

  Mr. Hart at length took him by the hand, and led him to the dark room.

  This room was next to the one where they were. Mr. Hart took Frank byforce, put him in, and shut the door.

  And now there was poor Frank all in the dark.

  The first sounds that came forth were "Oh! oh! oh!" and then a burst oftears. Soon all was still, and then there were more sobs and tears.

  "Wish a wish, I tell you," once more said Mr. Hart. "Wish a wish, oryou shall stay where you are all night."

  "Stay! stay! stay!" said Frank. "Don't go, don't go!"

  And now such a noise did he make at the door with his feet and handsthat his voice could not well be heard; but through it all the screamof "Don't go, don't go!" went on.

  "Good night," said Mr. Hart, when the noise was for a short time still,"good night, we all go, and we leave you there."

  "Stay! oh, stay!" said Frank, in tones of woe.

  "Wish a wish," said Mr. Hart, "or we are all gone."

  "Oh!" said Frank, "I do wish I were in bed."

/>   There was a loud laugh.

  "You have now _told_ your wish," said Mr. Hart, "and you may go tobed."

  Frank did not stay to be told _twice_.

  THE LOST ONES.

  Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd had two boys and one girl; their names were Paul,Charles, and Grace. They were good on the whole, but they had onefault.

  Mrs. Lloyd had told them that she should not like them to go to a fairwhich was to be held on the tenth of June. It was now near that time,and they had a strong wish to go.

  The tenth of June came, and the fair this year was most grand.

  When they came to the front door, they saw such crowds of men, girls,and boys, that their wish to go was more strong than it had been.

  Soon Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd went out, and left Paul, Charles, and Grace inthe room. When they had been gone some time, Paul said to Grace, "Shallwe take a walk?"

  Grace said, "Yes, I should like to go; what do you think if we were totake a peep at the fair?"

  "Oh," said Charles, "I should like that the best of all things. I willgo and put on my hat."

  So they went to put on their things, and out they set. Soon they camenear the fair. Guess how great their joy! But how much more great wouldit have been if they had not felt that they had done wrong!

  They saw grand shows, and stalls full of nice things. They had each ofthem brought half a crown; but the half-crowns were soon spent, andthey would have been glad of more.

  The day was far gone when they thought of home, and they were in agreat fright to find that they were so far from home, and in a new roadwhich they had not been in till then.

  THE LOST ONES. Page 108.]

  They were sad, and they knew, too, that they had brought this on themselves; for if they had not gone to the fair, when Mrs. Lloyd had toldthem not to go, this would not have been.

  These thoughts were in their minds, when a Strange One, whose trade itwas to tell fates, came near them, and said that if they had lost theirway, she would take them home.

  They told her they had been at the fair, and that they could not findtheir way home.

  "Oh," said she, "I knew that,--you could not cheat me." She then tookGrace by the hand, Paul and Charles went on first. She led them on agreat way: they did not dare to speak a word, for they were in a greatfright. At last she came to a place where there was a large fire, witha pot on the top of it.

  "Look here," said she to a man who was there, "I have brought theseyoung folks, who do not know their way home."

  "Oh!" said the man, "let 'em sleep here."

  They slept that night on a mat.

  The next day the Strange One put them on some rags, and took off theirown nice clothes.

  When they saw what clothes they had got on, they did not like them, butthey did not dare to speak.

  Soon this Strange One told them to go with her, and she led them on agreat way. How they did scream and cry out! "This is not the way home;I want to go home: I will go home." This Strange One could bear it nomore, and she told them that she would tie up their mouths, but theydid not seem to mind.

  At last she did tie their mouths; and she led them on, and on, and didnot stop till she came to a wild heath.

  There were a few tall trees, and here and there, there were wild rootsand grass. She took some string, and bound them to trees, and leftthem.

  No more has been known of the Strange One, nor of the man, from thatday to this.

  Now when Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd came home and found no Paul, nor Charles,nor Grace, they were in great grief. They then thought what would bethe best to be done. At last Mrs. Lloyd went to ask her friend, Mrs.Wood, who told her that she had seen them at the fair.

  Mrs. Lloyd, when she heard this, had more hope, and she thought thatthey might soon come home. But no! the clock struck one, two, andthree, and still they did not come!

  When this Strange One went, Paul, and Charles, and Grace were left onthe wild heath. Think what a fright they must have been in--no one nearthem: and no one knew where they were but this Strange One who had leftthem there.

  At last Paul broke his string, and then he cut the strings of Charlesand Grace. He took hold of their hands and led them up and down.

  This heath was large and wild. Just as it was dark, great was their joywhen they saw a house. It was a farm house; they went in the barn andslept all night on some straw. When day light came they got up, andwent on till they came to a town.

  They had not gone down the first street, when they saw their ownmilk-man. They ran to him at once: "Take us home," said they, "do takeus home."

  The milk-man did take them home.

  When Mrs. Lloyd saw them--when she knew that they were safe, she couldnot speak a word, but her look told a great deal--they _felt_ thatlook, and they all said, "We have done wrong, but we will try not to dowrong more."

  THE SUN.

  The sun is a large world of much more size and weight than the earthand all the stars that move round it. It is by its great weight that itdraws them all to it, and if they did not move fast and far in a coursethat takes them from the sun, all those stars that move round it withour world would be drawn to it in a short time. No one knows of whatthe sun is made, nor how it is that it gives so much heat and light;but most wise men think that it is a world like our own, where men canlive, and not be burnt more than we are burnt by the heat of the earth.What makes the light and heat is a thing that seems strange to all.Some think that the clouds round it give out the light; that the blackspots which are seen on the sun are large holes in the clouds round it,through which the sun is seen, and that the black spots are parts ofthe real sun. The sun shines and gives out heat to all the stars, whichcould not move in their orbs if the sun did not draw them to it; forthey would else fly off through space.

  THE DOLL'S HEAD.

  Jane Thorpe was eight years old; so good had she been that Mrs. Thorpetold her she would take her to a toy shop, where she might choose thetoy she would like best.

  The toy shop was three or four miles from Mrs. Thorpe's house, so sherang the bell, and sent to tell the groom to bring round the coach.

  THE COACH. Page 120.]

  The coach came round to the door, and great was the joy of Jane.

  Yet, though Jane was so glad, she would have been more glad if Charlesmight have gone too. But Charles could not go; he had not been a goodboy, and Mrs. Thorpe said he must stay at home.

  Jane gave one look at him as she left the room to put on her things,and as she got in the coach, a tear fell down her cheek.

  But on went the coach, and soon Jane thought but of the toy shop, andof what toy she would like best to have. Round and round went thewheels, and soon they were put down at the door of the toy shop.

  How hard it was to choose! Yet no choice could fail to please. Butchoose what she would, some things must be left that she would like tohave!

  There was a large coach, and each horse would put on and take off.There was a man to drive, who sat on the box, and who had a long whipin his hand; and, more than all, the doors of the coach would turnback, and they would shut! There was a hay cart, and in it were threemen with smock frocks; and there were some dolls in gay clothes--agreat deal too smart to make hay, but they were so nice and so neat!and then all their things would take off and on, and they had largeround hats on their heads.

  Near this cart Jane stood a long time. At length she said, "I willchoose this." But just when she said it she saw a doll--a large doll,with blue eyes and light hair. Jane thought the doll's eyes were sweetand soft, and she said, "No, no; I will not have the cart, I will havethat sweet doll: do, do let me have that."

  The doll, which was made of wood, was a nice strong doll, and Jane sawit put up for her to take home. She took hold of it with great care, infear to spoil the clean white frock it had got on.

  When Jane was at home, she ran up stairs to show it to Charles and toher Aunt: and her Aunt gave her some silk to make a cloak for it. Janedid her best to try to make it well, nor did it take her a long t
ime todo this, as her Aunt cut out the parts and put them for her in theright way.

  Jane then ran for her hat, and, in great joy, took her doll, and wentin the lime walk.

  There was a seat in this walk; and here Jane would oft spend two orthree hours in the cool shade of the trees.

  On this seat she sat down now, and, when she had been some time, shethought she would fix her doll on a branch of a tree. She did so; andshe thought she must run and ask her Aunt just to come and look at it.The doll was left, and off she went, full of glee and song.

  Where her Aunt was gone Jane did not know; she was not in the roomsdown stairs, nor was she in her own room up stairs; so Jane went in allparts of the house. "Aunt! Aunt!" she said, but no Aunt could she find.This took up a great deal of time, and at length she went back to thelime walk.

  Poor Jane! what a sight for you to see was there!--"My doll! my doll! Omy doll!" were the first words she said, and then she sank down on theseat near the tree. And where was this doll of poor Jane's? There itwas--not the doll such as she had left it, but the doll with its headcut off!

  The head was hung by a string to a branch of the tree, and the rest ofthe doll was on the ground.

  "O my doll, my dear, dear doll! who can have done so bad a thing asthis? my doll! my doll!"

  Just at this time her Aunt came near the lime walk. She heard the sobsof Jane, and ran fast to see what was the cause. All she said when shesaw the doll was, "My dear Jane," and she gave her such a kiss as anAunt who loves her Niece _can_ give. And then they went back to thehouse.