THE
PENITENT BOY:
OR,
SIN BRINGS SORROW.
REVISED BY D. P. KIDDER.
New-York.
PUBLISHED BY LANE & SCOTT,
FOR THE SUNDAY-SCHOOL UNION OF THE METHODIST
EPISCOPAL CHURCH, 200 MULBERRY-ST.
Joseph Longking, Printer.
1851.
THE PENITENT BOY.
"Do lend me your new knife, which mamma gave you," asked Samuel; "Iwant to cut notches in my stick, and play Robinson Crusoe: do, willyou, Alfred?"
"No, I cannot Sam; so do not ask any more. I wish you would not teaseme for my knife; you cannot have it; I do not want it hurt."
"Well, but you lent it to cousin James, on Monday, and he did not spoilit, did he?"
"Now do be quiet, Samuel; I cannot lend it to you, so that is all Ishall say."
"Why I never saw you so cross, Alfred."
"Yes, I am cross, I know. I feel very cross and uncomfortable, so donot ask any more about the knife."
Just then an aunt of the little boys entered the room, and Samuelturned to her in his trouble.
"Now do not you think, aunt, Alfred ought to lend me his knife, justfor a minute, to cut a Robinson Crusoe stick?"
"No doubt he will," replied Miss Woodford; "I never knew Alfred crossor unkind: he does not mean that he will not lend it; he is onlyjoking, I am sure."
"Yes, aunt, I do mean it; I have made up my mind that nobody shall usemy knife."
"Well, then," urged the anxious Samuel, "do you cut my stick yourself;I only want seven notches in it, to make believe the days of the week:of course, you will not refuse this, will you?"
"Where is your knife, my boy?" asked his aunt; "is it in your pocket?"
"No, aunt."
"Well, get it then, my dear, and do this little kindness for yourbrother, who looks so imploringly there, with his stick in his hand."
Alfred left the room, looking very thoughtful; and Samuel took a seaton a stool, keeping his eye on the door, resolved to wait quietly forAlfred's return, as he was not an impatient boy. After a considerabletime, Alfred came back, with a face very much flushed, and no knifecould be seen.
"Have you got it, Alfred?" asked Samuel, jumping up; "come, do cut mynotches, because I cannot get on the island and begin to play until itis done."
"I cannot do it, Samuel; I have not got my knife."
"Where is your pretty new knife, then, my dear? I saw you put itcarefully away in a box one day."
"Yes, I did, aunt; but I have just dropped it into a crack in the hall,and it is gone out of sight."
"O dear! let us try to get it," said the kind aunt; and away they allthree ran to the crack in the passage. "Show me exactly the place whereit went in, Alfred."
"Just here, aunt," said he, pointing to a very small crevice betweenthe boards.
"O no; this cannot be the spot, the crack is too small to admit aknife: it must be somewhere else. But I see no crack in any other part.My dear boy," contin