STRIVE AND THRIVE.

STRIVE AND THRIVE;

OR,

STORIES FOR THE EXAMPLE AND
ENCOURAGEMENT OF THE YOUNG.

LONDON:

T. NELSON AND SONS, PATERNOSTER ROW;
EDINBURGH; AND NEW YORK.
1875.

[Pg 7]

HE THAT WALKETH UPRIGHTLY WALKETH SURELY. Prov.

Courage and Presence of Mind.

EORGE WILLIAMS and EdwardJones, two boys living near together,obtained their parents' consent oneSaturday to go to the mill-pond andskate. There had been some prettycold weather, and as the ice had formedrapidly, Mr. Jones and Mr. Williams supposedthat the surface of the mill-pond wasas hard as the floor, and that therefore theirboys would be entirely free from danger.

Away ran the two boys, with their skateshung round their necks, and their thoughtsintent upon the pleasure they were to have[Pg 8]on the mill-pond. On reaching the top of ahill which overlooked the pond, they sawHenry Lee, a school companion, glidingalong over the smooth surface of the ice asswiftly as a bird on the wing. Eager tojoin him, they ran shouting down the hill,and were soon occupied in strapping on theirskates. But ere this was completed, thetwo lads were alarmed by a cry of terrorfrom Henry; and on looking up, they sawthat he had broken through the ice, and wasstruggling in the water.

At this, Edward Jones became so frightened,that he threw off his skates and startedback, screaming, toward home; but GeorgeWilliams, with more presence of mind andcourage, seized a long pole that lay upon theshore, and went as quickly as possible to theassistance of the drowning boy. Henry hadbroken into what is called an "air hole,"where the ice is very thin; and as at everyattempt he made to extricate himself the icebroke with the weight of his body, he was...