Joseph was in the act of eating his portion of the sweetmeat, feeling uneasy from a consciousness of doing wrong—for he had not attained that terrible hardness of heart which comes by long practice of sin—when a lady, who took an interest in the school which he attended, approached him on her way towards church. At one glance she recognized the boy, who had been rather a favourite of hers; and his look of shame, yet more than the employment in which he was engaged, and the nearness of the stall at which he had been buying, showed Mrs. Graham that he had been profaning the Sabbath.
“Is any pleasure worth a sin?” she said softly as she passed; and, gently as those words were spoken, they seemed to leave a sting behind. The short enjoyment of the sweetmeat was speedily over; indeed, so unpleasant were the feelings of its purchaser, that it could hardly be said to have been enjoyed at all. Joseph returned home discontented and ashamed; he knew that he had acted both sinfully and weakly, and had neglected the warning in the Bible, My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.
A few weeks after this occurrence, Mrs. Graham announced her intention of giving a treat to all the children of the school. She had a pretty country villa but a few miles from town, and invited the scholars to take tea and cake, and spend a half-holiday in her grounds. A large van was hired to convey the whole party; and the expedition to Maythorn Lodge was looked forward to with extreme delight.
A fear certainly crossed the mind of Joseph, that, his late fault having been noticed by the lady, he might be excluded from the treat given to the rest. But it was not so; and when the crowded van drove off, while the merry throng with laughter and shouts clustered within like bees in a swarm, there was none among them gayer or happier than Joseph.
It seemed as if everything combined to heighten the pleasure provided for the children. The weather was neither too hot nor too cold; the delightful sun of May shone to brighten but not to burn; the hedges were gay with the blossoms of spring, and the meadows were spangled with daisies.
Mrs. Graham with cheerful kindness received her young guests. A long deal table had been spread on the lawn; huge piles of sliced cake appeared down the middle; and as the merry, eager children took their places on each side, hot tea was handed round in large kettles. The benevolent lady looked smilingly on, as if sharing the enjoyment which she gave.
THE LAWN.
“And now,” said she, when the repast was ended, “I shall leave you to amuse yourselves here. I know that you will enjoy a good merry game, and the lawn will make a capital play-ground. I have but to desire you all to respect my flowers, and, above all, not to run over my strawberry beds; that gravel path shall mark out your bounds—all beyond it is forbidden ground.”
A ready promise was instantly made, which, probably, every one intended to keep. The lady thought that there would be little temptation to break it, for the fruit of the strawberry had not yet appeared, though plenty of blossoms on the low green plants gave promise of an abundant supply before long.