So Daniel sat at the door each day, and waited for the carriage, but it never came, and when he grew too ill to sit up he would still lie and listen for the sound of the wheels, and say: "I think it will come to-day, mother," but it never did. And do you know why? Emil had forgotten to ask his father, and so Daniel waited in vain for the drive.
You see how much pain and disappointment can be caused by forgetting, and when you promise to do a thing and forget to keep the promise it is just like telling an untruth. You do not intend to speak what is not the truth, but you do it all the same. Remember, then, that it is not a little fault to forget, and that those who do it are not building on the firm foundation of truth.
(Blackboard.)
When we Promise and Forget, we are not True.
To the Parent or Teacher.—However culpable it may be to break promises to adults (and it is in reality nothing less than untruth), it is infinitely worse to break faith with children. An unredeemed promise is a sure way of shaking a child's confidence in truth and goodness. Let us keep our word with the little ones at whatever cost.
67. The Boy who Remembered.
Little Elsie had a big brother called Jack, of whom she was very fond, and he was fond of Elsie also. Jack was about fifteen years old, and he was learning to be a sailor. When his ship came into port he used to come home for a few days, and then he would tell Elsie all about the places he had seen. One time the voyage had been very long, and Jack told Elsie that when the bread was all finished they had had to eat sea-biscuits instead.
"How funny," said Elsie; "what are sea-biscuits like, Jack?"
"They are very hard and round and thick," replied Jack.
Elsie said she would like to see one, and Jack promised that when he went back to his ship he would send her one.
It was not a great thing to promise, was it? But Elsie felt very important when the postman brought her a little parcel a day or two after Jack had left, and she was very glad when she opened it and found the promised biscuit.