"There is one good thing about Jack," exclaimed Elsie, "he always does what he says." I think Jack would have been pleased to hear Elsie say that; it is one of the nicest things that could have been said about him. I hope it is true of all of us.
(Blackboard.)
To Forget is not a Little Thing.
Be True, and do what you say.
XXIX. KINDNESS TO ANIMALS.
68. Lulu and the Sparrow.
As Lulu came home from school one afternoon, she noticed three or four boys throwing stones at something—I hardly like to tell you what. It was a poor little brown sparrow that had somehow hurt its leg, and could not fly. However, this happened a great many years ago, and perhaps boys are less cruel now.
Lulu could not bear to see the poor bird treated so badly, and she asked the boys to give it to her. At first they laughed, and went on throwing the stones; but she continued to beg for it so earnestly, that at last one of the boys said, "Let her have it". And Lulu was only too glad to pick up the wounded bird and carry it home. She nursed and fed it carefully, and put it in a warm place by the fire; but, in spite of all her care, the sparrow died in a few hours.
Sometimes pain is necessary, as in [Story Lesson 29]; we should never think of saying the dentist was cruel; rather we should say he was kind, because he saved the monkey from further pain. But when we cause pain that is needless, as these boys did, it is cruel. They were cowardly also. If the bird had been an eagle, with strong claws that could have hurt them in return, would they have stoned it? No; they chose a poor little sparrow that could not defend itself, and this was cowardly.
Then it was unfair. You do not like to be punished or found fault with if you have done nothing wrong; you feel it is not fair; neither is it fair to hurt a dumb animal that has done nothing wrong.