Occasionally too, Peter brought a book with him, and read it aloud to them. He was rather surprised to find that they did not take to Sunday-school stories or fairy tales. Wild adventures in foreign lands were the most effective; and together they explored the heart of Africa, climbed the Swiss mountains, fought the Western Indians, and attempted to discover the North Pole. They had a curious liking for torture, blood-letting, and death. Nor were they without discrimination.
“I guess that fellow is only working his jaw,” was one little chap’s criticism at a certain point of the narrative of a well-known African explorer, rather famous for his success in advertising himself. Again, “that’s bully,” was the comment uttered by another, when Peter, rather than refuse their request to read aloud, had been compelled to choose something in Macaulay’s Essays, and had read the description of the Black Hole of Calcutta, “Say, mister,” said another, “I don’t believe that fellow wasn’t there, for he never could a told it like that, if he wasn’t.”
As soon as his influence was secure, Peter began to affect them in other ways. Every fight, every squabble, was investigated, and the blame put where it belonged. Then a mandate went forth that profanity was to cease: and, though contrary to every instinct and habit, cease it did after a time, except for an occasional unconscious slip. “Sporadic swearing,” Peter called it, and explained what it meant to the children, and why he forgave that, while punishing the intentional swearer with exclusion from his favor. So, too, the girls were told that to “poke” tongues at each other, and make faces, was but another way of swearing; “for they all mean that there is hate in your hearts, and it is that which is wrong, and not the mere words or faces.” He ran the risk of being laughed at, but they didn’t laugh, for something in his way of talking to them, even when verging on what they called “goody-goody,” inspired them with respect.
Before many weeks of this intercourse, Peter could not stroll east from his office without being greeted with yells of recognition. The elders, too, gave him “good-evening” pleasantly and smiled genially. The children had naturally told their parents about him of his wonderful presents, and great skill with knife and string.
“He can whittle anything you ask!”
“He knows how to make things you want!”
“He can tie a knot sixteen different kinds!”
“He can fold a newspaper into soldiers’ and firemen’s caps!”
“He’s friends with the policeman!”
Such laudations, and a hundred more, the children sang of him to their elders.