“Then, why don’t you take some of them, you little goose,” said the other boy. “Here, I am taller than you, and I can reach over the fence. I’ll get some for both of us.”
“No, no, Tim,” said the little boy, seizing his arm; “I wouldn’t steal even a flower, if I never had one in the world; but I’ll go in and ask the lady for a rose for Ellen.”
“Well, you’ll only get sent away for your pains,” said the older boy; “for my part I shall help myself.”
But, just as Tim was reaching over the fence and had seized a branch of beautiful roses, the gardener spied him, and dropping a basket that was in his hand, he rushed after the boy and caught him. He gave him a sound flogging and told him that if he ever found him doing that again, he would have him put in jail as a thief.
In the meantime little Charlie had gone up the steps and rung the door-bell. The door was opened immediately by a kind-looking lady.
“Please, ma’am will you give me a rose or two for my sick sister?” asked Charlie.
“Yes, indeed, my little man,” said the lady. “I have been sitting at the window and I heard your conversation with the boy who wished you to steal some of my roses; and I’m very glad to see that you would not steal ‘even a flower.’ Now come with me, and I will cut you a beautiful bunch of roses.” Then she asked him about his mother and sister, and told him to come and get some flowers whenever his sister wanted them.
After this she went to see his sick sister and mother and helped them in many ways. She kept up her interest in Charlie, and when he had done going to school, she got him a nice situation and remained his friend for life.
And when we think of Pontius Pilate, the weak ruler, let us remember that if we do wrong, we must always suffer for it; and that if we do right God will surely reward and bless us.
“Dare to do right! dare to be true!