Heathen Idols. A mother was once describing to her little son the idols which heathen nations worship as gods. “I suppose, mamma,” said the boy, “that these heathen do not look up to the same sun, moon and stars that we do.” “Yes, my dear, they do.” “Why, then,” said he, “I wonder that they do not think there must be a better God than their idols!”
A Child rebukes a Man. A little boy belonging to a Sabbath school in London, was taken by his uncle to walk one Sunday, when the school was over. The uncle, who was a thoughtless man, was anxious to buy something for the child; but little William had been often told how improper it was to buy or sell on the Sabbath day. “Come, Billy,” said his uncle, “I’ll buy you something, some apples or gingerbread; Aunt Mary’s not here, and she’ll not know anything about it.” “Oh, but uncle,” said the boy, “if Aunt Mary does not see it, God will, and it’s very wicked.”
Why should not a Negro read the Bible? A few years ago, in the island of Jamaica, a child, who had been educated in a Sunday school, happened to see a negro mending his net upon the Sabbath day. The child immediately went up to him and said, “Do you not know that it is written in the word of God, ‘Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day?’” “Now, massa,” replied the negro, “if you bring de word of God, and read dat passage, I no mend my net on Sunday any more.”
The child brought the Bible and read it; the negro laid aside his net, and going home to his wife said, “Oh, me nebber see such picaninny as dat; him tell me all about de word of God! I nebber can work upon de Sabbath again.”
A consistent Mother. Some ladies having met at the house of a friend, the child of one of them was guilty of rude, noisy conduct, very improper on all occasions, and particularly so at a friend’s house. The mother kindly reproved her,—“Sarah, you must not do so.”
The child soon forgot the reproof, and became as noisy as ever. The mother said firmly, “Sarah, if you do so again, I will punish you.”