Anecdotes for Boys

-Brotherly

nt Gla

to his second son. When Mr. Sergeant Glanville died, and his eldest son learned what was done, he became greatly dejected, and in a short time his character underwent an entire change. When his brother perceived this, he invited him and a party of his friends to a feast. After several dish

of an eld

he, "you live in a hovel! You are a man; you are an honor to the family. I am nothing. You shall take this house and estate, and I will be your guest, if you please." The two brothers lived thus affectionately together, as if it had been common property, till the death of the elder put

I.-The Go

us bla

al, stepped in to inquire the cause. The man told him that one of his neighbors had just been burned out, and had lo

lson; "for I suppose your neighbor

; "but if I were in his situation, and he in

his iron cheaper. But the man refused to take it, but told Mr. Wilson that, if he would lend it to the man whose house was burned dow

ael

This grieved him so much that he pined away and grew sick. Verin was strongly attached to Belvicino; and, discovering the cause of his illness, he determined to remove it. The next composition day, he made several faults in his Greek version. Belvicino's was judged the be

Gratitude and

ing t

blessings upon others, than in one that terminates on himself. The selfish man wraps himself in his cloak, and cares not for the sufferings of others, so that he keeps warm himself. This old man, however, remembered how much he was indebted to those who had lived before him, and resolved to pay his debts. If we would look around us, we should find ourselves indebted to others, on every side, for the comforts which we now enjoy-first to God, and under him, to those whom he has employed as his agents to give them to us. Ought we not, then, to strive in some measure to repay these obligations, by doing something to promote the happiness and well-being of others? Who gave us the Gospel? The missionaries, who preached the gospel to our Saxon ancestors, and the Reformers, who opened the treasures of God's word, when they were hid under the rubbish of Popish superstition. Ought we not, the

s Cro

plied to him for aid; who, having inquired into his circumstances, took him to his house, clothed him genteelly, and kept him till he had recovered his strength. He then gave him a good horse, with sixteen ducats of gold in his pockets; with which, after expressing his gratitude to his benefactor, he made his way

d related the story of the assistance he had received from him in a time of need. After the company were gone, Cromwell inquired of Frescobald what had brought him to England, who related to him his misfortunes. "I am sorry for them," said he; "and I will make them as easy to you as I can. But, because men ought to be just before they are kind, it is fit I should repay the debt I owe you." Then leading him to a closet, he took out sixteen ducats and gave them to Frescobald, saying, "My friend, here is the money you lent me at Florence, with ten pieces you laid out for my apparel, and ten more you paid out for my horse; but, considering that you are a merchant, and might have made some

g to t

d that which he hath given will he pay him again." The following anecd

nly trusted in God. After conversing with her some time on this subject, he inquired whether she had any neighbors, who were religious. She told him she had neighbors about two miles off, but whether they were religious or not, she could not tell. She heard that they had preaching there once a fortnight, but she never attended their meetings. She appeared to be extremely ignorant on the subject of religion. The rain had now passed over, and all nature smiled. The traveller, as he was

I must go: but if I leave this woman without the means to procure the word of God, she may perish for lack of knowledge. What shall I do?" These passages of Scripture then came to his mind, "He that hath pity on the poor lendeth to the Lord." "Cast thy bread upon the w

travelled on, till late in the morning, when, finding no hotel, he stopped at a private house for breakfast. While waiting, he lost no time to recommend Christ to the family. When ready to depart, the mistress of the house would take nothing for his breakfast, or the oats, which his horse had eaten. And so he went on, asking for and receiving refreshment when he wanted it, and offering to pay for it, as any other traveller would do; but no one would take any thing, although they did not know but he had plenty of money. "What does this mean?" said he to himself. "I was n

for some refreshment. In the course of their conversation, Mr. M. asked the strange

that she began, while listening to his discourse to feel concerned about her soul. The gentleman was much affected, when he found she had no Bible; and after he had left the house to go on his journey, returned again, and gave her a dollar to buy one; and charged her to get it soon, and read it diligently. She did so; and it had been the means, as she believed, of her salvation. The neighbors w

ways pays us with "good measure

dian

ing, he had nothing to pay. The woman who kept the inn, not only refused his reasonable request, but called him hard names. But a man who sat by, seeing that the Indian was suffering for want of food,

ace on a given day, which he agreed to do; though he had some fears that mischief was intended. His fears increased, and his promise was broken. But the Indian came again and renewed the request. The man made another engagement, and kept his word. On reaching the spot, he found the Indian provided with ammunition, two muskets, and two knapsacks. He was ordered to take one of each; which he did, and followed his conductor. In the day time, they shot the game that came in their way, and at night, th

isinterested

in the neighborhood was in the habit of bringing the water from a considerable distance, and filling the vase every morning, and then going to his work. He could have ha

n IV.-

ite

ted upon it largely, learnedly, and politely. After they had all read, they waited for the President to sum up their observations, and then state his own views. But, he told them, he should only give them a short definition, which they might always

Bre

ers he was generally silent, never ostentatiously obtruding upon others his own knowledge. He was never in a hurry to gi

opinion, on all subjects, was cheap-a gift that went a-begging. He could tell the farmer how to till the soil; the mechanic how to use his tools; the merchant, how to make

Overcome Ev

lac

their sports, began to torment the poor black boy, calling him "nigger," "blackamoor," and other nicknames. The poor fellow was very much grieved, and soon left them. Soon after, these boy's had an appointment to go a skating, and on that day Southey broke his skates. After all his rude treatment of poor Jim, he was mean enough to go and ask him to lend his skates. "O yes, John," Jim replied, "you may have them and welcome." When he went to return them, he found Jim sitting in the kitchen reading h

verted

character was marked and decided. The lion was changed into a lamb. Two months afterwards, in the mess-room, some of those who had been afraid of him before began to ridicule him. One of them said, "I'll put it to the test whether he is a Christian or not;" and taking a basin of hot soup, he threw it into his bosom. The whole company gazed in breathless silence, expecting that the lion would

iving sc

pardon. The master inquired why he wished to prevent so deserved a punishment; to which he replied, that he had read in the New

.-Use of t

of speaking

especially, by adhering so closely to the fact that people will not only believe that we mean to speak the truth, but that they will feel confident that we have neither mistaken the facts, nor added any co

, in order to investigate the affair, and punish the offenders, assembled all his people and put them under oath to tell the whole truth. Everyone took the oath, not excepting the bishop of Luna, the Cardinal's own brother. Petrarch, in his turn, presented himself, b

the bri

g? Come, tell me what good qualities you have remarked about him." If, in speaking of others, we should look always at the fair side, and see what good things we can

VII.-Pun

of was

y come in when dinner was half over; and he would say to them, "Gentlemen, we are punctual here. My cook never asks whether the company has arrived, but whether the hour has." In 1799, when on a visit to Boston, he appointed eight o'clock in the morning as the hour when he would set out for Salem. While the Old South clock was

Wesle

going to bed. For this reason, he could seldom be persuaded to go to a concert in the night. The moment the clock struck eight, away ran Samuel, in the midst of his most favorite amusement. Once he rose up from the first part of the Messiah, saying, "Come, mamma, let us go home, or I shan

nutes t

perhaps fictitious, gives a pretty

ffed and kicked for being too late at my work; and when a man, I was turned awa

us. He had, however, one peculiarity, which effectually shut his door against me. He never was five minutes too late in an appointment in his life, and

im at seven in the morning, to carry his portmanteau to the coach

ely stand, arrived at one end of the street just in time to see the coach go of

he should wish me to meet him on his return, to take charge of his portmanteau, and thereby make some amends for my misconduct. Off I set, but knowing that coaches frequently arrive a quarter of

rpose to get rid of the trouble of carrying his portmanteau. Years rolled awa

y at ten o'clock. Determined to be in time, I set off, allowing myself some minutes to spare and pulling out my watch at the door, found that for once in my life I had kept my appointment to the second. The servan

ely to remain. However, good may arise from my giving this short account of my foolish habit, as it may possibly conv

f his time, by obliging him to wait beyond the appointed hour to meet your engagement with him, is equivalent to robbing him of so much money as he cou

VIII.-Co

of cont

coming in conflict with others; and, as impediments are thrown in the way of his gratification, his passions are roused. Anger is a species of insanity. When one yields to his passions, he loses

e dry season, in the summer, a man in Vermont, who owned a mill, on a small stream near a large pond, found his water failing, so that his mill was likely to stop. To prevent this, he collected together a few of the neighbors, and dug a little trench from the pond to the stream that carried his mill. At first it ran very slowly and quietly along, till it began to we

hundred feet above the level where the mill stood, was connected with the stream that carried the mill by an artificial canal. The water of the pond began to gully away the gravel over which it was made to run, and having formed a regular channel, defied all human control,

, R. I., took his father's gun, as he said, to go a gunning. His elder brother attempted to take it from him. A quarrel ensued, between the two brothers, and in the course of the scuffle, the gun went off and lodged the contents in the younger one's bo

f Indulg

ee of them died; and Frederick being left the only child, was indulged still more. At a very early age he showed his angry temper; and he became such a little tyrant that the very dogs and cats about the house were afraid of him.

the tin things in the middle of the floor, and began battering them with the tongs. The cook, not being very well pleased with this destruction, undertook to lead him out of the kitchen. But the little fury, by shrieking and scratching, got free, and seizing a fork, he threw it at the cook, which struck her in the eye and put it out. Thus

a large stone, and chasing the boy some distance, threw it at him with all his might. The boy was out of the way of the stone, but it struck a large bull-dog, which, naturally enough, concluded that he was unjustly attacked, and turning upon Frederick, gave him a severe bit

scarcely a boy in the school with whom he did not have a fight. But generally he came off with a bleeding nose or a black eye, because his passions took away his strength, and the othe

nly made him angry. To get rid of her reproofs, he left her and went to one of the Western States. There, while he was engaged at a public house, with some of his wicked companions, talking politics, one of them called him a liar, and he drew out his dirk and stabbed him to the heart. He ran away from the place, but the image of the murdered man haunted him day and night, and made him wretched. He gave himse

to you

ho reads it, to be kind to his sisters, and especially to avoid blows on the head, as it is probable the blow g

heart, and diffuse gladness and animation through all the tribes of living creatures. Our feelings were in perfect harmony with the universal gladness of nature. Even now I seem to hear the m

ng heart went out to hers, with all the affection, all the fondness, of which childhood is capable. Nothing af

full to allow her to speak, and shame made me silent. At that moment the breakfast bell summoned us away, and we returned to the house without exchanging a word. The excitement of play was over, and as she sat beside my mother at breakfast, I perceived by occasional stolen glances at her that she was pale and sad. A tear seem

ght go to her, but was not permitted, lest I should disturb her. A physician was called and every means used for her recovery, but to no purpose. The disease, which was in her head, constantly increased in violence, and she became delirious. It was not until evening that I was permitted to see her. She was a little recovered from the severity of her pain, and lay with her eyes closed, and her little hand resting on the pillow beneath her head. How I lon

silent, while the tears flowed fast down her face. I first learned that my sweet sister was dead, as my mother drew aside the curtain that concealed her from me. I felt as though m

almost wished to lie down there with her, if so I might see o

early life fail to awaken bitter feelings of grief and remorse. And never do I see my young friend

and bein

he late Dr. Bowditch (a man who attained to great eminence, as a man of learning and science), was the son of a poor sailor. His parents were so poor that he was obliged to wear his summer clothes to school, during the whole winter. His schoolmates would sometimes laugh at him,