Book of One Syllable

by Frank V. Webster

  And who had done this bad thing? That must now be told.

  There was a boy whose name was John Snap; he did not live far fromBroom Hill, the house of Mr. Thorpe.

  John Snap was not a good boy: he was so far from it that there was noone who had a child that did not try to keep him out of the way of JohnSnap. Mr. Thorpe had told Charles that he would not let him play with aboy he thought so ill of.

  John Snap would take birds' nests, a thing which no boy with a kindheart could do; and he would tease dogs and cats, and do things that heknew would hurt them. Now it is quite sure that no good boy could dothis; for he must know that all things that have life can feel pain asmuch as he feels it.

  All things that have life can feel pain in all parts of their frame;but there is one kind of pain which dogs, and cats, and such things asthey, do not feel as man feels it--and that is _pain of mind_. Suchpain as this is hurts much more than some pains that are felt to behard to bear in the _frame_ of man.

  It was just such pain as this that Jane felt when she saw the head ofher doll cut off. It was such pain as this that John Snap likes togive.

  Though John Snap was so bad, yet he could do and say things which madeboys like to be with him. There was now and then a great deal of fun inwhat he said, and he could make boys laugh. All boys like to laugh, andfew could fail to laugh at what John Snap said.

  Thus, in time, they might have been led to like him, and then theywould not have thought some of the things he did so bad as they were.It was the fear of this which made Mr. Thorpe tell Charles he did notwish him to play with John Snap.

  Mr. Thorpe told Charles that when John Snap spoke to him he must saywhat he had to say to him in a kind way, but that he must leave him assoon as he could.

  Now it was not right of Charles Thorpe to go to John Snap's house, norought he to have gone out with him to play at trap and ball, for heknew that it was wrong to do so. This was the cause why he could not gowith Jane to the toy shop. He was kept at home for a week, and told notto go past the sunk fence.

  John Snap had not seen him for six days, so he thought he would go andcall at Broom Hill. When he got there, he did not go to the house, buttook a walk down the lime walk. This was just at the time when Jane wasgone; and when he came to the seat near the tree he saw the doll. Whathe _did_ may now be told.

  Yes! it was John Snap who had done this deed. At noon, as soon as itwas done, he went close to a tree, so that he could not be seen. He didthis that he might see what Jane would do when she came back, and hearwhat she would say.

  He heard and saw all; but when he found how great was Jane's grief, hekept quite close to the tree, and did not dare to move till she wasgone. He then went home as fast as he could, and great was his hopethat no one would know that it was he who had cut off the poor doll'shead.

  Mr. and Mrs. Thorpe, and Jane's Aunt too, thought that this was likesome of John Snap's tricks, but they did not wish to say so to Jane orto Charles. Jane's Aunt had a plan which she thought would be the meansto find out if he had done this or not.

  One day Charles was sent to ask John Snap to dine at Broom Hill.

  John was glad to go; but he felt he should not like to see Jane, forshe might talk of her doll; and if she should talk of it, he thoughtthat he might say or do that which might tell what he had done. YetJohn Snap went to dine at Broom Hill.

  Now there was one thing of which John Snap was most fond, and thisthing was fruit tart. The fruit tarts at Broom Hill were so sweet, andthe crust was so light!

  The day on which John Snap went to dine at Broom Hill the fruit tartwas put near where he sat. How nice and large it was! and how good itsmelt too! He thought the time was long till the time came for the tartto be cut.

  "It will soon be cut now," thought he. But this dish came, and thatdish went, yet still the fruit tart was not cut. He said, "No thankyou," to all, for he thought but of the tart.

  At length all the things were gone _but_ the tart. "That won't go, Ihope," thought John; and great was his joy when he heard Mr. Thorpe sayin a loud clear tone, "John Snap, will _you_ please to cut that tart?"

  John, in great haste to do what he was told, took up the spoon--but thecrust would not break: there was some hard thing, and the spoon wouldnot go through the crust. One, twice, three times did he try. "Put aknife round the edge of the dish and clear off the crust," said Mr.Thorpe; "we _must_ come to the fruit."

  John Snap did so. He put a knife round the edge of the dish, and allthe crust came off at once. And what was there in that dish?

  _A dolls head!_

  Jane gave a loud scream, and John Snap made a rush to the door.

  He was out of the room, but he heard Jane say, "It was _he_ who did it!it was _he_ who did it! My poor doll!"

  The tone of Jane's voice, as she said this, made John go back. He couldnot bear to hear her. "Jane! Jane!" he said, "that doll's head will bethe means to make me a good boy. I feel I could be good. I feel something that tells me so. I grieve for what I have done--I feel grief ofsuch a kind as I have not felt till now."

  Jane saw his face. When she saw his face, it told her so much that shesaid, "_I will think of this no more_."

  PLAY NOT WITH FIRE.

  Mr. and Mrs. Green had two girls, and their names were Kate and Anne.Kate was ten and Anne was eight years old.

  THE DANGER OF FIRE. Page 143.]

  It made Mrs. Green quite sad to think that she could not cure them ofone bad fault; this fault was that they would play with fire.

  All she said was of no use, for they would do it. Though she boughtthem books, and dolls, and all things that were nice, to play with,still fire was the thing they would play with. They would get a longpiece of straw and set it on fire, and say it was a torch; and theywent with these straws up and down stairs, and said they were in mines.

  When Mrs. Green saw them do so she would scold them, and put them onchairs, or send them to bed, and did all she could to break them of it,but still they did not mind, and in a short time they would do thesame.

  Once one of the straws dropt and set their work on fire; and it mighthave done much harm, had not the maid just then come in to put on somecoals. She threw the rug on the blaze, and put it out.

  One day Mr. and Mrs. Green went out for a walk, and, as they could nottake Kate and Anne with them, they were left in the house. When Mrs.Green left the house, she told them to mind not to touch the fire, andthat, if they were good and did not touch it, she would bring them anice toy.

  Kate and Anne were glad at the time, but as soon as she was gone, theywent down to the dog's house, which was full of straw, and each gotsome nice long straws. Then they went up stairs to pull down theblinds, to make it, as they said, seem more like a real mine. They thenput long straws in the fire to light, and went with them up and downthe room.

  Kate bent some straws, and made them go round and round, and said theywere squibs; Anne did the same; and they did this for more than half anhour.

  They found that to do this did not burn them, as Mrs. Green had toldthem it would do, and they did not know why she did not like them to doit. This made them more bold, and they did it still more.

  And at last Anne's frock caught fire,--and how it did blaze up!

  She ran up and down the room, and did not know what to do, she was inso much fear. Kate went to her to try to put out the blaze; then she,too, caught fire, and not one of them had the sense to roll on the rug.

  Their cries brought up the maid, who wrapt them in the rug, which soonput out the fire; but when she took them out, what was her grief to seehow they were burnt! Kate was not so much burnt as Anne, but still shewas so sore that she could not stand; and so loud were their screams,that the maid thought that they would scream till they were dead. Greatwas their pain, and the maid put them in bed.

  As soon as they were in bed Mr. and Mrs. Green came home from theirwalk. They were most sad when they saw the state in which Kate and Annewere; and still more sad were they to think that they had been at t
hefire, when Mrs. Green had told them not to go there.

  She had brought Kate a book, and Anne a nice wax doll, as she thoughtto have found them good when she came home.

  Both Kate and Anne felt a great deal of pain, and they were ill for along time.

  When they were well, poor Anne's face was not at all what it hadbeen--it was full of large scars and deep marks, that would not comeout; and when she went to look in the glass, she gave a loud scream.How much did she wish she had not gone to the fire when she had beentold not to so!

  Poor Kate! the black mark on her hand gave her a great deal of pain,and when it was well she could not bear to look at it, for it broughtto her mind what she had done.

  They could not bear to see a large blaze, or to go near the fire, norto warm their hands when they were cold.

  Once when Mr. Green let off some squibs, they could not bear to seethem, for it brought to their minds the time when they had been so muchburnt.

  ONE FAULT LEADS TO A WORSE ONE.

  John Gay was eight years old. He was not a good boy, for he now andthen told what was not true, and that is not right, for all boys andgirls should speak the truth.

  One day when his Aunt was in the room, John came in, and he saw herwith a plum cake in her hand. She told him when she left the room, thathe must not touch. He said, "No, Aunt; I will not touch it."

  When his Aunt had been some time gone, John thought, "Well, if I wereto take a bit of cake, my Aunt would not miss it from such a large cakeas this is: yet it seems to me not to be quite right to take it."

  But this boy (sad to say!) _did_ take a piece, and he found it so goodthat he thought he would take a piece more. He _did_ take some more;and he took piece by piece, and piece by piece, till he had made thecake quite small.

  When he had done this, he knew that he had done wrong, and he felt sad.He went in his own room. He knew that the time must come when his Auntwould find it out.

  He was sure that his Aunt would scold him if she knew; but he thoughtif he told her he had not done it she would think that he told thetruth.

  With these thoughts in his mind, he heard a knock at the door. He knewthat it was his Aunt, so he made haste to come down stairs. He did notgo in the room where the plum cake was, but he went in the next room.He took up a book, but he could not read, for his thoughts were toofull of what he had done.

  Soon his Aunt came in with the plum cake in her hand. "John," said she,"look at this cake: when I went out it was quite large, and now look atit!"

  John said, "I do not know of it: how should I?"

  She then rang; the bell: "Ann," said she as the maid came in the room,"do you know what has made the cake in this state? Call the cook, andask her."

  The cook said the same as Ann had said, that "she did not know of it."

  When they were gone, his Aunt said to John, "It can be no one but youwho have done this. I left you in the room with this cake, and told younot to touch it, and now, when I am come back, I find it in thisstate."

  John could not speak a word, for he felt that he had done wrong. HisAunt saw this, and told him to go to bed.

  When he was in bed he thought what a bad boy he had been, and how wrongit was for him to have told his Aunt what was not true. He thought thatwhen he got up he would go and tell his Aunt how wrong he had been, andthat he would do so no more.

  John did as he thought he would do. His Aunt told him that if he was agood boy for a month, no more should be said of it.

  He _was_ a good boy for a month; but for a long time past the month,when John saw plum cake, a flush of shame came on his face.

  WHAT A PRICE FOR A BOX!

  Rose Wood was in want of six pence. She had seen a box that she had agreat wish to buy; and she thought that if she had but six pence, whichwas the price of that box, she should not have a want for a long time.

  Rose would stand close to the shop, near a pane of glass through whichshe could see this box, and each time she saw it the more strong washer wish to have it for her own.

  So much did Rose think of it that it might be said she had not a wishbut what was shut up in that box.

  "What shall I do for six pence?" said Rose one day; "that box will costbut six pence, and if I had six pence it would be my own."

  "Why," said Mark Wood, "if you will sell your self to me, I will giveyou six pence."

  "Sell my self! yes, that I will," said Rose. "Give me six pence, and Iwill sell my self at once."

  "But," said Mark, "do you know that when I have bought you, you will bemy child, and that you must do all that I bid you do?"

  "Oh! I _will_ do all: I don't care what you bid me do, if I may buthave the six pence to buy that box."

  The six pence were hers, and the box was bought; but, poor Rose! youhad to pay a great price for it.

  With what joy she ran home box in hand!

  "Look at it, look at it, Mark! This box is mine now; do just look atit. Do just look at this glass at the top: I can see my face in it, andI can see some of the things that are in the room. In the box I mean tokeep small sweet cakes; and, Mark, I am sure I shall give you some, foryou have been so kind to let me have the six pence. Oh, Mark, I dothank you so much."

  "Stop, Rose, stop!" said Mark, "and do not thank me for the six pencetill you know what I mean you to do for it. The first thing I shalltell you to do is, 'Put down the box.'"

  "Put down the box!" said Rose: "not yet:--why must I put down the box?"

  "Why! I tell you to do so; you are my child now, and must do what I bidyou."

  Poor Rose!

  "But I may play with the box? I must and will play with my nice newbox; that you will let me do."

  "No, Rose," said Mark, "I can let you play with it no more. You mustcome with me; I mean to send you out to find some cress, and then youmust go and try to sell it. Come, I shall put you on this hat of oldBet's, and you must wear this old shawl, and you must tuck up yourfrock, and go out to find the cress."

  "Oh dear! oh dear!" said Rose; "you do not mean that I should do this?"

  "But I do mean it, and you must go at once."

  Mark put on the hat and the shawl for her. She was quite still, andsaid not a word. Mark then took hold of her hand and led her to a fieldnear the house, and told her she must not come back till she had got asmuch nice cress as would sell for two pence. He then shut the gate ofthe field, and left poor Rose by her self.

  At first she did not move, so strange did it seem to her that sheshould be left thus.

  Soon she sat down on a bank. When she had been there some time she gotup.

  "How queer this is!" said she; "but it is all fun:" yet the laugh withwhich she said this was soon a _cry_.

  Rose was a girl not soon cast down; all that she had to do or to bear,she did her best to do and to bear it well. She took a walk up and downthe field, and at last she thought, "Well, I might as well try and seeif I can find some cress;" and then she ran up and down till she hadgot a great way from the house.

  No cress could she find, so she thought she would turn back and gohome. But just when she had thought this, she saw on a pond, at thefoot of the long slope on which she stood, some bright green weed, thatshe thought was cress. Off she set down the slope as fast as she couldrun, and she ran so fast that she could not stop till she came to theend. When she did stop she could not move.

  THE POND. Page 168.]

  Rose was deep in the pond--it came up as far as her throat! There shestuck quite fast, and there she might have stuck for hours, had not hercries been heard by Mark, who, though not seen, had not lost sight ofher since the time she had left the house.

  Mark, who was now in great fear, ran as fast as feet could run to theplace where the head of Rose was to be seen on the pond, like a floaton the top of green weeds. When Mark came to the slope, he went down itwith care, lest the fate of Rose should be his.

  The screams of Rose were loud: "I shall sink! I shall sink deep, deepdown! Oh, help me! help me!" She then saw Mark: "Mark! Mark!" she said;"f
ast! fast! pray, pray come fast." Mark was now at the edge of thepond. "Raise up your arms," said he; "raise up your arms, and take fasthold of my hand."

  The mud and slime were so thick that poor Rose found it hard to raiseup her arms. Yet she did so, and caught hold of Mark's hand with suchforce that he, too, would have been in the pond had he not made a quickstep back.

  When Rose had got a firm grasp, Mark, with all the strength he had, didwhat he could to drag her out. At length she _was_ out: she stood atthe edge of the pond, her clothes thick with mud and slime; and such aweight she was, that she could not move fast.

  Poor Mark stood by her side, his face quite pale with the fright he hadhad. They went up the slope as well as they could. When they were nearhome, just at the gate which led out of the last field, they were metby Mr. Wood. What must Mr. Wood have thought to see Rose in thatstrange state, and with such a queer hat on her head?

  "Rose," he said, and the tone of his voice was a cross tone; "Rose, howis this? where can you have been, and how is it that I see you thus?"

  "O Sir," said Mark, "do not scold Rose, do not scold Rose; it is all myfault, and all the blame must be mine." Mark then told Mr. Wood howRose had sold her self to him for six pence, and what he had made herdo when he had bought her.

  "Go in the house, Rose," said Mr. Wood; "go to bed at once; what I haveto say to you must not be said now."

  Rose did not dare to hold up her head as she went through the hall. Shefelt much shame when the maid came to take off her clothes and to washher. Rose saw the maid laugh, and _that_ she did think was hard tobear, but she did not say a word.