by Oliver Optic
ANNIE'S TEMPTATION.
A few days after, Susie was not very well, and her mother thought best tokeep her at home. Annie, however, was sent to school, as usual. As she waspreparing to set out, she thought to herself,--
"Now I am going all alone, and mother will never know it; I will not wearmy shoes to-day." So, when she was just starting, she stole softly round tothe back-side of the house, and hid her shoes behind the rain-barrel. Onshe skipped, but not so light-hearted and happy as usual. It was her firstact of wilful disobedience. As she went on she at last repented that shehad ventured to disobey her kind mother; but something seemed to whisper inher heart, "It will do you no harm: your mother will never find it out."
Do any of my little readers know whose voice that was in Annie's heart? Itwas the voice of _him_ who spoke the _first lie_ ever uttered in thisbeautiful world; who in the garden of Eden said to our first mother, "_Yeshall not surely die_."
As she approached the school-room, she stopped near a huge pile of rocks atthe road-side to gather some flowers for her teacher. She found a greatmany, and, among others, some which she had never seen before. As shestooped forward hastily to pluck them, she heard a sound close by her.Looking quickly about her, she spied a large snake just below her nakedfeet, among the loose stones. Uttering a loud scream, she sprang terrifiedfrom the spot; nor did she slacken her speed until she reached theschoolhouse, her delicate feet cut and bleeding in several places, and alarge thorn in the side of one foot, which pained her sadly. The girlslaughed at her fright, and one rude boy ran out, shouting, at the top ofhis voice,--
"Hallo, boys! hallo! Annie Allis has come to school barefooted."
Poor, foolish child! what would she have given if she had only obeyed hermother!
The little white feet swelled and ached all the day long. Annie had hardlyever felt so much pain in all her life, and there was nobody to pity her.But the pain in her feet was nothing to the pain in her heart. How couldshe meet her dear mother, after having so wickedly disobeyed her? At lengthschool was out. Slowly and painfully she walked homeward. As she approachedthe house she shook with pain and dread. Down in the little grove at herright hand she saw Susie and Mary with the dear little baby, and theybeckoned her to come to them; but she could not. Oh, how could the guiltychild look into the clear, sweet eyes of that innocent one, with such aload of sin and disobedience on her heart?
Softly--just like a _thief_--she stole round the house, as she thought,unobserved. She sat down on the little green mound beside the rain-barrel,and reached behind it. Suddenly she started back as if a serpent had stungher. Again she reached quite around the barrel, as far as she could stretchher little arms; but nothing was there. Then she peered carefully into theplace; but no shoes were to be found. It is plain now,--quite plain. Whatshall be done? Some one has taken the shoes away! Overpowered entirely, shebursts into a passionate fit of crying. Who is it that approaches theerring child and so kindly and tenderly inquires,--
"What is the matter, Annie?"
It is the mother, weary as she can be, and made still more weary andsorrowful by her little daughter's disobedience. She takes the child intothe house and lays her upon the bed. The aching feet are bathed in water,the dirt is washed from the scratches and wounds, while poor Annie weepsand sobs as if her little heart would break. But the ugly thorn would notcome out: it must ache on until father comes. Silently and sadly the motherbends over her suffering child, bathing her aching head. At length Anniesaid,--
"Dear, dear mother, forgive me; and I will never, _never_ want to disobeyyou again!"
I suppose every child knows just what this good Christian mother said toher little unhappy daughter,--how she told her that she had offended God aswell as her mother, and broken his good law. She told her, too, how sinfulit was to try to deceive, and then comforted her with her full and freepardon, and said that her heavenly Father would pardon her even more freelythan her mother did, if she truly repented of her fault and asked hisforgiveness with her whole heart. Then she taught Annie to pray, "Lead menot into temptation, but deliver me from evil;" and, although the littleone had said that prayer many times, never, never had she understood itsmeaning so perfectly before: _now_ she felt her dependence on God.
Soon Susie and Mary came in with the baby; and, while they were pityingpoor Annie and asking questions, they placed the child on the bed besideher. There it laughed and crowed merrily and stretched out its littledimpled hands, while Annie, unable to smile in return, wondered how itcould be so happy when she was so wretched.
It was late when Mr. Allis came in; and upon examining the foot he said thethorn would have to be cut out in the morning. In vain a soothing poulticewas applied to the wound. Annie scarcely closed her eyes all night. Worsethan that: she kept her mother awake, although she tried hard to be patientand bear the pain as well as she could. In the morning her father sharpenedhis penknife and cut out the thorn. Of course he was very careful, but itdid hurt sadly. It was many days before the poor foot got well; and I thinkAnnie Allis will remember her mother's "_reasons_" for refusing to gowithout her shoes _for many a day_.
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