Latest / The Adventures of Pinocchio / Basil or Honesty and Industry - Charlotte Grace O'Brien

Transcript

Basil or Honesty and Industry - Charlotte Grace O'Brien · The Adventures of Pinocchio

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Chapter one of basil Or, Honesty and Industry. This is
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: the LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: Recording by Robert Harder. Basil Or, Honesty and Industry by C. G. O'Brien,
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: Chapter one, A Miserable Home. It was a lovely morning
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: in autumn when two gentlemen rode across a pleasant village green.
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: A flock of geese were marching along on their return
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: from a visit to a neighboring stubble field, whilst on
• 0:39
  Speaker 1: another part of the green a party of boys for
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: playing at bat and ball. The gentlemen stopped at a
• 0:45
  Speaker 1: gate leading to a large farm which had recently been sold,
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: although the house was still uninhabited. It is very unlikely
• 0:52
  Speaker 1: we shall find any one up at the house to
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: look after our horses, said one of the gentlemen, and
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: I think it would be better to secure the services
• 0:59
  Speaker 1: of one of those lads. Yonder, the elder of the
• 1:03
  Speaker 1: two gentlemen, dismounted as he spoke, and called out to
• 1:06
  Speaker 1: the group of bat and ball players. Here, one of
• 1:09
  Speaker 1: you lads, just hold these horses for a while. A
• 1:12
  Speaker 1: very poorly clad but intelligent looking boy was the first
• 1:15
  Speaker 1: to answer the summons. His ragged garments hung loosely upon him,
• 1:20
  Speaker 1: and he had that prematurely old look about his face
• 1:23
  Speaker 1: which want and privation never failed to produce. I'll hold
• 1:28
  Speaker 1: them for you, please, sir. That's a good boy, and
• 1:31
  Speaker 1: walk them quietly up and down, for they are rather warm.
• 1:35
  Speaker 1: The two gentlemen entered the farm, and Basle, for that
• 1:38
  Speaker 1: was the boy's name, did as he was bid, walking
• 1:41
  Speaker 1: the horses up and down on the smooth green turf.
• 1:44
  Speaker 1: He was fond of animals and seemed quite proud of
• 1:46
  Speaker 1: his charge, as he stopped every now and then to
• 1:49
  Speaker 1: stroke and pat their glossy necks. What a fine thing
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: it must be to have a horse of one's own,
• 1:54
  Speaker 1: thought he. I'd rather have a horse than be a king,
• 1:58
  Speaker 1: that I would, and he stooped down to gather a
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: bunch of sweet clover, which he divided between the two animals.
• 2:05
  Speaker 1: It was nearly half an hour before the gentlemen reappeared,
• 2:08
  Speaker 1: for they had been into the wood at the back
• 2:11
  Speaker 1: of the house to inspect some trees which were to
• 2:13
  Speaker 1: be felled. Shortly, Basil led the horses to the gate
• 2:17
  Speaker 1: to be in readiness for them. As the gentleman approached,
• 2:20
  Speaker 1: the elder of the two said to his companion, I
• 2:23
  Speaker 1: sincerely wish you joy of your new farm, Stuart, and
• 2:26
  Speaker 1: I have no doubt but that you will prosper in it.
• 2:29
  Speaker 1: Perseverance and industry are the two great essentials to success,
• 2:34
  Speaker 1: and I believe I am not wrong in attributing to
• 2:36
  Speaker 1: you both those qualities. Thank you for your good opinion,
• 2:41
  Speaker 1: said the other, smiling, and he then added, in a
• 2:43
  Speaker 1: more serious tone, I am, after all, you know, but
• 2:46
  Speaker 1: a steward of this great property. May he who alone
• 2:50
  Speaker 1: can order the unruly wills and affections of sinful men
• 2:53
  Speaker 1: enable me to discharge my duties properly. So large an
• 2:57
  Speaker 1: estate entails a great responsibility upon its possessor, most assuredly
• 3:03
  Speaker 1: it does, replied his companion. But if we conscientiously endeavor
• 3:07
  Speaker 1: to do our duty, it is a proud responsibility inasmuch
• 3:11
  Speaker 1: as it gives us the power of doing an immensity
• 3:14
  Speaker 1: of good to our fellow creatures. And as regards industry
• 3:18
  Speaker 1: and perseverance, I believe that the benevolent Creator blesses all
• 3:22
  Speaker 1: such exertions. When directed to the right end. Thirty five
• 3:26
  Speaker 1: years ago, I was as poor and penniless as that
• 3:29
  Speaker 1: boy there, pointing to Basil as he spoke. And now
• 3:33
  Speaker 1: you are as rich as Croesus, said his friend, smiling.
• 3:37
  Speaker 1: Not quite, nor should I wish to be. I have
• 3:40
  Speaker 1: sufficient to lend a helping hand to my fellow creatures,
• 3:42
  Speaker 1: and to live comfortably myself. What more can I require.
• 3:46
  Speaker 1: God has prospered me in all my undertakings, and I
• 3:49
  Speaker 1: should indeed be sadly ungrateful for his goodness, were I
• 3:53
  Speaker 1: ever to forget that there was once a time, the
• 3:55
  Speaker 1: memory of which is very strong, when I should have
• 3:58
  Speaker 1: been thankful to earn a trifle as this boys now doing.
• 4:01
  Speaker 1: It's all quite true, my lad, continued he as he
• 4:04
  Speaker 1: caught Basil's eye fixed on him in incredulous astonishment. It's
• 4:09
  Speaker 1: all quite true. Ask God to give you his holy
• 4:13
  Speaker 1: spirit to enable you to act honestly and industriously in
• 4:17
  Speaker 1: whatever station you may be placed. And there is no
• 4:19
  Speaker 1: reason why with his blessing on your exertions, and he
• 4:23
  Speaker 1: will bless you if you ask him, you shall not
• 4:25
  Speaker 1: be an independent man some of these days, Thus saying,
• 4:29
  Speaker 1: he put sixpence into Basil's hand, and the two friends
• 4:32
  Speaker 1: mounted their horses and rode off. Basil stood gazing earnestly
• 4:37
  Speaker 1: after them. As they departed. The words he had just
• 4:40
  Speaker 1: heard still rang in his ears. There is no reason
• 4:44
  Speaker 1: why you should not some day be an independent man.
• 4:49
  Speaker 1: Basil scarcely knew the exact meaning of the word independent,
• 4:52
  Speaker 1: but he supposed it meant having plenty to eat and drink,
• 4:55
  Speaker 1: wearing good clothes, and living in a fine house. And
• 4:59
  Speaker 1: as his life had hither to be passed in the
• 5:00
  Speaker 1: greatest poverty and privation, it is needless to say how
• 5:04
  Speaker 1: impossible such a future appeared to him. Can it ever be? Thought?
• 5:09
  Speaker 1: He to himself, I'll try at all events, And without
• 5:13
  Speaker 1: rejoining his companions, he turned away toward his father's cottage,
• 5:17
  Speaker 1: which stood at one end of the village green. There
• 5:21
  Speaker 1: appearances were certainly against poor Basil. Cleanliness and neatness is
• 5:26
  Speaker 1: generally speaking the rule amongst the cottage homes of England,
• 5:30
  Speaker 1: and the comfortable English cottages dotted over the fertile plains,
• 5:34
  Speaker 1: or nestling snugly amidst the fruitful orchards of our valleys,
• 5:37
  Speaker 1: form one of the most attractive portions in a rural landscape.
• 5:41
  Speaker 1: But there are exceptions, and Basil's home, unfortunately, was one
• 5:45
  Speaker 1: of them. There was a good sized piece of garden
• 5:48
  Speaker 1: ground in front of the cottage, but it was full
• 5:50
  Speaker 1: of nothing but weeds. There was no gait. That useful
• 5:54
  Speaker 1: article had come off its hinges long since, and for
• 5:56
  Speaker 1: the want of being mended, had lain about until at
• 5:59
  Speaker 1: last it was used for firewood. The windows could boast
• 6:03
  Speaker 1: of scarcely one whole pane of glass, and were stuffed
• 6:06
  Speaker 1: up with paper and rags, which, whilst partially excluding the air,
• 6:10
  Speaker 1: effectually shut out the light of day. We need scarcely
• 6:13
  Speaker 1: add that the internal arrangements of the cottage entirely corresponded
• 6:17
  Speaker 1: with a description now given of the outside. The floor
• 6:20
  Speaker 1: looked as if it had never made the acquaintance of
• 6:23
  Speaker 1: a broom, and the only furniture consisted of a very
• 6:26
  Speaker 1: dirty deal table and two or three rickety chairs. An
• 6:31
  Speaker 1: untidy looking, sickly woman was feeding a half starved looking
• 6:34
  Speaker 1: baby out of a broken teacup, and three or four
• 6:37
  Speaker 1: other children, the very picture of dirt and uncleanliness, were
• 6:41
  Speaker 1: quarreling together on the floor of the cottage. Such was
• 6:45
  Speaker 1: Basil's home. A bad foundation. You will say for a
• 6:48
  Speaker 1: life of industry and independence. And yet it is strange
• 6:52
  Speaker 1: what effect a few words will sometimes produce. Basil had
• 6:57
  Speaker 1: seldom until that afternoon heard the accents of hope or encouragement.
• 7:02
  Speaker 1: His father spent the greater part of his time and
• 7:04
  Speaker 1: his money at the ale house, and his mother in
• 7:07
  Speaker 1: gossiping amongst her neighbors and railing at her husband, whom
• 7:11
  Speaker 1: report said she had, in the first instance helped to
• 7:14
  Speaker 1: drive from his home by the little attention she paid
• 7:16
  Speaker 1: to his comfort. What were the father's unsteady habits and
• 7:21
  Speaker 1: the mother's want of thriftiness, Ye may be sure. There
• 7:24
  Speaker 1: were many days when the children had little or nothing
• 7:26
  Speaker 1: to eat. This was very bad even for the younger ones.
• 7:31
  Speaker 1: But the elder children, and Basil particularly, who was nearly
• 7:35
  Speaker 1: thirteen years old, suffered very much in health from such
• 7:38
  Speaker 1: scanty fare, and was so stunted in his growth that
• 7:41
  Speaker 1: he did not look to be more than ten or
• 7:43
  Speaker 1: eleven at the utmost. It was utterly impossible there could
• 7:47
  Speaker 1: be the fear of God in such a household. Most
• 7:50
  Speaker 1: truly has the Psalmist said, the fear of the Lord
• 7:55
  Speaker 1: is the beginning of wisdom. And where there was such
• 7:58
  Speaker 1: evident disregard of God and his commandments, there could be
• 8:01
  Speaker 1: none of that holy fear, the effect of which is
• 8:04
  Speaker 1: to enable men to depart from evil. Basil's parents seldom
• 8:09
  Speaker 1: went to the House of God, and cared little about
• 8:11
  Speaker 1: their children doing so. The elder ones sometimes attended the
• 8:15
  Speaker 1: Sunday school, which was more than a mile distant, and Basil,
• 8:19
  Speaker 1: who was a quick boy, had learned to read tolerably well.
• 8:22
  Speaker 1: But this was all. What did Squire Hamilton give you
• 8:27
  Speaker 1: for holding his horse? Basil said his mother as he
• 8:30
  Speaker 1: entered the cottage sixpence? Mother, Off with you, then to
• 8:35
  Speaker 1: the shop and buy a loaf for your suppers, for
• 8:38
  Speaker 1: I have nothing to give you. Basil was not long
• 8:41
  Speaker 1: in executing his mother's orders, and for once the children
• 8:44
  Speaker 1: had a hearty meal. Was that Squire Hamilton? Then? Whose horse?
• 8:49
  Speaker 1: I held? Mother? To be sure it was? Do you
• 8:53
  Speaker 1: mean he who lives in the great house on the
• 8:56
  Speaker 1: hill near the church? Who else should I mean? And
• 8:59
  Speaker 1: what is it to you where he lives? Why? He
• 9:03
  Speaker 1: told me he was once just as poor as I am. Mother, Ah,
• 9:07
  Speaker 1: it's all very fine for rich people like him to
• 9:09
  Speaker 1: be talking in that way. He was making fun of you, Basil,
• 9:12
  Speaker 1: and you were foolish enough to believe him. I'm sure
• 9:16
  Speaker 1: he was in earnest, replied Basil. And he told me
• 9:19
  Speaker 1: that if I tried to do my duty and prayed
• 9:21
  Speaker 1: to God to help me, I might be rich myself
• 9:23
  Speaker 1: some day. Nonsense, Basil said his mother. All I know
• 9:28
  Speaker 1: is that I find it hard to get bare food
• 9:30
  Speaker 1: for you all, let alone growing rich. Basil was silent
• 9:35
  Speaker 1: for a few moments, and then he said, but did
• 9:37
  Speaker 1: you ever pray to God to help you, mother? I've
• 9:41
  Speaker 1: never had time to think about religion, Basil, But don't
• 9:44
  Speaker 1: begin preaching to me. Go and nurse your little sister.
• 9:48
  Speaker 1: The boy did as he was told, and soon got
• 9:51
  Speaker 1: the child to sleep. Long after it was sleeping, Basil
• 9:55
  Speaker 1: still sat on the low chair, rocking it to and fro.
• 9:58
  Speaker 1: His thoughts were far away. Mister Hamilton had told him
• 10:02
  Speaker 1: what to do, and what was it. Not to pray
• 10:06
  Speaker 1: to God to make him rich, but to enable him
• 10:08
  Speaker 1: to act honestly and industriously. This, then, was the way
• 10:13
  Speaker 1: to become independent. It was not surprising that a boy
• 10:16
  Speaker 1: brought up as Basil had been should find some difficulty
• 10:19
  Speaker 1: in reconciling this advice with his own experiences of life
• 10:24
  Speaker 1: of industry, he had certainly not seen many examples, and
• 10:28
  Speaker 1: if he had not actually been taught to be dishonest,
• 10:31
  Speaker 1: it was as much as we could say so far
• 10:35
  Speaker 1: for his home teaching. But Basil has, as we have
• 10:38
  Speaker 1: already said, attended the Sunday School from time to time,
• 10:41
  Speaker 1: and although a most irregular pupil, so much so as
• 10:45
  Speaker 1: to preclude any great interest being taken in him, still
• 10:48
  Speaker 1: some good seed had been sown in his heart, and
• 10:50
  Speaker 1: this was destined by Almighty God to bear fruit after
• 10:53
  Speaker 1: many days. Let no Sabbath school teacher feel discouraged or
• 10:59
  Speaker 1: disheartened at not reaping an immediate result from the good
• 11:02
  Speaker 1: seed sown by them. With prayer and faith. It may
• 11:05
  Speaker 1: be dormant for many years, but the germ still remains,
• 11:08
  Speaker 1: and often when least expected, will spring up and bear
• 11:12
  Speaker 1: fruit under the quickening influences of God's Holy Spirit. Numerous
• 11:17
  Speaker 1: are the cases where the young are led to Christ
• 11:19
  Speaker 1: while on the forms of Sunday schools. Basil felt as
• 11:23
  Speaker 1: if there was some sort of link between mister Hamilton's
• 11:26
  Speaker 1: advice and the teaching he had experienced at the Sunday
• 11:29
  Speaker 1: School and the result of His reflecting on the subject
• 11:33
  Speaker 1: was that he determined to return to school the following Sabbath.
• 11:36
  Speaker 1: This was a step in the right direction. Now, Basil,
• 11:41
  Speaker 1: don't sit dreaming there all the evening, said his mother,
• 11:44
  Speaker 1: who had been putting the other children to bed. Go
• 11:47
  Speaker 1: and lay that child down, and then off to bed
• 11:48
  Speaker 1: with you. He must get up early in the morning
• 11:51
  Speaker 1: and bring in some firewood. We haven't a bit in
• 11:53
  Speaker 1: the house. We shall have to get as much as
• 11:55
  Speaker 1: we can before the new folks come to the farm,
• 11:58
  Speaker 1: for there will not be much to be had. Then
• 12:00
  Speaker 1: I reckon the Woodside farm estate, which had been so
• 12:05
  Speaker 1: recently purchased by mister Stuart, had been untenanted for many
• 12:08
  Speaker 1: years previously, some serious disputes having arisen as to the
• 12:13
  Speaker 1: legal ownership of the property. The whole estate had been
• 12:15
  Speaker 1: thrown into chancery. As some of our young readers may
• 12:19
  Speaker 1: not quite understand what this means, we will try to
• 12:21
  Speaker 1: make it plain to them. The Court of Chancery is
• 12:25
  Speaker 1: the highest court of justice in the Kingdom, next to
• 12:28
  Speaker 1: the Parliament, and is presided over by the Lord Chancellor,
• 12:31
  Speaker 1: who is the highest officer of the crown. This court
• 12:35
  Speaker 1: had its origin and the desire to render justice complete
• 12:38
  Speaker 1: and to decide cases for which there was no relief
• 12:41
  Speaker 1: in the common law courts. To such little boys as
• 12:44
  Speaker 1: learn Latin, it may be interesting for them to know
• 12:47
  Speaker 1: the origin or meaning of the word chancery. It is
• 12:51
  Speaker 1: a very old name, dating so far back as the
• 12:54
  Speaker 1: time of the Romans. The chief notary or scribe of
• 12:57
  Speaker 1: the Roman emperors was called in Latin cancillarius, whence our
• 13:03
  Speaker 1: English word chancellor, because his principal duty was to cross
• 13:08
  Speaker 1: out or cancel any expressions in the edicts of the
• 13:11
  Speaker 1: prince which he thought objectionable, and also because he sat
• 13:15
  Speaker 1: within lattice work or cancelli, which were erected in the
• 13:18
  Speaker 1: chancery hall to protect the emperor from the crowding of
• 13:21
  Speaker 1: the people when he sat in judgment. During many years,
• 13:26
  Speaker 1: the fine woods and plantations of wood Side Farm had
• 13:29
  Speaker 1: been allowed almost to run wild, and great depredations had
• 13:33
  Speaker 1: been committed by the peasantry of the neighborhood, many of
• 13:36
  Speaker 1: whom heard with regret that the property was at last sold,
• 13:40
  Speaker 1: as they felt they would no longer be able to
• 13:42
  Speaker 1: continue their dishonest practices of breaking down the wood fences
• 13:46
  Speaker 1: and even seriously injuring many valuable trees. Basil's father called
• 13:52
  Speaker 1: him the next morning, almost as soon as it was light,
• 13:54
  Speaker 1: and bade him look alive and be off to the
• 13:56
  Speaker 1: woods as soon as he could hitherto. The boy had
• 14:00
  Speaker 1: done as he was desired, without compunctious feelings or thought
• 14:04
  Speaker 1: that he was doing wrong. But now everything seemed in
• 14:07
  Speaker 1: a different light, and as he recalled his mother's words
• 14:10
  Speaker 1: the previous evening that they must get what they could
• 14:14
  Speaker 1: before the new folks came, the idea first dawned upon
• 14:17
  Speaker 1: his mind that he would be acting dishonestly in robbing
• 14:20
  Speaker 1: the woods without permission. He was terribly afraid of his father,
• 14:25
  Speaker 1: who was a man of very violent temper, but he
• 14:28
  Speaker 1: summoned up courage to say, perhaps mister Stewart may not
• 14:32
  Speaker 1: like any one to take wood now that he has
• 14:34
  Speaker 1: bought the farm. Father like it. Of course he won't,
• 14:38
  Speaker 1: but we're not going to be such fools as to
• 14:40
  Speaker 1: ask him. But is it right? Father? Get along about
• 14:45
  Speaker 1: your business and don't be given me any of your nonsense,
• 14:47
  Speaker 1: Basil cried his father in a passionate tone of voice.
• 14:51
  Speaker 1: Do as I bid you, or I'll make you remember it.
• 14:53
  Speaker 1: I promise you Basil knew his father too well to
• 14:57
  Speaker 1: dare to remonstrate further at present. So, having dressed himself
• 15:01
  Speaker 1: and eaten the morsel of dry bread, which was his
• 15:03
  Speaker 1: share of the remains of the loaf, he left his
• 15:06
  Speaker 1: home before the bright sun had risen above the tall
• 15:08
  Speaker 1: trees of Woodside Farm. There is a sweet and soothing
• 15:13
  Speaker 1: influence in the breath of the early morning air, And
• 15:16
  Speaker 1: as Basil walked slowly along, his mind became calm, and
• 15:20
  Speaker 1: his path of duty stood out clearly before him. Mister
• 15:25
  Speaker 1: Hamilton had expressly said he was to be honest. Basil
• 15:30
  Speaker 1: knew that to be honest meant that he ought not
• 15:32
  Speaker 1: to take anything belonging to another without his express permission,
• 15:36
  Speaker 1: and that he was to be truthful in word as
• 15:39
  Speaker 1: well as deed. But had mister Hamilton told him the
• 15:43
  Speaker 1: way to become honest. Yes, he had counseled him to
• 15:47
  Speaker 1: pray to God to make him so. Poor Basil had
• 15:51
  Speaker 1: no power in himself to become an honest boy. That
• 15:55
  Speaker 1: great change could only be effected by the working of
• 15:57
  Speaker 1: God's Holy Spirit in his sinful heart. But he could
• 16:01
  Speaker 1: pray to God and ask him to give him his
• 16:04
  Speaker 1: grace and enable him to do what was right. And
• 16:07
  Speaker 1: as these thoughts passed through his mind, Basil knelt down
• 16:11
  Speaker 1: in the quiet, stubble field through which he was passing,
• 16:14
  Speaker 1: and in his own feeble language, besought the giver of
• 16:17
  Speaker 1: all good things to guide his steps aright and to
• 16:21
  Speaker 1: enable him to act honestly. End of chapter one, Chapter
• 16:32
  Speaker 1: two of Basil Or Honesty and Industry. This is a
• 16:38
  Speaker 1: LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
• 16:43
  Speaker 1: For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
• 16:49
  Speaker 1: Recording by Robert Harder. Basil or Honesty and Industry by C. G. O'Brien.
• 16:58
  Speaker 1: Chapter two, Basil finds a friend. When Basil arose from
• 17:04
  Speaker 1: his knees, the sun had just risen above the dark
• 17:07
  Speaker 1: woods and was flooding the sky with a soft, rosy light.
• 17:11
  Speaker 1: The glorious rays seemed to penetrate into the boy's heart
• 17:15
  Speaker 1: and speak words of peace and encouragement to him. It
• 17:19
  Speaker 1: seemed to tell him that the Great and merciful God,
• 17:22
  Speaker 1: the creator of this beautiful world, who hateth nothing that
• 17:26
  Speaker 1: he has made, and without whose permission not even a
• 17:30
  Speaker 1: sparrow falleth to the ground, would lend a gracious ear
• 17:33
  Speaker 1: to the prayer, weak and imperfect as it was of
• 17:36
  Speaker 1: an ignorant and sinful little boy, and would for his
• 17:39
  Speaker 1: son Jesus Christ's sake answer it in his own good time.
• 17:44
  Speaker 1: I do not mean to say that Basil thought exactly
• 17:47
  Speaker 1: all I have just written. He was an ignorant boy
• 17:50
  Speaker 1: and would have been sadly puzzled to put his thoughts
• 17:53
  Speaker 1: into words. But the substance was the same, and there
• 17:56
  Speaker 1: was a bright and hopeful expression on his face that
• 18:00
  Speaker 1: spoke more than words could have done. And yet he
• 18:03
  Speaker 1: scarcely knew what to do. He was sure of a
• 18:06
  Speaker 1: good beating if he failed to take home sufficient wood,
• 18:10
  Speaker 1: and the morning air had already made him feel terribly hungry.
• 18:14
  Speaker 1: What should he do? One thing he made up his
• 18:17
  Speaker 1: mind to, and that was that nothing should induce him
• 18:20
  Speaker 1: to steal. So on he walked, and as he entered
• 18:24
  Speaker 1: the wood, the dry leaves and twigs crackled under his feet.
• 18:29
  Speaker 1: A pretty brown squirrel was sitting on one of the
• 18:31
  Speaker 1: lower boughs of a large tree, eating a ripe nut.
• 18:35
  Speaker 1: Basil's attention was attracted by the animal, and casting his
• 18:38
  Speaker 1: eyes on the ground beneath the tree, on which the
• 18:41
  Speaker 1: squirrel was sitting, he saw a number of sweet chestnuts
• 18:44
  Speaker 1: lying on the ground. Quite right, here was a breakfast
• 18:48
  Speaker 1: all ready for poor Basil. Chestnuts are very nice and wholesome,
• 18:53
  Speaker 1: and in Spain and Portugal and other countries in the
• 18:55
  Speaker 1: south of Europe they formed the principal food of the peasants,
• 18:59
  Speaker 1: who either roast or boil them, or grind them into flour,
• 19:02
  Speaker 1: of which they make a sort of cake. Basil had
• 19:06
  Speaker 1: no fire by which to roast his chestnuts, so he
• 19:09
  Speaker 1: was obliged to eat them raw. But hunger is an
• 19:12
  Speaker 1: excellent sauce, so he enjoyed them very much, and as
• 19:16
  Speaker 1: there were more than he could eat at the time,
• 19:18
  Speaker 1: he put the remainder in his pockets. Then on he
• 19:21
  Speaker 1: went again, with scarcely any fixed purpose, until the sharp
• 19:24
  Speaker 1: ringing sound of a woodman's axe struck upon his ear.
• 19:29
  Speaker 1: It was long since such a sound had been heard
• 19:31
  Speaker 1: in those woods, and Basil hastened forward towards the spot,
• 19:34
  Speaker 1: whence the noise proceeded. As he walked along, he noticed
• 19:38
  Speaker 1: that a number of the trees which he passed had
• 19:42
  Speaker 1: a white or red mark on their trunks, and he
• 19:44
  Speaker 1: then remembered to have heard that a great deal of
• 19:46
  Speaker 1: the timber at woodside had been sold and was shortly
• 19:49
  Speaker 1: to be cut down. At length, he came to a
• 19:52
  Speaker 1: spot rather more open than other parts of the wood,
• 19:55
  Speaker 1: and saw three men busily occupied in felling a huge
• 19:58
  Speaker 1: oak tree. Basil knew the tree well. It was one
• 20:03
  Speaker 1: of the finest in the wood. He had frequently gathered
• 20:06
  Speaker 1: its acorns, and now he almost felt sorry as he
• 20:09
  Speaker 1: saw this mighty monarch of the forest sinking beneath the
• 20:13
  Speaker 1: axe of the woodman. Stand out of the way, youngster,
• 20:17
  Speaker 1: cried one of the men in a loud voice. As
• 20:19
  Speaker 1: a large bough fell with a crash close to Basil's feet,
• 20:23
  Speaker 1: he started back affrighted. All right, my lad, no bones
• 20:27
  Speaker 1: broken this time, said he who appeared to be the
• 20:29
  Speaker 1: elder of the party and was better dressed than the others.
• 20:33
  Speaker 1: Only don't get in the way of a fallen branch again.
• 20:37
  Speaker 1: I'll take care another time, said Basil. And what brings
• 20:40
  Speaker 1: you here at this time of the morning, lad, I
• 20:44
  Speaker 1: was passing through the wood, and I heard the sound
• 20:46
  Speaker 1: of the axe, and I had never seen a tree
• 20:48
  Speaker 1: cut down. And if you wouldn't mind me staying and
• 20:51
  Speaker 1: looking on a bit, I not at all, lad, not
• 20:55
  Speaker 1: at all, continued the same man who had first spoken,
• 20:58
  Speaker 1: and who had a strong Scotch accent. But have you
• 21:01
  Speaker 1: no work to do? It's a bad thing for young
• 21:03
  Speaker 1: lads O the like O you, to be a sauntering
• 21:06
  Speaker 1: about all the day. I have barons of my own
• 21:09
  Speaker 1: in Scotland, and the first thing I try to teach
• 21:11
  Speaker 1: them is that Satan finds some mischief still for idle
• 21:16
  Speaker 1: hands to do. Maybe you've heard these lines before, yes, sir,
• 21:22
  Speaker 1: I had learned them once at the Sunday school. But
• 21:24
  Speaker 1: indeed I have no work to do, or you mean
• 21:28
  Speaker 1: you'd do it? Well? There's no time like the present.
• 21:31
  Speaker 1: What if I give you some work to day? I
• 21:34
  Speaker 1: should be so very glad, said Basil, and there was
• 21:36
  Speaker 1: no mistake in the tone of his voice or the
• 21:38
  Speaker 1: look of his face. All right, then, can you use
• 21:42
  Speaker 1: the axe at all? I suppose not I can a little,
• 21:45
  Speaker 1: said Basil. Very well, take this light one and let
• 21:50
  Speaker 1: me see you try to cut off the small branches
• 21:52
  Speaker 1: from the great bow that has just fallen. Basil did
• 21:55
  Speaker 1: as he was told and succeeded tolerably well. Although his
• 21:59
  Speaker 1: strokes were very weak, not much strengthen your wrist yet,
• 22:03
  Speaker 1: said his new friend, smiling and then remarking Basil's pale
• 22:07
  Speaker 1: and thin face, he said, in a rough, kind tone,
• 22:11
  Speaker 1: have you breakfasted, laddie. I had a small piece of
• 22:15
  Speaker 1: bread before I left home, and I found some chestnuts
• 22:17
  Speaker 1: in the wood. We'll give you something better than that,
• 22:20
  Speaker 1: said the kind woodman. And I'm thinking Stenny, continued he
• 22:24
  Speaker 1: addressing himself to one of his companions, that it's about
• 22:27
  Speaker 1: time we had some breakfast ourselves. This lad might save
• 22:30
  Speaker 1: us time by going down to the farm and bringing
• 22:32
  Speaker 1: us up the can of milk that was promised us.
• 22:35
  Speaker 1: Do you know your way to Woodside Farm, youngster? Oh? Yes,
• 22:39
  Speaker 1: said Basil eagerly. I know every blind path in the wood,
• 22:42
  Speaker 1: and I'll be there and back again almost before you
• 22:44
  Speaker 1: miss me. You'll make a man some day, said the woodman,
• 22:48
  Speaker 1: who was evidently pleased at Basil's alacrity. Shall I go
• 22:52
  Speaker 1: at once, sir, Yes, and say you came from Donald
• 22:56
  Speaker 1: mc nicholl. You'll find one of our party there, and
• 22:59
  Speaker 1: we shall be glad of your as we only came
• 23:01
  Speaker 1: last night and don't know any of your short cuts.
• 23:05
  Speaker 1: Basil set off like a young deer through brushwood and briar,
• 23:10
  Speaker 1: through the tall masses of brake fern, now startling a
• 23:13
  Speaker 1: timid hare from his bed in the long grass, and
• 23:16
  Speaker 1: now a covey of partridges, who rose on, worrying, wing on.
• 23:20
  Speaker 1: He went at a very different pace to that with
• 23:23
  Speaker 1: which he had entered the wood, and in a short
• 23:26
  Speaker 1: space of time he reached Woodside Farm. Mister Stewart, who
• 23:30
  Speaker 1: had purchased the farm, was a Scotch gentleman, and it
• 23:33
  Speaker 1: was his steward, Donald McNichol, and some of his men,
• 23:36
  Speaker 1: whom Basil had met in the wood. They had only
• 23:39
  Speaker 1: arrived the previous evening, but Donald had frequently visited the
• 23:42
  Speaker 1: estate on former occasions in company with his master, and had,
• 23:46
  Speaker 1: under his direction, marked what trees were to be felled.
• 23:51
  Speaker 1: Basil got the can of milk and started on his
• 23:53
  Speaker 1: return to the wood. As he was leaving the farm,
• 23:56
  Speaker 1: he saw the son of a near neighbour crossing a
• 23:58
  Speaker 1: field at a little distance. He called out to him
• 24:02
  Speaker 1: and asked him to look in at his mother's cottage
• 24:04
  Speaker 1: when he went home to dinner, and tell her not
• 24:06
  Speaker 1: to be uneasy if she did not see him till evening.
• 24:10
  Speaker 1: Basil was a kind hearted boy, and did not wish
• 24:12
  Speaker 1: to cause her any anxiety. Back again through the long
• 24:17
  Speaker 1: fern and the brushwood, not quite so quickly this time, though,
• 24:21
  Speaker 1: for he must carry the can of milk steadily. When
• 24:24
  Speaker 1: he reached the oak tree, the men were busy preparing breakfast.
• 24:28
  Speaker 1: Well done, my man, cried Donald, just in time to
• 24:30
  Speaker 1: see a highland breakfast maid, and to have a share
• 24:32
  Speaker 1: in it too. Everything was quite new to basil. The
• 24:37
  Speaker 1: woodman had kindled the fire on the ground of dry sticks,
• 24:40
  Speaker 1: and over it was a small iron skillet or pot
• 24:43
  Speaker 1: full of water, which was just boiling. Donald mc nicholl
• 24:47
  Speaker 1: now opened a bag of oatmeal and threw a quantity
• 24:50
  Speaker 1: of it in the boiling water, stirring it all the
• 24:52
  Speaker 1: time with a wooden spoon. The mixture soon began to thicken,
• 24:57
  Speaker 1: and was then poured out into small wooden bowls, where
• 24:59
  Speaker 1: at los looked like thick gruel. In a few seconds,
• 25:03
  Speaker 1: a dry skin settles on top of the porridge, as
• 25:05
  Speaker 1: it is called, and it is then ready to be eaten.
• 25:10
  Speaker 1: The men sat down on two of the large boughs
• 25:12
  Speaker 1: of the oak tree, which had been cut off, and
• 25:15
  Speaker 1: Donald mcnicholl simply and fervently asked a blessing on the
• 25:18
  Speaker 1: meal of which they were about to partake. A portion
• 25:22
  Speaker 1: of the milk which Basil had brought was then poured
• 25:24
  Speaker 1: into each bowl, and breakfast commenced. There was no bowl
• 25:28
  Speaker 1: for Basil, so he had to wait until one of
• 25:30
  Speaker 1: the men had finished. But his porridge was keeping hot
• 25:33
  Speaker 1: all the time in the skillet, and Donald talked so
• 25:35
  Speaker 1: pleasantly to him that he did not mind waiting. His
• 25:39
  Speaker 1: new friend asked him several questions about his home and
• 25:41
  Speaker 1: his family, not out of mere curiosity, but with a
• 25:44
  Speaker 1: true kindly feeling, and he was soon enabled to form
• 25:48
  Speaker 1: a pretty correct opinion as to Basil's previous education. Donald
• 25:53
  Speaker 1: himself was no great scholar, but being naturally of a
• 25:56
  Speaker 1: shrewd clever disposition, he had acquired a vast deal of
• 26:00
  Speaker 1: useful information. And what was better than all, he was
• 26:03
  Speaker 1: a sincere and humble believer in Christ, a true lover
• 26:07
  Speaker 1: of nature. He saw and acknowledged the finger of the
• 26:09
  Speaker 1: Almighty in all his works, and felt the full force
• 26:12
  Speaker 1: of those beautiful lines. There's not a plant nor flower
• 26:16
  Speaker 1: that grows but makes thy glory known. Short as was
• 26:21
  Speaker 1: the time spent over breakfast Donald found ample opportunity of
• 26:25
  Speaker 1: leading Basil's mind from the works of God to God himself,
• 26:29
  Speaker 1: and all was done in such a kind and winning
• 26:31
  Speaker 1: way that gave his words double power. Now, my lad,
• 26:35
  Speaker 1: said he to Basil, as Stinny finished his porridge. There's
• 26:39
  Speaker 1: a bowl for you, and you'll make the acquaintance of
• 26:41
  Speaker 1: a new friend. I guess. Stinney poured the porridge into
• 26:44
  Speaker 1: the bowl for him and gave him some milk, and
• 26:47
  Speaker 1: Basil had a thoroughly satisfying breakfast. The country people in
• 26:51
  Speaker 1: Scotland almost live on this oatmeal porridge, which there supplies
• 26:55
  Speaker 1: the place of wheaten bread. It is considered very nutritious
• 26:58
  Speaker 1: and wholesome, especially for children. When Basil had finished breakfast,
• 27:04
  Speaker 1: Donald again set him to work to chop off some
• 27:06
  Speaker 1: of the small branches. Basil worked on steadily, although it
• 27:10
  Speaker 1: made his wrists ache sadly. Meantime, the woodmen had been
• 27:14
  Speaker 1: busy preparing for the falling of the main stem, or trunk,
• 27:18
  Speaker 1: of the huge oak. A strong rope was fastened to
• 27:21
  Speaker 1: the topmost part of the tree, and when after long
• 27:24
  Speaker 1: and repeated blows of the axe, the great trunk was
• 27:26
  Speaker 1: nearly severed, the men pulled with all their might at
• 27:29
  Speaker 1: the long rope, and after great exertion, crack crack was heard,
• 27:35
  Speaker 1: each crack louder than the first, until with a long
• 27:38
  Speaker 1: and final crash, the stem gave way and the huge
• 27:40
  Speaker 1: trunk fell to the ground. Then Donald and his men
• 27:44
  Speaker 1: commenced barking the trunk and branches. This was quite a
• 27:48
  Speaker 1: novelty to Basil, and Donald kindly explained the whole process
• 27:51
  Speaker 1: to him. By the bark of a tree is meant
• 27:55
  Speaker 1: the outer covering of the stem, and the bark of
• 27:57
  Speaker 1: many trees is most useful because it contains a substance
• 28:01
  Speaker 1: called tannic acid, which is used to convert rawhides or
• 28:04
  Speaker 1: skins of animals into leather, such as shoes are made of.
• 28:08
  Speaker 1: The bark of many trees produces this acid, but in
• 28:11
  Speaker 1: Britain it is the oak bark which is most esteemed.
• 28:15
  Speaker 1: The bark of the birch tree is greatly used for
• 28:18
  Speaker 1: steeping fishermen's nets and cordage to preserve them from rotting.
• 28:22
  Speaker 1: And it is by reason of their being so tanned,
• 28:25
  Speaker 1: as it is called, that they acquire that reddish brown
• 28:28
  Speaker 1: color which doubtless many of my young readers have noticed,
• 28:31
  Speaker 1: and which makes a fishing net so picturesque an object
• 28:34
  Speaker 1: in many a seaside landscape. But we must return to
• 28:38
  Speaker 1: the process of barking, which Basil now witnessed for the
• 28:41
  Speaker 1: first time. The rough outside parts of the bark are
• 28:45
  Speaker 1: lifeless and useless, and are first removed by an instrument
• 28:48
  Speaker 1: called a scraper. The smaller branches of the tree are
• 28:51
  Speaker 1: then cut into lengths of about two feet, and the
• 28:54
  Speaker 1: bark is loosened by beating with a mallet or wooden hammer,
• 28:57
  Speaker 1: after which it comes off quite easily. Basil was soon
• 29:01
  Speaker 1: able to bark some of these small branches. The main
• 29:04
  Speaker 1: trunk and large branches are not so easily stripped of
• 29:06
  Speaker 1: their bark. The bark has first to be cut through
• 29:10
  Speaker 1: by a sort of huge chisel, which is called a
• 29:12
  Speaker 1: barking iron, into similar lengths, each of which is also
• 29:16
  Speaker 1: divided lengthwise, and it is then finely stripped off by
• 29:19
  Speaker 1: means of mallets and chisels. Great care is requisite and
• 29:24
  Speaker 1: dry in the bark, as it would be quite spoiled
• 29:26
  Speaker 1: if allowed to get moldy, and is liable to suffer
• 29:29
  Speaker 1: injury if too much exposed to the sun. It is
• 29:33
  Speaker 1: therefore generally stacked very carefully against the trunks of trees
• 29:36
  Speaker 1: in such a way as to allow a free circulation
• 29:39
  Speaker 1: of air. Oak bark will frequently fetch from six to
• 29:43
  Speaker 1: eight pounds a ton. Donald was pleased with the evident
• 29:48
  Speaker 1: interest Basil took in all he saw and heard. It
• 29:52
  Speaker 1: is a broad world, Basil, Laddie, And the longer one
• 29:55
  Speaker 1: lives in it, the more and more our hearts should
• 29:58
  Speaker 1: glow in praise and gratitude to the maker of it.
• 30:01
  Speaker 1: It's a great blessing, I always think, to have one's
• 30:04
  Speaker 1: lot cast in the pure, fresh country air, with all
• 30:07
  Speaker 1: the numberless tokens of his marvelous love about us, beneath us,
• 30:11
  Speaker 1: around us. Not but that He is equally present in
• 30:14
  Speaker 1: the crowded city, as in this lonely wood. But it
• 30:17
  Speaker 1: always seemed to me as if we were closer to
• 30:20
  Speaker 1: him in scenes like these. Hast ever, thought, Laddie. If
• 30:24
  Speaker 1: God has so clothed the grass of the field, so
• 30:27
  Speaker 1: filled with objects of beauty, the dwelling place of sinners,
• 30:31
  Speaker 1: how much more will he adorn the heavenly mansions which
• 30:34
  Speaker 1: He has prepared for them that love him. If the earth,
• 30:37
  Speaker 1: which is only his footstool, be so beautiful, What will
• 30:41
  Speaker 1: his throne be? Basil had thought but little on the
• 30:46
  Speaker 1: subject hitherto, and he honestly told his new friends. So
• 30:50
  Speaker 1: it's time to begin, then, Basil, Remember now thy Creator,
• 30:54
  Speaker 1: in the days of thy youth, And you cannot reckon
• 30:56
  Speaker 1: on the future. How few of all these acorns will
• 30:59
  Speaker 1: ever become great trees. And many a lad younger than
• 31:03
  Speaker 1: thou art has been suddenly called to his great account,
• 31:06
  Speaker 1: with all his sins, unrepented of. Begin from this moment, lad,
• 31:10
  Speaker 1: and may God give you grace to keep in the
• 31:12
  Speaker 1: right way. There be many blind paths in religion, Basile,
• 31:17
  Speaker 1: but don't you follow them. There is but one safe
• 31:19
  Speaker 1: and sure road, And our blessed Savior has told us
• 31:22
  Speaker 1: which that is. What does he say? I am the Way,
• 31:26
  Speaker 1: the Truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father.
• 31:30
  Speaker 1: But by me believe in him, and you shall be saved.
• 31:35
  Speaker 1: The tears were in Basil's eyes as he pressed the
• 31:38
  Speaker 1: hand of his kind friend. The boy's heart was too
• 31:41
  Speaker 1: full for words, and indeed he would have found difficulty
• 31:44
  Speaker 1: in expressing all he wished to say. But in his
• 31:48
  Speaker 1: heart he felt how signally God had answered his morning prayer.
• 31:52
  Speaker 1: Donald perfectly understood the boy's emotion. We'll may be have
• 31:58
  Speaker 1: another chat, Basil before you leave this evening, he said.
• 32:02
  Speaker 1: As dinner being over, they returned to their work. End
• 32:06
  Speaker 1: of chapter two, Chapter three of basil Or Honesty and Industry.
• 32:18
  Speaker 1: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
• 32:22
  Speaker 1: the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please
• 32:26
  Speaker 1: visit LibriVox dot org. Recording by Robert Hard Basil Or
• 32:33
  Speaker 1: Honesty and Industry by C. G. O'Brien, Chapter three, A
• 32:39
  Speaker 1: pleasant evening. The sun was sinking amid golden clouds, which
• 32:44
  Speaker 1: gave promise of a glorious morrow. When Donald mcnicholl told
• 32:49
  Speaker 1: Basil that his day's work was finished, that he might
• 32:52
  Speaker 1: have some supper and then see about going home again.
• 32:56
  Speaker 1: The fire was kindled and the bowls of smoking porridge distribute,
• 33:01
  Speaker 1: and then it was that Donald fulfilled his promise of
• 33:03
  Speaker 1: having another chat with Basil. The two men had finished
• 33:07
  Speaker 1: their suppers and gone back to the farm, but Donald
• 33:10
  Speaker 1: lingered behind whilst Basil ate his porridge. I'll give you
• 33:14
  Speaker 1: fourpence lad for your day's work, said he. And any
• 33:17
  Speaker 1: time you like to come and lend a hand here
• 33:19
  Speaker 1: I'll do the same for you, and you can take
• 33:21
  Speaker 1: your meals with us as you have done to day.
• 33:24
  Speaker 1: Thank you very much, sir, But would you mind giving
• 33:27
  Speaker 1: me some of those small boughs of which the bark
• 33:29
  Speaker 1: has been stripped. I'd either have them than money, indeed,
• 33:33
  Speaker 1: I would, said Basil earnestly. You're a strange lad, said Donald.
• 33:37
  Speaker 1: Why of what use will the wood be to you?
• 33:41
  Speaker 1: Mother has not at home, sir, and she told me
• 33:43
  Speaker 1: this morning to be sure end And and here Basil stopped, confused,
• 33:48
  Speaker 1: for he saw the woodman's keen eye fixed gravely upon him.
• 33:53
  Speaker 1: I hope you're not one of those people who've been
• 33:55
  Speaker 1: robbing these woods lately and destroying these fences, lad, said
• 33:58
  Speaker 1: he in a stern voice, and then, remarking the great
• 34:02
  Speaker 1: distress depicted on Basil's countenance, he added, in a somewhat
• 34:05
  Speaker 1: softer voice, it's early days, laddie, to become a thief,
• 34:10
  Speaker 1: and I cannot think your heart is quite hardened. Oh,
• 34:13
  Speaker 1: pray to God to enable you treatment and to lead
• 34:15
  Speaker 1: an honest life for the future. I have a young
• 34:18
  Speaker 1: son of your age at home, and dearly as I
• 34:20
  Speaker 1: love him, i'd rather never see him again. On earth
• 34:22
  Speaker 1: than that he should commit such a great sin. Donald
• 34:27
  Speaker 1: paused and brushed away the tears from his eyes, and
• 34:30
  Speaker 1: Basil began to speak, at first hesitatingly and timidly, but
• 34:34
  Speaker 1: gathering courage and confidence as he went on. I have
• 34:38
  Speaker 1: been a very bad boy, sir, and I know it.
• 34:41
  Speaker 1: But indeed i have never broken down any fences, and
• 34:43
  Speaker 1: I've never been in the woods to gather sticks since
• 34:46
  Speaker 1: I knew the farm was sold. But how about to day? Lead?
• 34:50
  Speaker 1: Be careful, add not falsehood to dishonesty. Father told me
• 34:55
  Speaker 1: this morning early I was to go out and get
• 34:58
  Speaker 1: some wood, or he'd make me remember, and I left home,
• 35:01
  Speaker 1: not daring to disobey him by staying in. But I
• 35:04
  Speaker 1: made up my mind I wouldn't steal any and I
• 35:06
  Speaker 1: prayed to God in the field yonder to make me honest.
• 35:09
  Speaker 1: And very soon after I had prayed, I heard the
• 35:11
  Speaker 1: sound of your axe, and I came up, as you know, sir,
• 35:14
  Speaker 1: just as the big bow was falling. And when you
• 35:17
  Speaker 1: asked me if I was willing to do some work,
• 35:19
  Speaker 1: I felt as if God had answered my prayer and
• 35:20
  Speaker 1: sent you to help me. And this is the real truth, indeed, sir,
• 35:24
  Speaker 1: only I don't think I should have prayed to God
• 35:26
  Speaker 1: to day if it hadn't been for Squire Hamilton's advice.
• 35:29
  Speaker 1: He was with mister Stewart yesterday and I held their
• 35:32
  Speaker 1: horses for them, and Squire Hamilton told me to pray
• 35:35
  Speaker 1: to God to make me honest and industrious, and that
• 35:38
  Speaker 1: was the way to get on in the world. He
• 35:43
  Speaker 1: was right, Basil, said the woodman, who was moved by
• 35:45
  Speaker 1: the boy's simple story. He was right so far that
• 35:49
  Speaker 1: dishonesty and idleness never did and never can prosper, for
• 35:52
  Speaker 1: they go right against God's commandments. But you mustn't try
• 35:55
  Speaker 1: to act honestly merely for the sake of getting on
• 35:58
  Speaker 1: in the world. God look set the motive of all
• 36:00
  Speaker 1: our actions. And though man cannot see into the heart
• 36:03
  Speaker 1: of man, God can read our inmost thoughts. And if
• 36:06
  Speaker 1: it be a purely worldly motive that makes us live honestly,
• 36:10
  Speaker 1: it will be utterly worthless in the sight of God.
• 36:13
  Speaker 1: Nay more, it will be in itself a great sin.
• 36:17
  Speaker 1: And again, if you seek, by living honestly and industriously
• 36:20
  Speaker 1: to find favor with God, you are equally in the wrong.
• 36:23
  Speaker 1: No man ever was or can be saved by his
• 36:25
  Speaker 1: own merit, how greatsoever he may think it. It is
• 36:29
  Speaker 1: not your tears, your prayers, your confessions, your duties, nothing
• 36:33
  Speaker 1: in fact that you can do will make God forgive
• 36:36
  Speaker 1: and except you. It is the blood of Christ that
• 36:38
  Speaker 1: is the ground of his forgiveness, the righteousness of Christ
• 36:41
  Speaker 1: that justifies all your works. Until you believe in Jesus
• 36:46
  Speaker 1: Christ are dead works, and dead works never yet took
• 36:49
  Speaker 1: a soul to heaven. It's a dangerous thing, too, basil lad,
• 36:53
  Speaker 1: to think too much about gaining earthly riches and honor.
• 36:56
  Speaker 1: In many cases, when they are obtained, they prove great
• 36:59
  Speaker 1: snares to those who possess them. What does our blessed
• 37:03
  Speaker 1: Savior himself say, Seek ye first the Kingdom of God
• 37:07
  Speaker 1: and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added
• 37:10
  Speaker 1: unto you, and we shall then be in a frame
• 37:14
  Speaker 1: of mind which will enable us to set a right
• 37:16
  Speaker 1: value on earthly riches and the first importance of laying
• 37:20
  Speaker 1: up for ourselves lasting treasure in heaven. I believe you
• 37:24
  Speaker 1: have told me the truth, Basile, And you may have
• 37:26
  Speaker 1: as much of the wood as you can carry. And
• 37:28
  Speaker 1: may God in his infinite mercy keep you out of temptation.
• 37:31
  Speaker 1: For the future. As he spoke, he laid his hand
• 37:36
  Speaker 1: kindly on Basil's head, and the boy, falling on his
• 37:39
  Speaker 1: knees at the woodman's feet, sobbed aloud. You are so
• 37:43
  Speaker 1: very kind, so very kind, said he in a broken voice. Nay, laddie,
• 37:49
  Speaker 1: haven't I bairns of my own? As I said before?
• 37:52
  Speaker 1: And wouldn't I think any one who would be? After
• 37:54
  Speaker 1: giving them a little advice In the hour of temptation,
• 37:59
  Speaker 1: all basil reserve melted away under the genial influence of
• 38:02
  Speaker 1: Donald's kindness, and he told him all his childish griefs
• 38:06
  Speaker 1: and troubles, and about his little sister Annie, who was
• 38:09
  Speaker 1: a cripple, and who could never run and play about
• 38:12
  Speaker 1: like the other children. Was it wrong to wish to
• 38:16
  Speaker 1: be rich for Annie's sake? Said Basil. You don't know
• 38:19
  Speaker 1: how weak and ill she is sometimes, and very often
• 38:22
  Speaker 1: we have scarcely enough to eat. And I often think,
• 38:25
  Speaker 1: if I could only be a rich man, what nice
• 38:27
  Speaker 1: things I would get for her, and how she should
• 38:29
  Speaker 1: have a little carriage to ride in. And oh, sir,
• 38:32
  Speaker 1: was all this wrong? Cried the boy earnestly. No, no, Basil,
• 38:38
  Speaker 1: God forbid that I should say so God himself has
• 38:41
  Speaker 1: sent us those family ties to call out our affections
• 38:44
  Speaker 1: and to prevent us from becoming selfish by thinking only
• 38:47
  Speaker 1: of ourselves. And so long as we do not love
• 38:49
  Speaker 1: our earthly friends more than our heavenly one, we are
• 38:52
  Speaker 1: fulfilling his will by showing them affection and kindness. It
• 38:56
  Speaker 1: was not wrong in you to wish to provide comforts
• 38:58
  Speaker 1: for your poor little sister. Thank you for saying so,
• 39:03
  Speaker 1: said Basil. I do love her very, very dearly, and
• 39:06
  Speaker 1: she loves me also. She has no one but me
• 39:09
  Speaker 1: to do anything for her, for mother has the baby
• 39:11
  Speaker 1: to look after. And in the spring I used to
• 39:13
  Speaker 1: carry Annie in my arms to some fields near us,
• 39:16
  Speaker 1: where she could sit on the grass and gather primroses.
• 39:19
  Speaker 1: And she was so happy, and so was I to
• 39:21
  Speaker 1: see her. So how old is your little sister? She
• 39:26
  Speaker 1: was seven years old last birthday. Mother took her a
• 39:29
  Speaker 1: month ago to stay with our aunt, who lives at
• 39:31
  Speaker 1: the sea side, in the hopes that the sea air
• 39:33
  Speaker 1: and bathy might do her good. Mother is going tomorrow
• 39:37
  Speaker 1: to fetch her home again, so I shall not be
• 39:39
  Speaker 1: able to come to work any more this week, for
• 39:41
  Speaker 1: mother will be gone two days and I must stay
• 39:43
  Speaker 1: and take care of baby Giles. The carrier has offered
• 39:47
  Speaker 1: Mother a seat in his cart. He goes to West
• 39:49
  Speaker 1: Bay one day and comes back the next. Well, come
• 39:54
  Speaker 1: when you can, I shall always be glad to see you.
• 39:56
  Speaker 1: I'm glad you make yourself useful at home. Take your
• 39:59
  Speaker 1: wood and off now, for it is getting late. And
• 40:01
  Speaker 1: here's the fourpence as well. It may buy a trifle
• 40:04
  Speaker 1: for your sick sister. Donald himself helped Basil to make
• 40:09
  Speaker 1: up his bundle of wood and gave him a good
• 40:11
  Speaker 1: thick piece of cord to tie it together with. It
• 40:14
  Speaker 1: was quite a large bundle. Are you sure you can
• 40:18
  Speaker 1: carry it all? Asked the woodman? Never fear, said Basil
• 40:21
  Speaker 1: with a happy smile. Good evening, and God bless you lad.
• 40:25
  Speaker 1: Don't forget what I have been saying to you. And
• 40:28
  Speaker 1: so Donald and Basil parted, the one taking the way
• 40:31
  Speaker 1: to the farm and the other toward his father's cottage.
• 40:35
  Speaker 1: They had scarcely parted company more than a minute when
• 40:38
  Speaker 1: Basil heard his friend calling after him, hullo there, lad,
• 40:42
  Speaker 1: one word more? Do you go to Sunday school sometimes,
• 40:46
  Speaker 1: but not always, answered Basil, But I mean to go
• 40:49
  Speaker 1: next Sunday. That's right, lad, and try and be regular
• 40:52
  Speaker 1: in the future. I hope to do so. Good night, sir,
• 40:56
  Speaker 1: and thank you. And Basil proceeded homeward. His was a
• 41:00
  Speaker 1: heavy load, but when the heart is light, it is
• 41:03
  Speaker 1: wonderful that the body can support. Basil tripped along, scarcely
• 41:07
  Speaker 1: conscious of his burden. When he came within sight of
• 41:10
  Speaker 1: his home, he saw several of his little brothers playing
• 41:12
  Speaker 1: in the bit of ground in front of the cottage.
• 41:15
  Speaker 1: One of them caught sight of him and uttered a
• 41:17
  Speaker 1: loud shout. Here's our Basil coming with a great stack
• 41:20
  Speaker 1: of wood at his back. Cried Willie, a ragged, dirty
• 41:23
  Speaker 1: little urchin of six years old. Hurrah, hurrah, Now we
• 41:27
  Speaker 1: shall have a good fire. The other little ones began
• 41:30
  Speaker 1: to shout also, and ran toward the cottage, so that
• 41:33
  Speaker 1: by the time Basil reached the spot, his mother had
• 41:36
  Speaker 1: come to the door to see what all the noise
• 41:37
  Speaker 1: was about. Well, Basil, you have got a load. I
• 41:41
  Speaker 1: hope none of the farm people saw you coming along.
• 41:44
  Speaker 1: It was rather venturesome of you to bring such a
• 41:46
  Speaker 1: bundle by daylight. You might have brought it home by degrees.
• 41:51
  Speaker 1: Basil set down the stack at the cottage door and
• 41:53
  Speaker 1: stopped to take breath. It is our own, our very own, mother.
• 41:58
  Speaker 1: It was given to me every bit, and I've got
• 42:00
  Speaker 1: and fourpence besides, cried he, rattling the pins in his pocket.
• 42:03
  Speaker 1: I prayed to God to keep me from stealing, and
• 42:05
  Speaker 1: he sent a kind friend to help me. And in
• 42:08
  Speaker 1: a few words, Basil told his mother all the adventures
• 42:11
  Speaker 1: of the day. You are a lucky boy, Basil. And
• 42:15
  Speaker 1: I can't say but what I am glad you didn't
• 42:16
  Speaker 1: steal the wood. I was quite uneasy about you all
• 42:19
  Speaker 1: day long when I found you didn't return, for fear
• 42:22
  Speaker 1: you should have gotten into some scrape, and it would
• 42:24
  Speaker 1: have been our fault and not yours if you had,
• 42:26
  Speaker 1: For you went sadly against your will. This morning I
• 42:29
  Speaker 1: made up my mind I'd never ask you to steal
• 42:31
  Speaker 1: again if you came home safe. And just after that,
• 42:34
  Speaker 1: Jim Price brought me your message. He hadn't been able
• 42:37
  Speaker 1: to come before, dear mother, said Basil. Dear mother, and
• 42:42
  Speaker 1: will you keep your promise and never ask me to
• 42:44
  Speaker 1: go to the wood again without permission. I won't go
• 42:48
  Speaker 1: back for my words, said his mother. God bless you,
• 42:52
  Speaker 1: mother for saying so and I somehow feel as if
• 42:55
  Speaker 1: brighter days would come soon. I am almost sure I
• 42:58
  Speaker 1: shall get regular work in the woods, and if father
• 43:00
  Speaker 1: would only At this moment, his father's step was heard
• 43:04
  Speaker 1: coming up to the door. What do you leave all
• 43:08
  Speaker 1: that wood against the door for? He said angrily as
• 43:11
  Speaker 1: he entered the cottage. Do you want all the neighborhood
• 43:13
  Speaker 1: to see it? It's our own, it's not stolen. Father
• 43:17
  Speaker 1: said Basil, What does the boy mean? Then the whole
• 43:21
  Speaker 1: story had to be repeated over again, and Jacob Green,
• 43:24
  Speaker 1: that was the name of Basil's father, was evidently a
• 43:27
  Speaker 1: little moved by it, for once he had come home sober.
• 43:32
  Speaker 1: He had been working at some copses quite in another
• 43:34
  Speaker 1: direction to the village ale house, and had come home
• 43:37
  Speaker 1: straight from his work. We will not undertake to say
• 43:40
  Speaker 1: that he had not intended visiting the half moon at
• 43:43
  Speaker 1: a late hour in the evening, but God had ordered
• 43:46
  Speaker 1: it otherwise. I'm glad it so happened, Basil, he said,
• 43:50
  Speaker 1: you'll stand a good chance of being hired up at
• 43:52
  Speaker 1: the farm next week. They tell me mister Stewart is
• 43:55
  Speaker 1: going to engage a number of the village boys. I'm
• 43:58
  Speaker 1: glad you didn't steal the wood. Jacob Green forgot that
• 44:02
  Speaker 1: if Basil had followed his orders, he would have done so.
• 44:06
  Speaker 1: I don't want my children to grow up thieves, no
• 44:08
  Speaker 1: more than other people. But when a man is so poor,
• 44:11
  Speaker 1: what can he do? A bad excuse, Jacob Green far
• 44:15
  Speaker 1: worse than none at all. Here, wife cried, he throwing
• 44:19
  Speaker 1: her half a crown. You'll be wanting a trifle for
• 44:21
  Speaker 1: your journey tomorrow. Whether Jacob thought, by this act of
• 44:25
  Speaker 1: generosity to atone for his conduct to Basle that morning,
• 44:28
  Speaker 1: I know not. His wife felt the tears coming into
• 44:31
  Speaker 1: her eyes at this unwonted kindness. Thank you, Jacob, I
• 44:35
  Speaker 1: shall indeed be glad of it. And father, I'm so
• 44:38
  Speaker 1: glad you're come home early, said Basil. I've got my
• 44:41
  Speaker 1: pocket full of sweet chestnuts, and there's some of the
• 44:43
  Speaker 1: wood in the stack quite dry, so we can have
• 44:45
  Speaker 1: a fire and roast them. They're just good, I can
• 44:48
  Speaker 1: tell you, when roasted and eaten with a little salt.
• 44:51
  Speaker 1: Jacob could not, for shame leave his cottage again. That evening,
• 44:55
  Speaker 1: Basil went to the shop and brought in a loaf
• 44:58
  Speaker 1: and a quarter of a pound of dripping. A good
• 45:01
  Speaker 1: fire was made of the dry wood and some furs
• 45:03
  Speaker 1: that Jacob had brought home, and the chestnuts were certainly
• 45:06
  Speaker 1: excellent when roasted in the hot wood ashes. It had
• 45:10
  Speaker 1: been many a long day since Jacob had spent such
• 45:12
  Speaker 1: an evening with his family. He was fond of his
• 45:15
  Speaker 1: children too when he was sober, and as that happened
• 45:19
  Speaker 1: to be the case at present, he danced the little
• 45:21
  Speaker 1: ones on his knees, played with a baby, and made
• 45:24
  Speaker 1: Basil till over and over again about his seeing the
• 45:26
  Speaker 1: little brown squirrel eating nuts, and how through that incident
• 45:29
  Speaker 1: he came to look on the ground and find the
• 45:31
  Speaker 1: nice sweet chestnuts. Poor missus Green felt happier than she
• 45:36
  Speaker 1: had for years, and Basil could not help contrasting in
• 45:39
  Speaker 1: his own mind the different feelings they would all have
• 45:42
  Speaker 1: experienced had the wood been really stolen. It was the
• 45:45
  Speaker 1: fact if its having been got honestly, that made all
• 45:48
  Speaker 1: their hearts so light. There was no other difference in
• 45:51
  Speaker 1: their outward circumstances. Basil might have stolen as much wood
• 45:56
  Speaker 1: as he had had given him, but how different would
• 45:58
  Speaker 1: have been all their feelings. As it was, Basil felt
• 46:02
  Speaker 1: that inward peace and gratitude for having been saved from
• 46:06
  Speaker 1: a great sin, and his father and mother experienced a
• 46:09
  Speaker 1: relief which they would perhaps scarcely have acknowledged to think
• 46:12
  Speaker 1: that Basil had not obeyed their orders. For certain, it
• 46:15
  Speaker 1: is that, however successful dishonesty may appear to be, however
• 46:20
  Speaker 1: it may deceive mankind, there can be no inward peace
• 46:23
  Speaker 1: or happiness. Whatever the outward prosperity may be, there is
• 46:29
  Speaker 1: no peace, saith my God to the wicked. You're likely
• 46:34
  Speaker 1: to have a next door neighbors soon, wife, said Jacob.
• 46:37
  Speaker 1: The old cottage hard By is to be done up
• 46:39
  Speaker 1: and re thatched, and one of mister Stewart's men is
• 46:42
  Speaker 1: going to live there. He is a married man, they
• 46:45
  Speaker 1: tell me, and has several children. Oh, Father, suppose it
• 46:49
  Speaker 1: should be mister mc nicholl. How glad I should be?
• 46:53
  Speaker 1: Is that the name of your new friend, Basil? Yes, Father,
• 46:56
  Speaker 1: and he told me he had a son just my
• 46:57
  Speaker 1: own age, just as likely to be him as not,
• 47:02
  Speaker 1: said Jacob. But I didn't hear his name. Have you
• 47:05
  Speaker 1: told Giles you're going by him in the morning, wife, Yes,
• 47:09
  Speaker 1: he has promised to wait for me by the mill pond,
• 47:11
  Speaker 1: Poor little Annie. I hope the change will have done
• 47:13
  Speaker 1: her good. You'll be home again on Saturday. Oh, yes,
• 47:19
  Speaker 1: for certain, should all be well? The carrier's cart will
• 47:21
  Speaker 1: pass the hazel copse Jacob, and it will be just
• 47:24
  Speaker 1: about the time of your leaving work. If you didn't mind,
• 47:28
  Speaker 1: added his wife timidly, you might look out for us
• 47:30
  Speaker 1: and ride home in the cart. Jacob seemed half to
• 47:35
  Speaker 1: guess his wife's meaning. Saturday night was the great drinking
• 47:39
  Speaker 1: night of the week at the half moon, and missus
• 47:42
  Speaker 1: Green thought if she could only get him to ride
• 47:44
  Speaker 1: home with her and his child, he might be induced
• 47:46
  Speaker 1: to stay at home as he had done this evening.
• 47:50
  Speaker 1: We'll see, wife, we'll see, said Jacob good naturedly. End
• 47:55
  Speaker 1: of chapter three Chapter four of Basil Or, Honesty and Industry.
• 48:06
  Speaker 1: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
• 48:10
  Speaker 1: the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please
• 48:15
  Speaker 1: visit LibriVox dot org. Recording by Robert Harder. Basil Or
• 48:22
  Speaker 1: Honesty and Industry by C. G. O'Brien, Chapter four, It's
• 48:27
  Speaker 1: never too late to mend. When Basil awoke the next morning,
• 48:33
  Speaker 1: he felt a little stiff in the arms from the
• 48:35
  Speaker 1: exercise of the preceding day. But there was a joyous
• 48:38
  Speaker 1: feeling in his heart to which he had long been
• 48:40
  Speaker 1: a stranger. Before he left his room, he knelt down, and,
• 48:45
  Speaker 1: whilst thanking God again and again for his late mercies,
• 48:49
  Speaker 1: besought his protection for the coming day. He was dressed
• 48:53
  Speaker 1: long before the other members of the family, and taking
• 48:56
  Speaker 1: a can with him, started off to a farm about
• 48:58
  Speaker 1: half a mile distant, where he spent half of his
• 49:00
  Speaker 1: earnings of the day before in purchasing a quart of
• 49:03
  Speaker 1: skim milk. It was a large dairy farm, and the
• 49:07
  Speaker 1: farmer's wife used to sell the milk after the cream
• 49:10
  Speaker 1: had been taken off it, to the poor people of
• 49:12
  Speaker 1: the neighborhood. She knew how badly off Basil and his
• 49:15
  Speaker 1: brothers and sisters frequently were for food, and kindly gave
• 49:19
  Speaker 1: him nearly double measure. Basil hastened home with his can
• 49:23
  Speaker 1: full of milk, raked up the dry embers of the
• 49:26
  Speaker 1: previous evening's wood fire, put on a few more sticks,
• 49:29
  Speaker 1: and soon had a nice bowl of bread and milk
• 49:31
  Speaker 1: ready for his mother's breakfast. Missus Green had to leave
• 49:35
  Speaker 1: home very early to meet the carrier's cart. This is
• 49:39
  Speaker 1: kind of you, Basil, said his mother, as she sat
• 49:42
  Speaker 1: down to her nice hot meal. I knew you'd be
• 49:45
  Speaker 1: the better of something warm, mother, when you had such
• 49:48
  Speaker 1: a long ride before you. And I've plenty of milk
• 49:50
  Speaker 1: left for the others, and some for father too if
• 49:52
  Speaker 1: he likes. For missus. Atkins gave me nearly two quarts
• 49:55
  Speaker 1: for my twopence. You're a good boy, Basil, and I'm
• 49:59
  Speaker 1: sure I I needn't tell you to be careful about
• 50:01
  Speaker 1: baby till I come back. I know you'll take good
• 50:04
  Speaker 1: care of her. I'll just ask neighbor Allen as I
• 50:07
  Speaker 1: passed there presently, to look in some time to day
• 50:10
  Speaker 1: and see how you are getting on. There were not
• 50:13
  Speaker 1: many arrangements to make before leaving home. Some potatoes constituted
• 50:18
  Speaker 1: the day's dinner, and Basil knew well how to boil them.
• 50:21
  Speaker 1: Jacob Green promised to bring in a loaf for their suppers,
• 50:25
  Speaker 1: so the simple meals were soon settled. Basil could not
• 50:29
  Speaker 1: go with his mother to see her off because of
• 50:31
  Speaker 1: the baby, but he watched her as far as he
• 50:34
  Speaker 1: could see her until she turned off into the lane
• 50:37
  Speaker 1: leading to the mill pond. Then he returned into the
• 50:40
  Speaker 1: cottage and gave the children their breakfasts feeding baby carefully himself.
• 50:46
  Speaker 1: The little Greens had never been taught any habits of
• 50:49
  Speaker 1: neatness or tidiness, so nothing was further from Basil's thoughts
• 50:52
  Speaker 1: than any attempt to clean up the cottage. The younger
• 50:56
  Speaker 1: children played about in the dirt, as was their general custom.
• 51:00
  Speaker 1: Bazzile amused himself with nursing the baby, of whom he
• 51:02
  Speaker 1: was very fond. The little thing went to sleep for
• 51:05
  Speaker 1: a couple of hours in the morning, and then Basil
• 51:08
  Speaker 1: fetched some water from the well and peeled the potatoes
• 51:10
  Speaker 1: ready for dinner. Then, when baby woke up again, he
• 51:14
  Speaker 1: took a small three legged stool and sat down at
• 51:17
  Speaker 1: the cottage door, nursing his little sister. It was about
• 51:21
  Speaker 1: twelve o'clock in the day when some of the young ones,
• 51:23
  Speaker 1: who were playing on the green just beyond the cottage garden,
• 51:26
  Speaker 1: came running up to Basil, exclaiming in loud and earnest tones,
• 51:31
  Speaker 1: Lady on white pony, Basil, Lady on white pony. Basil
• 51:36
  Speaker 1: hurried down the garden with the baby in his arms,
• 51:38
  Speaker 1: and there, sure enough was a lady on a beautiful
• 51:41
  Speaker 1: white pony, with a servant behind her on a large horse.
• 51:45
  Speaker 1: They were riding fast across the village Green, in the
• 51:48
  Speaker 1: direction of Jacob Green's cottage. It was such an unusual
• 51:52
  Speaker 1: sight in those quiet parts that the children all stood
• 51:55
  Speaker 1: in a group staring at the approaching stranger. And it
• 51:58
  Speaker 1: was only when they saw that the lady was really
• 52:00
  Speaker 1: slackening her pace and was about to stop at their cottage,
• 52:03
  Speaker 1: that they drew back, abashed, and hid themselves behind the hedge.
• 52:09
  Speaker 1: Basil could not hide himself, having the baby in his arms,
• 52:12
  Speaker 1: so he remained standing where he was and looking quite confused.
• 52:17
  Speaker 1: Good morning, my little man, said the lady in a
• 52:19
  Speaker 1: gentle voice, which made Basil look up at her face.
• 52:23
  Speaker 1: She was quite a young lady and had a pleasant
• 52:25
  Speaker 1: countenance in long light hair. Basil thought he had never
• 52:29
  Speaker 1: seen any one so beautiful. Good morning, my little man.
• 52:33
  Speaker 1: Will you tell me whose cottage is this? In dismounting
• 52:37
  Speaker 1: from her pony as she spoke, she approached Basil. Father's
• 52:41
  Speaker 1: name is Green, ma'am. I suppose he is out at work.
• 52:45
  Speaker 1: Is your mother at home? No, ma'am, she's gone to
• 52:49
  Speaker 1: West Bay to fetch home sister Annie. Will she be
• 52:53
  Speaker 1: at home this evening? No, not till tomorrow night, ma'am.
• 52:58
  Speaker 1: And are you keeping house for her in absence? Yes, ma'am.
• 53:03
  Speaker 1: I see you make a good little nurse. It is
• 53:05
  Speaker 1: not often that boys can hold a baby so handily.
• 53:07
  Speaker 1: Are you the eldest, yes, ma'am. And what is your name, Basil? Ma'am? Well, then, Basil,
• 53:16
  Speaker 1: said the lady, smiling. Will you tell your mother that
• 53:19
  Speaker 1: Miss Hamilton has been to see her? I dare say
• 53:22
  Speaker 1: she will scarcely remember me, for I was quite a
• 53:24
  Speaker 1: little girl when I was obliged to leave home and
• 53:27
  Speaker 1: go abroad for my health. It has pleased Almighty God
• 53:30
  Speaker 1: to make me quite well and strong, and I am
• 53:32
  Speaker 1: now come to live at home again. My reason for
• 53:35
  Speaker 1: calling on your mother was to inquire whether all her
• 53:38
  Speaker 1: children attend the Sunday school. You go there, of course,
• 53:42
  Speaker 1: to your little brothers, also added the lady, as she
• 53:44
  Speaker 1: saw several little pairs of eyes peeping up from behind
• 53:47
  Speaker 1: the hedge. I go sometimes, but not often, said Basil, coloring.
• 53:52
  Speaker 1: But I mean to try and be more regular in
• 53:54
  Speaker 1: the future. That is right, Basil, you know, it is
• 53:58
  Speaker 1: after all, only leaving home an hour or so earlier.
• 54:01
  Speaker 1: Mother's very poor, ma'am, said Basil. And often I've not
• 54:04
  Speaker 1: had clothes good enough to go in. Never mind your clothes,
• 54:08
  Speaker 1: how poor they are, said Miss Hamilton. There's one thing
• 54:11
  Speaker 1: you can always do, and that is have clean hands
• 54:13
  Speaker 1: and face, and your hair neatly combed, Basil colored, for
• 54:18
  Speaker 1: he felt that his hands and face were anything but
• 54:20
  Speaker 1: clean just then, and that his hair was sadly tangled.
• 54:25
  Speaker 1: Miss Hamilton noticed his confusion and did not further allude
• 54:27
  Speaker 1: to that subject. Perhaps she felt that his mother was
• 54:30
  Speaker 1: more to blame than he was. Well, Basil, shall I
• 54:34
  Speaker 1: see you on Sunday. I'm going to form a class
• 54:36
  Speaker 1: of boys, which I hope to teach myself. Would you
• 54:39
  Speaker 1: like to be in my class? Very much? Indeed, ma'am?
• 54:43
  Speaker 1: And he stammered a little, and then said, I will
• 54:46
  Speaker 1: be sure and have clean hands and face, then, ma'am,
• 54:49
  Speaker 1: that's right, Basil. Tell your mother I will call next week,
• 54:53
  Speaker 1: when I shall hope to find her at home, and
• 54:54
  Speaker 1: then I shall expect to see you on Sunday. Meanwhile,
• 54:58
  Speaker 1: don't you think you can manage to pull up a
• 55:00
  Speaker 1: few of these weeds? She pointed with her writing whip
• 55:03
  Speaker 1: to the piece of weedy ground which ought to have
• 55:05
  Speaker 1: been a productive garden. This nice large piece of ground
• 55:08
  Speaker 1: would if properly cultivated, bringing a good stock of vegetables.
• 55:12
  Speaker 1: It is not too late now to plant winter cabbages.
• 55:15
  Speaker 1: And if you will have a portion of the ground
• 55:17
  Speaker 1: weeded and dug up by the time I come next week,
• 55:19
  Speaker 1: I will give you plenty of cabbage plants to put
• 55:21
  Speaker 1: in it. I'll try, said Basil. Father has often said
• 55:26
  Speaker 1: he wished it was done, but he's home so late
• 55:28
  Speaker 1: that he hasn't time. But it will be an amusement
• 55:32
  Speaker 1: for you, Basil, and I hope some day to give
• 55:34
  Speaker 1: prizes for the best kept cottage gardens. Yours would not
• 55:37
  Speaker 1: have much chance at present. But it is never too
• 55:40
  Speaker 1: late to mend my boy, continued the lady kindly as
• 55:43
  Speaker 1: she remarked Basil's downcast. Look, can you read Basil pretty well? Ma'am?
• 55:51
  Speaker 1: I will give you this little book of pretty hymns,
• 55:53
  Speaker 1: said Miss Hamilton, taking one out of her pocket. And
• 55:56
  Speaker 1: if you can learn one verse from me by Sunday,
• 55:59
  Speaker 1: I shall be much pleased. She then read the first
• 56:01
  Speaker 1: verse of the hymn, beginning Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior,
• 56:06
  Speaker 1: once became a child like me. Do you love your savior, Basil?
• 56:13
  Speaker 1: Not as much as I ought, ma'am, said Basil, with
• 56:15
  Speaker 1: tears in his eyes. Few of us do that, I'm afraid,
• 56:19
  Speaker 1: said the young lady in a sad tone. But you
• 56:22
  Speaker 1: can pray to him and ask him for his holy spirit.
• 56:25
  Speaker 1: You know he has promised to give to them that
• 56:27
  Speaker 1: ask him. And you know how he said, suffer little
• 56:30
  Speaker 1: children to come unto me, and forbid them not. We
• 56:34
  Speaker 1: will talk more about that when I see you on Sunday, Basil.
• 56:37
  Speaker 1: And now good bye, so saying, she put the little
• 56:41
  Speaker 1: hymn book into Basil's hand, and beckoning to the man
• 56:44
  Speaker 1: servant to bring her pony, she remounted and was out
• 56:47
  Speaker 1: of sight in a few moments. It seemed like a
• 56:50
  Speaker 1: dream to Basil, and he stood looking in the direction
• 56:53
  Speaker 1: which the pony had taken long after it was out
• 56:56
  Speaker 1: of sight. This visit seemed another special mercy to Basil.
• 57:01
  Speaker 1: He had been half afraid lest his father and mother
• 57:03
  Speaker 1: should object to his going to school on Sunday, and
• 57:06
  Speaker 1: had not yet mentioned the subject to them. Now he
• 57:09
  Speaker 1: felt almost sure of their consent, since Miss Hamilton had
• 57:12
  Speaker 1: been to ask them to let him go. He felt
• 57:16
  Speaker 1: very very happy, and having got little Willy to hold
• 57:19
  Speaker 1: the baby, whilst he got the potatoes ready. The children
• 57:22
  Speaker 1: had their frugal dinner. Baby went to sleep trectly afterward,
• 57:26
  Speaker 1: and then Basil set to work to pull up some
• 57:28
  Speaker 1: of the weeds in the garden. His little brothers were
• 57:31
  Speaker 1: glad to help him, and having found the iron part
• 57:33
  Speaker 1: of an old hoe, Basil made a rough handle for
• 57:36
  Speaker 1: it of one of the pieces of wood he had
• 57:38
  Speaker 1: brought home. This enabled him to get on famously, and
• 57:42
  Speaker 1: by the time his father came home from work, there
• 57:45
  Speaker 1: was a great space of ground cleared, and all the
• 57:47
  Speaker 1: weeds collected together in a heap. Well done, Basil, said
• 57:52
  Speaker 1: his father. That's what I call doing some good. Basil
• 57:56
  Speaker 1: then related all about Miss Hamilton's visit and her promise
• 57:59
  Speaker 1: about the cabbage plants. If you'll lend me your spade, father,
• 58:04
  Speaker 1: I might dig up a little this evening. I guess
• 58:07
  Speaker 1: you'd hardly be able to lift it, lad, it's too
• 58:09
  Speaker 1: heavy for you, Basil. The boy looked disappointed if I
• 58:14
  Speaker 1: hadn't promised to go into the village this evening, and
• 58:17
  Speaker 1: Jacob Green hesitated, I'll tell you what I'll do, boy,
• 58:21
  Speaker 1: I'll give you half an hour. At all events, Jacob
• 58:24
  Speaker 1: set to work and soon dug up a good piece
• 58:26
  Speaker 1: of the ground the children had cleared. He told Basil
• 58:29
  Speaker 1: they might set fire to the weeds they had collected.
• 58:32
  Speaker 1: This was fine fun. The boys called at a bonfire
• 58:35
  Speaker 1: and shouted in a hurrah as the smoke arose in
• 58:37
  Speaker 1: thick columns. The fire burned longer than was expected, and
• 58:40
  Speaker 1: by the time it had become nearly extinguished, Jacob found
• 58:43
  Speaker 1: it'd be almost too late to think of going to
• 58:45
  Speaker 1: the village, that he might as well make a good
• 58:47
  Speaker 1: evening's work of it whilst he was about it. So
• 58:50
  Speaker 1: before he left off, the whole piece of weeded ground
• 58:52
  Speaker 1: was well dug up, and Basil was happy to think
• 58:55
  Speaker 1: that the half moon would not have his father's company.
• 58:59
  Speaker 1: That night, Jacob had brought home the loaf as he
• 59:02
  Speaker 1: had promised, and they ate the remainder of the dripping
• 59:05
  Speaker 1: with it. What book is that? Yonder, said he as
• 59:09
  Speaker 1: he caught sight of the hymn book with its bright cover.
• 59:12
  Speaker 1: Miss Hamilton gave it to me, father, Shall I read
• 59:14
  Speaker 1: some of it to you? Jacob Green had never been
• 59:18
  Speaker 1: much of a scholar, and of late years had neglected
• 59:20
  Speaker 1: but little he ever did know. He felt rather proud,
• 59:24
  Speaker 1: though to think his son could read, and told him
• 59:26
  Speaker 1: he should like to hear some of his new book.
• 59:29
  Speaker 1: Basil had been studying the hymn Miss Hamilton had marked
• 59:32
  Speaker 1: for him, and was therefore able to read it quite
• 59:34
  Speaker 1: fluently from beginning to end. You're quite a scholar, Basil,
• 59:39
  Speaker 1: and I've no doubt you'll be a better man than
• 59:41
  Speaker 1: I am. Some of these days. I never took much
• 59:43
  Speaker 1: to learning when a boy, or I might have been
• 59:46
  Speaker 1: very different. Now I think I must try and let
• 59:48
  Speaker 1: you go to school regularly for a bit, if your
• 59:51
  Speaker 1: mother can spare you. Oh father, how good? Nay nay, Basil.
• 59:56
  Speaker 1: It's nothing but what I ought to do. Somehow, it
• 59:58
  Speaker 1: seems to me sometimes as if I had not done
• 1:00:01
  Speaker 1: all I should do for you all. I've been thinking
• 1:00:04
  Speaker 1: all about what your good friend, the woodman Yonder told
• 1:00:07
  Speaker 1: you yesterday, and I must say I should not be
• 1:00:10
  Speaker 1: sorry to hear he was coming to be our neighbor.
• 1:00:12
  Speaker 1: He might do us all good. There's your mother now,
• 1:00:16
  Speaker 1: but come, I won't say nothing against her. Maybe if
• 1:00:19
  Speaker 1: i'd been a different husband, she'd have been a different wife,
• 1:00:22
  Speaker 1: and you'd have a better home. Father. Miss Hamilton told
• 1:00:27
  Speaker 1: me it was never too late. To mend may be so, Basil,
• 1:00:31
  Speaker 1: But the longer you put it off, the harder it
• 1:00:33
  Speaker 1: is to do. God will help you, father, if you
• 1:00:37
  Speaker 1: ask him, so, they say, said Jacob, in a doubting voice.
• 1:00:42
  Speaker 1: I know he will, for he answered me yesterday, cried Basil, earnestly.
• 1:00:46
  Speaker 1: I prayed to him in the stubble field over against
• 1:00:48
  Speaker 1: the wood and begged him to help me. And he
• 1:00:50
  Speaker 1: sent me my good new friend, the woodman, to give
• 1:00:52
  Speaker 1: me some work and to keep me from stealing. And oh, father,
• 1:00:55
  Speaker 1: if you would only pray to God to keep you
• 1:00:57
  Speaker 1: from Basil colored hesitated. He had never before had the
• 1:01:02
  Speaker 1: courage to say so much to his father, and he
• 1:01:04
  Speaker 1: felt half afraid to go on. I know what you mean, lad,
• 1:01:09
  Speaker 1: You mean to keep me from spending my time and
• 1:01:11
  Speaker 1: money at the half Moon. I know it's wrong, Basil,
• 1:01:14
  Speaker 1: as well as you can tell me. I know that
• 1:01:16
  Speaker 1: if I had done different, your home would have been different.
• 1:01:19
  Speaker 1: I have earned enough to keep you all tidy and
• 1:01:21
  Speaker 1: to bring you up respectably. But when one's drink gets
• 1:01:24
  Speaker 1: hold of a man, Basil, he's a ruined man forever,
• 1:01:27
  Speaker 1: and he drags down his family to ruin with him.
• 1:01:31
  Speaker 1: Will you try once more. Father, We'll see, boy, we'll see.
• 1:01:37
  Speaker 1: This was Jacob Green's favorite saying, and it is a
• 1:01:40
  Speaker 1: very dangerous one. The habit of procrastination, or putting off
• 1:01:43
  Speaker 1: the performance of any known duty, is a sort of madness.
• 1:01:47
  Speaker 1: A Heathen poet tells us to dare to be wise
• 1:01:50
  Speaker 1: and to begin at once, and a celebrated English divine
• 1:01:53
  Speaker 1: says that to be always intending to live a new life,
• 1:01:56
  Speaker 1: but never to find time to set about it is
• 1:01:59
  Speaker 1: as if a man should put off eating and drinking
• 1:02:01
  Speaker 1: from one day to another till he is starved and destroyed.
• 1:02:06
  Speaker 1: Jacob did not allude to the subject any more that evening,
• 1:02:09
  Speaker 1: but he stayed at home and nursed the baby when
• 1:02:11
  Speaker 1: it was too dark to work in the garden, and
• 1:02:13
  Speaker 1: Basil felt hopeful as to the future, whilst he did
• 1:02:16
  Speaker 1: not forget to say his prayers before getting into bed
• 1:02:19
  Speaker 1: and to thank Almighty God for all his goodness to him.
• 1:02:21
  Speaker 1: That day, Jacob Green's work lay nearly four miles off,
• 1:02:26
  Speaker 1: so he was not able to do anything more to
• 1:02:28
  Speaker 1: the garden before leaving home the next morning, but he
• 1:02:31
  Speaker 1: called out to Basil as he was going out and
• 1:02:33
  Speaker 1: told him that if he and the little ones would
• 1:02:35
  Speaker 1: clear away the weeds in the other part of the
• 1:02:37
  Speaker 1: garden during the day. He would maybe dig a bit
• 1:02:41
  Speaker 1: more in the evening. All right, father, we'll get the
• 1:02:44
  Speaker 1: weeds up. Never fear, and don't forget Mother's coming home
• 1:02:47
  Speaker 1: tonight with dear little Annie. Father, I'll remember Basil, and
• 1:02:51
  Speaker 1: maybe I'll come home with him. As your mother asked me.
• 1:02:57
  Speaker 1: The one half of the garden looked so different to
• 1:02:59
  Speaker 1: the other that when Basil saw it that morning, he
• 1:03:01
  Speaker 1: wondered how he could have allowed the weeds to have
• 1:03:03
  Speaker 1: remained so long. But it is most true that use
• 1:03:06
  Speaker 1: makes us familiar with bad habits and vices, and that
• 1:03:10
  Speaker 1: by indulging in them, we not only ceased to condemn them,
• 1:03:13
  Speaker 1: but by degrees learned to look at them with complacency,
• 1:03:15
  Speaker 1: if not with pleasure. How needful then to pray for
• 1:03:19
  Speaker 1: grace to shun the very first beginning of evil. The
• 1:03:23
  Speaker 1: children worked hard that day. Baby was very good, and
• 1:03:27
  Speaker 1: Willie and Bobby amused her a great deal, leaving Basil
• 1:03:30
  Speaker 1: leisure to weed the garden. They had nearly finished it
• 1:03:33
  Speaker 1: by dinner time, and then Basil could not help being
• 1:03:35
  Speaker 1: struck with the look of the path leading up to
• 1:03:37
  Speaker 1: the cottage. It too was full of weeds. But whilst
• 1:03:41
  Speaker 1: the garden was so likewise it had passed unnoticed. Now
• 1:03:44
  Speaker 1: it looked so bad that Basil determined to weed that. Also.
• 1:03:48
  Speaker 1: He found an old knife, which helped him to get
• 1:03:50
  Speaker 1: up the weeds, which were more tightly rooted in the
• 1:03:52
  Speaker 1: walk than in the other part. When the walk was weeded,
• 1:03:56
  Speaker 1: it looked sadly as if it wanted sweeping. But Basil
• 1:03:59
  Speaker 1: had no broom. Necessity has been called the mother of invention.
• 1:04:04
  Speaker 1: He had never before felt the want of a broom,
• 1:04:06
  Speaker 1: and now that he did, he remembered having seen some
• 1:04:09
  Speaker 1: gypsies on the common making brooms of the branches of
• 1:04:13
  Speaker 1: the heath which grew plentifully all around the cottage. These
• 1:04:17
  Speaker 1: boughs of heath were tied firmly on the end of
• 1:04:19
  Speaker 1: a long stick, and made excellent brooms. Basil sent Willie
• 1:04:23
  Speaker 1: to gather a good bundle of heather. He would have
• 1:04:25
  Speaker 1: liked to go himself, knowing he could get it quicker
• 1:04:27
  Speaker 1: than Willywood, but he had promised his mother not to
• 1:04:30
  Speaker 1: leave the baby, and he kept his word. Willie was
• 1:04:34
  Speaker 1: not long, however, and when he came back, Basil made
• 1:04:36
  Speaker 1: a handle for the broom of one of the largest
• 1:04:38
  Speaker 1: pieces of his wood, and tied the heather on firmly
• 1:04:41
  Speaker 1: with some string. How proud Basil felt when he had
• 1:04:45
  Speaker 1: swept the path with a broom of his own making.
• 1:04:48
  Speaker 1: Bobby was going to litter it all over with leaves
• 1:04:51
  Speaker 1: and pebbles directly afterward, poor little fellow. He had never
• 1:04:55
  Speaker 1: been taught to be neat and tidy. But Basil asked
• 1:04:58
  Speaker 1: him not to do it in a kind and gen manner,
• 1:05:00
  Speaker 1: not at all angrily, and Bobby did as he was
• 1:05:03
  Speaker 1: bid at once. I want mother to see the pretty
• 1:05:07
  Speaker 1: clean path when she comes home, Bobby, said Basil. The
• 1:05:11
  Speaker 1: path looked so nice that Basil could scarcely keep from
• 1:05:14
  Speaker 1: admiring it. Somehow or other, the clean path made him
• 1:05:17
  Speaker 1: think of clean hands, and of what Miss Hamilton said
• 1:05:20
  Speaker 1: about everybody being able to have clean hands and face
• 1:05:23
  Speaker 1: if they could not always get good clothes. Basil got
• 1:05:27
  Speaker 1: a bowl of water and washed his hands and face,
• 1:05:29
  Speaker 1: and then he thought babies looked dirtier than ever, so
• 1:05:32
  Speaker 1: he washed hers also, though baby kicked and cried a
• 1:05:35
  Speaker 1: good deal at so unusual a proceeding. Then he made
• 1:05:40
  Speaker 1: Willie and Bobby and little Frank wash their hands and faces,
• 1:05:43
  Speaker 1: and I can assure you there was as much improvement
• 1:05:45
  Speaker 1: in the appearance of the children as there was in
• 1:05:47
  Speaker 1: the garden path. By that time, it was getting very
• 1:05:51
  Speaker 1: near the hour when they might expect their mother to
• 1:05:53
  Speaker 1: be coming home, and Basil thought they would have time
• 1:05:56
  Speaker 1: just to go as far as the mill pond and
• 1:05:58
  Speaker 1: meet the carrier's cart. So he carefully locked the door
• 1:06:02
  Speaker 1: of the cottage, put the key in a little hole
• 1:06:05
  Speaker 1: under the thatch, and taking the baby in his arms,
• 1:06:08
  Speaker 1: set out, followed by his three little brothers. When they
• 1:06:12
  Speaker 1: got to the mill pond, the carrier had not yet arrived.
• 1:06:15
  Speaker 1: So the children stood watching the great wheel going round,
• 1:06:18
  Speaker 1: splash splash in the water, and Bobby asked Basil what
• 1:06:22
  Speaker 1: it went round so for, and Basil told him that
• 1:06:24
  Speaker 1: it turned a mill which ground wheat into flour. Then
• 1:06:28
  Speaker 1: they saw some of the miller's men come out from
• 1:06:30
  Speaker 1: the house, and they looked quite white with a flower,
• 1:06:33
  Speaker 1: and the little ones laughed to see them. There's old
• 1:06:38
  Speaker 1: Giles coming along. I can hear him talking to his horse,
• 1:06:41
  Speaker 1: and I can hear the bells ringing too. I wonder
• 1:06:44
  Speaker 1: if father will be there. The carrier's cart had a
• 1:06:48
  Speaker 1: tilt to it to keep out the rain, and there
• 1:06:50
  Speaker 1: were three bells on the horse's neck, which jingled pleasantly
• 1:06:53
  Speaker 1: as he went along. Soon the cart was in sight,
• 1:06:57
  Speaker 1: jogging along at a leisurely pace, and now ba strained
• 1:07:00
  Speaker 1: his eyes to see who was in it. Missus Green
• 1:07:04
  Speaker 1: was the first to recognize the group at the mill pond,
• 1:07:06
  Speaker 1: and waved a handkerchief to them. That's mother's handkerchief, said Willie.
• 1:07:10
  Speaker 1: And there's mother herself sitting by Giles, and there's little
• 1:07:13
  Speaker 1: Annie on her lap, and there's I don't see any
• 1:07:18
  Speaker 1: one else, Basil, But Basil did He saw the sleeve
• 1:07:22
  Speaker 1: of his father's working jacket showing just above his mother's shoulder.
• 1:07:27
  Speaker 1: Let's give a good hurrah, Willy said he. The children
• 1:07:30
  Speaker 1: shouted with all their might. Then the cart stopped, and
• 1:07:33
  Speaker 1: the carrier helped Missus Green down, and then lifted out
• 1:07:36
  Speaker 1: little Annie, and lastly Jacob himself got out with his tools.
• 1:07:41
  Speaker 1: Dear Annie, cried Basil as he kissed her. How much
• 1:07:44
  Speaker 1: better you look. She can walk a little now, Basil,
• 1:07:47
  Speaker 1: said her mother. But she mustn't walk home, though, said Jacob, kindly,
• 1:07:51
  Speaker 1: lifting her in his arms. Then they walked home afterward,
• 1:07:56
  Speaker 1: and Annie kept talking to Basil over her father's shoulder.
• 1:08:00
  Speaker 1: Basil was all anxiety to see what his mother would
• 1:08:03
  Speaker 1: say to the garden. Missus Green could scarcely believe her eyes.
• 1:08:08
  Speaker 1: I'd better go away again, she said, smiling, since you
• 1:08:11
  Speaker 1: have done so much whilst I was gone. Why, Basil,
• 1:08:15
  Speaker 1: the garden path look's just as nice as Aunt Mary
• 1:08:18
  Speaker 1: said Annie. Well done, boy, said his father. Now I
• 1:08:22
  Speaker 1: must keep my promise, and Jacob Green did not go
• 1:08:25
  Speaker 1: near the half moon that evening. Missus Green's sister had
• 1:08:29
  Speaker 1: given her a nice home made loaf and some eggs,
• 1:08:32
  Speaker 1: and part of the half crown had been expended on
• 1:08:35
  Speaker 1: an ounce of tea and a little sugar. So the
• 1:08:38
  Speaker 1: family set down to a comfortable meal, and Jacob finished
• 1:08:41
  Speaker 1: digging the other half of the garden before he went
• 1:08:43
  Speaker 1: to bed. End of chapter four Chapter five of Basil
• 1:08:54
  Speaker 1: Or Honesty and Industry. This is a LibriVox recording. All
• 1:08:59
  Speaker 1: Librivo box recordings are in the public domain. For more
• 1:09:02
  Speaker 1: information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording
• 1:09:08
  Speaker 1: by Robert Hard Basil Or Honesty and Industry by C. G.
• 1:09:14
  Speaker 1: O'Brien chapter five, A blessed change. Little Annie's visit to
• 1:09:21
  Speaker 1: West Bay was made through God's blessing the means of
• 1:09:24
  Speaker 1: doing good to others besides herself. Missus Green's sister, who
• 1:09:28
  Speaker 1: had so kindly taken charge of the lame child for
• 1:09:31
  Speaker 1: a month, was a truly pious woman and was married
• 1:09:34
  Speaker 1: to a very respectable man who was also a sincere Christian.
• 1:09:39
  Speaker 1: Missus Morris, for that was her name, had not seen
• 1:09:42
  Speaker 1: her sister before for many years. She had a large
• 1:09:45
  Speaker 1: family of her own to look after, and seldom left
• 1:09:47
  Speaker 1: her home happening. However, to hear of Annie's lameness, she
• 1:09:52
  Speaker 1: wrote with her husband's consent to her sister, saying she
• 1:09:55
  Speaker 1: should be happy to take care of the little girl
• 1:09:57
  Speaker 1: for a month and give her the advantage of sea bathing.
• 1:10:01
  Speaker 1: So Annie had been sent to West Bay under the
• 1:10:03
  Speaker 1: charge of the carrier, and Missus Green had not seen
• 1:10:06
  Speaker 1: her sister until she went to fetch her child home
• 1:10:08
  Speaker 1: and to thank the Morrises for all their kindness to her.
• 1:10:12
  Speaker 1: She found there a very different home to the one
• 1:10:14
  Speaker 1: she had left. It was not that Morris earned much
• 1:10:17
  Speaker 1: more than Jacob did, but whereas the latter spent at
• 1:10:20
  Speaker 1: least half his gains at the public house. Frank Morris,
• 1:10:23
  Speaker 1: on the contrary, never entered one. His cottage was a
• 1:10:27
  Speaker 1: pattern of neatness and order. His garden was the admiration
• 1:10:30
  Speaker 1: of the neighborhood, and he frequently gained prizes for his
• 1:10:33
  Speaker 1: fruit and vegetables at the cottager's Show, which took place
• 1:10:37
  Speaker 1: annually at West Bay. Frank and his wife had seven children,
• 1:10:41
  Speaker 1: whilst the Greens had only five. But there could not
• 1:10:43
  Speaker 1: possibly be a greater contrast than there was in the
• 1:10:46
  Speaker 1: appearance of the two families. The young Morrises were always
• 1:10:50
  Speaker 1: neatly and comfortably dressed, and were taught to take care
• 1:10:53
  Speaker 1: of their clothes. Missus Morris herself was a pattern of
• 1:10:56
  Speaker 1: neatness in her dress, never having anything approaching to finery,
• 1:11:00
  Speaker 1: but always looking tidy and respectable. Five out of the
• 1:11:04
  Speaker 1: seven children went to school, the two elder only to
• 1:11:06
  Speaker 1: an evening one, as they were already beginning to earn
• 1:11:09
  Speaker 1: something toward their support. They were both boys. One assisted
• 1:11:14
  Speaker 1: his father, who was a journeyman carpenter, and the other
• 1:11:17
  Speaker 1: worked for a miller in the town. The third child
• 1:11:20
  Speaker 1: was a girl and was quite her mother's right hand.
• 1:11:22
  Speaker 1: People used to say, you are a lucky woman, Missus Morris,
• 1:11:26
  Speaker 1: to have such a girl as you are, Lucy. But
• 1:11:29
  Speaker 1: whenever Frank heard such remarks, he always said, it's her
• 1:11:32
  Speaker 1: mother who has made her what she is. Their cottage
• 1:11:36
  Speaker 1: was neatly furnished, everything very plain and very good, and
• 1:11:40
  Speaker 1: to poor little Annie, who had been used to her
• 1:11:42
  Speaker 1: dreary home, it seemed like going into a palace. Her
• 1:11:46
  Speaker 1: aunt was surprised to see how poorly the child was dressed,
• 1:11:49
  Speaker 1: and soon discovered the way in which she had been
• 1:11:51
  Speaker 1: accustomed to live. The child was very teachable, and very
• 1:11:55
  Speaker 1: soon got into her cousin's tidy ways, and Missus Morris
• 1:11:59
  Speaker 1: made her a set of eat clothes out of some
• 1:12:01
  Speaker 1: of her own children's things. She was most anxious her
• 1:12:05
  Speaker 1: sister should come and fetch any home, in order that
• 1:12:07
  Speaker 1: she might have a little conversation with her about her family.
• 1:12:11
  Speaker 1: She wrote therefore begging her to come, if only for
• 1:12:13
  Speaker 1: one night, And that was how Missus Green came to
• 1:12:16
  Speaker 1: go to West Bay. There was, if possible, a greater
• 1:12:20
  Speaker 1: contrast between the appearance of the sisters themselves than between
• 1:12:24
  Speaker 1: their children. Missus Morris, although several years older than Missus Green,
• 1:12:30
  Speaker 1: looked five or six years younger, and had such a sunny,
• 1:12:32
  Speaker 1: happy expression of countenance that it did one good to
• 1:12:35
  Speaker 1: look at her. We have before described poor Missus Green's
• 1:12:39
  Speaker 1: care worn and untidy appearance. Well, said Annie's mother, as
• 1:12:44
  Speaker 1: she sat by the fire and joined a good cup
• 1:12:46
  Speaker 1: of tea on the evening of her arrival at West Bay.
• 1:12:49
  Speaker 1: I'm sure I cannot think how you have contrived to
• 1:12:51
  Speaker 1: get all these comforts about you, Mary. Why we've hardly
• 1:12:54
  Speaker 1: got a stick at home that's worth anything. And as
• 1:12:57
  Speaker 1: to buying clothes for the children, she added, she looked
• 1:13:00
  Speaker 1: at her nephew's comfortable pinafores and good boots. Why it's
• 1:13:03
  Speaker 1: more than I can do to find food for them,
• 1:13:05
  Speaker 1: much less clothed them. But there's one thing, said she sadly,
• 1:13:10
  Speaker 1: and that is I suppose Frank is a steady man.
• 1:13:13
  Speaker 1: I only wish Jacob was. Frank not only never enters
• 1:13:18
  Speaker 1: a public house, said missus Morris, But we have both
• 1:13:21
  Speaker 1: joined the Temperance Society. It is now more than three
• 1:13:24
  Speaker 1: years since either of us took a drop of beer.
• 1:13:26
  Speaker 1: We are both better in health since we left it
• 1:13:28
  Speaker 1: off and we reckon. We have saved nearly twenty pounds.
• 1:13:32
  Speaker 1: And it was setting such a bad example to the
• 1:13:34
  Speaker 1: young ones. Of course, as they grow up they want
• 1:13:37
  Speaker 1: to do what their parents do. And Frank said he
• 1:13:39
  Speaker 1: should never have forgiven himself if he had led the
• 1:13:42
  Speaker 1: way to his son's frequenting the ale house. You're very
• 1:13:46
  Speaker 1: fortunate in having such a husband, That's all I can say,
• 1:13:49
  Speaker 1: said missus Green. But don't you think it may be
• 1:13:52
  Speaker 1: partly your own fault that Jacob is unsteady, suggested her sister.
• 1:13:57
  Speaker 1: It is unreasonable to expect a man to be sober
• 1:13:59
  Speaker 1: and keep to his home if that home is not
• 1:14:01
  Speaker 1: made comfortable for him. I have frequently felt very tired
• 1:14:05
  Speaker 1: after a hard day's washing, for instance, and more inclined
• 1:14:09
  Speaker 1: to lie down and rest myself than to tidy up
• 1:14:11
  Speaker 1: the place. But then I have thought that many and
• 1:14:14
  Speaker 1: many a man has been driven to the public house
• 1:14:16
  Speaker 1: by not having a clean hearth and a cheerful fire
• 1:14:19
  Speaker 1: to sit by when he comes home tired. So I
• 1:14:21
  Speaker 1: have bestirred myself and got all straight and comfortable for him,
• 1:14:25
  Speaker 1: and I have had my reward, continued she for a
• 1:14:28
  Speaker 1: better and a kinder husband never lived. I may have
• 1:14:33
  Speaker 1: been in the wrong, Mary, said her sister, honestly, and
• 1:14:36
  Speaker 1: I believe now I have been, for when I was
• 1:14:38
  Speaker 1: first married, I was very giddy and fond of visiting
• 1:14:41
  Speaker 1: about amongst the neighbors. And it was then that Jacob
• 1:14:44
  Speaker 1: took to drinking. So yes, dear, said missus Morris kindly.
• 1:14:49
  Speaker 1: And then instead of making a great effort in praying
• 1:14:51
  Speaker 1: to God to help you to reclaim your husband, you
• 1:14:54
  Speaker 1: let bad go on to worse than everything went wrong.
• 1:14:58
  Speaker 1: Why I remember when you were one of the smartest,
• 1:15:01
  Speaker 1: healthiest looking girls in the place, Jane. And now I
• 1:15:06
  Speaker 1: know it all, said missus Green, with tears in her eyes.
• 1:15:08
  Speaker 1: I know and see now the difference there is between us, Mary,
• 1:15:12
  Speaker 1: And if I had my life to go over again,
• 1:15:14
  Speaker 1: I might perhaps do better. As it is, my sister,
• 1:15:18
  Speaker 1: it is never too late to mend, said Mary Morris
• 1:15:21
  Speaker 1: in an encouraging tone. Begin at once when you go home,
• 1:15:26
  Speaker 1: try and keep yourself neat and clean. However poor one's
• 1:15:29
  Speaker 1: clothes are, they can be kept mended and clean. And
• 1:15:32
  Speaker 1: as my good mistress used to say to me before
• 1:15:34
  Speaker 1: I was married, always let your husband see you neat
• 1:15:37
  Speaker 1: and tidy. Mary. It is a poor compliment to a
• 1:15:40
  Speaker 1: man to let him see that you take no trouble
• 1:15:42
  Speaker 1: about your appearance. There is a wide difference between being
• 1:15:46
  Speaker 1: fond of dress and being anxious to appear neat and respectable.
• 1:15:51
  Speaker 1: When Frank and his two sons came home from work,
• 1:15:53
  Speaker 1: they all three went upstairs and washed their hands and
• 1:15:55
  Speaker 1: faces before they set down to tea, and when the
• 1:15:58
  Speaker 1: meal was finished, though children who had lessons to prepare,
• 1:16:01
  Speaker 1: did so. Whilst the little ones sat on their father's knee,
• 1:16:05
  Speaker 1: The two sisters had a long talk over old times,
• 1:16:08
  Speaker 1: and Missus Morris took every opportunity of giving her friendly advice,
• 1:16:12
  Speaker 1: whilst Frank occasionally put in a word of encouragement. I
• 1:16:17
  Speaker 1: don't know what I might have been, Missus Green, had
• 1:16:20
  Speaker 1: not God given me so good a helpmate. Most truly,
• 1:16:23
  Speaker 1: does the Bible say her value is far above Ruby's.
• 1:16:27
  Speaker 1: The family retired to rest very early, but previous to
• 1:16:30
  Speaker 1: doing so, Frank read a chapter out of his mother's
• 1:16:33
  Speaker 1: Great Family Bible and then offered up a simple prayer.
• 1:16:37
  Speaker 1: The little ones had each said a short prayer before
• 1:16:39
  Speaker 1: going to bed. Does Jacob reed to you in the evening,
• 1:16:43
  Speaker 1: asked Mary of her sister, as she was showing her
• 1:16:46
  Speaker 1: into her neat bedroom. No, No, said Missus Green. With
• 1:16:51
  Speaker 1: tears in her eyes. But it has been as much
• 1:16:53
  Speaker 1: my fault as his. If we neglect to ask for
• 1:16:57
  Speaker 1: God's blessing, how can we expect to prosper? Missus Morris gravely, Oh,
• 1:17:02
  Speaker 1: my dear sister, be warned in time. Think that it
• 1:17:05
  Speaker 1: is not only your own and your husband's souls which
• 1:17:07
  Speaker 1: are in peril, but those young souls entrusted to you
• 1:17:10
  Speaker 1: by God. How can your children do well when you
• 1:17:13
  Speaker 1: do not train them in the fear of God? Missus
• 1:17:17
  Speaker 1: Green promised to do her best to mend matters and
• 1:17:20
  Speaker 1: to endeavor to win her husband back from his unsteady ways,
• 1:17:23
  Speaker 1: And before leaving West Bay in the morning, which she
• 1:17:26
  Speaker 1: had to do very early, as it was a long
• 1:17:28
  Speaker 1: journey to her home, her sister gave her one of
• 1:17:31
  Speaker 1: her good cotton dresses, which, as the sisters were nearly
• 1:17:34
  Speaker 1: of a size, would be sure to fit her, and
• 1:17:36
  Speaker 1: also a nice warm shawl. We have already said that
• 1:17:40
  Speaker 1: little Annie was likewise neatly dressed by her kind aunt.
• 1:17:44
  Speaker 1: Missus Morris saw her sister off by the carrier, and
• 1:17:47
  Speaker 1: Frank put into her hands at parting the basket with
• 1:17:50
  Speaker 1: the homemade bread and fresh eggs, which we have already mentioned.
• 1:17:54
  Speaker 1: Missus Green's house had never appeared so wretched to her
• 1:17:57
  Speaker 1: as it did when coming direct from her sister's comfortable cups.
• 1:18:01
  Speaker 1: She availed herself of Basil's broom to sweep up the kitchen,
• 1:18:04
  Speaker 1: and when her husband came in from his digging, the
• 1:18:07
  Speaker 1: place certainly did look somewhat tidier than usual. Jacob was
• 1:18:11
  Speaker 1: also in a much better humor than usual. He gave
• 1:18:14
  Speaker 1: his wife five shillings, and Basil was dispatched to the
• 1:18:16
  Speaker 1: shop in the village to purchase a small bit of
• 1:18:18
  Speaker 1: bacon and a few necessaries. The little ones were in bed,
• 1:18:22
  Speaker 1: and Basil gone to the shop, and the husband and
• 1:18:25
  Speaker 1: wife sat alone by there for once clean hearth. Annie
• 1:18:30
  Speaker 1: seems much better, wife, said Jacob. I'm sure we have
• 1:18:33
  Speaker 1: reason to be much obliged to your sister and her husband.
• 1:18:38
  Speaker 1: She is very much better. The doctor at West Bay,
• 1:18:40
  Speaker 1: to whom Mary took her, said that he thought she
• 1:18:42
  Speaker 1: might in time get well, but that she must have
• 1:18:45
  Speaker 1: nourishing food. We must get her some milk regularly from
• 1:18:50
  Speaker 1: the farm. I should like to do so, Jacob, I'm sure,
• 1:18:54
  Speaker 1: but I fear we can't afford it. We'll try, Wife
• 1:18:58
  Speaker 1: We'll try, said her usband kindly. And I will try,
• 1:19:03
  Speaker 1: with God's blessing, to be a better wife than I
• 1:19:05
  Speaker 1: have been sobbed missus Green, I've very much to answer for, Jacob,
• 1:19:09
  Speaker 1: I know, she continued. I never tried to make your
• 1:19:12
  Speaker 1: home comfortable for you, as Mary has done for Frank.
• 1:19:15
  Speaker 1: And what is the consequence. We have both of us
• 1:19:19
  Speaker 1: to blame, Jane, and we must thank God that we
• 1:19:22
  Speaker 1: are brought to see it. Ere it be too late.
• 1:19:24
  Speaker 1: I might have been very differently circumstanced had I been steadier.
• 1:19:28
  Speaker 1: I have thought much about it the last few days,
• 1:19:30
  Speaker 1: and I don't see but what it may be yet
• 1:19:32
  Speaker 1: time to pull up a bit. It will be God
• 1:19:35
  Speaker 1: alone who enables me to do it. For when one's
• 1:19:37
  Speaker 1: drink has got hold of a man, Oh, wife, Wife,
• 1:19:41
  Speaker 1: what a lesson couldn't I read to any young man
• 1:19:44
  Speaker 1: just beginning life. Once give way to hard drink, and
• 1:19:47
  Speaker 1: you put yourself in the power of an enemy who
• 1:19:49
  Speaker 1: will never let you go. Never, Wife, Never, don't say so, Jacob,
• 1:19:55
  Speaker 1: don't say so, Mary was saying last night. It's never
• 1:19:58
  Speaker 1: too late to mend. That's what Miss Hamilton was saying
• 1:20:02
  Speaker 1: to our boy yesterday. Wife We'll let Basil go to
• 1:20:04
  Speaker 1: school tomorrow, and maybe we'll be able to send him
• 1:20:07
  Speaker 1: a little on week days for a bit. I think
• 1:20:10
  Speaker 1: the lad would soon be quite a scholarlike and it's
• 1:20:12
  Speaker 1: a pity to keep him back when it seems to
• 1:20:14
  Speaker 1: come so natural to him. Missus Green then told her
• 1:20:18
  Speaker 1: husband all about her little nephews, what good boys they were,
• 1:20:22
  Speaker 1: and how greatly they helped their parents, and Basil would
• 1:20:26
  Speaker 1: be like them, wife, if we had taken the same
• 1:20:28
  Speaker 1: pains with him. I never seemed to feel the harm
• 1:20:31
  Speaker 1: we were doing him until the other day when he
• 1:20:33
  Speaker 1: brought home that bundle of wood. It seemed such a
• 1:20:36
  Speaker 1: relief to find he had not stolen it. That's just
• 1:20:40
  Speaker 1: how I felt, said Missus Green. And I'm sure God
• 1:20:42
  Speaker 1: must have put it in my heart to do so,
• 1:20:44
  Speaker 1: for I never felt so before. I remember an old
• 1:20:47
  Speaker 1: mistress of mine once used to talk of the finger
• 1:20:50
  Speaker 1: of Providence. I'm sure it has been pointing to us
• 1:20:53
  Speaker 1: the last few days, Jacob. First there is Basil being
• 1:20:57
  Speaker 1: kept from stealing that wood. Then my scene Mary's home
• 1:21:01
  Speaker 1: so different from what ours is, and the miss Hamilton
• 1:21:04
  Speaker 1: coming to ask us to let the children go to school.
• 1:21:07
  Speaker 1: It seems just as if God was calling us in
• 1:21:09
  Speaker 1: all manner of ways, and it will be our fault
• 1:21:13
  Speaker 1: if we don't listen. Wife. When Basil came home with
• 1:21:16
  Speaker 1: his basket full of purchases, he found his father and
• 1:21:19
  Speaker 1: mother sitting cozily by the fire and looking happier than
• 1:21:22
  Speaker 1: he had ever seen them before. They told me down
• 1:21:26
  Speaker 1: at the shop, father that mister Stewart was going to
• 1:21:29
  Speaker 1: hire a dozen boys on Monday next to work on
• 1:21:31
  Speaker 1: his farm, and that I must be early at Woodside
• 1:21:33
  Speaker 1: if I wished to be one of them. You'll be
• 1:21:37
  Speaker 1: able to be there as early as any, Basil, said
• 1:21:39
  Speaker 1: his mother. And thank God, you can go with a
• 1:21:41
  Speaker 1: clear conscience. Yes, mother, And if I can only see
• 1:21:45
  Speaker 1: my good friend the woodman, he will give me a
• 1:21:47
  Speaker 1: good word, I know, and you'll go to the Sunday
• 1:21:50
  Speaker 1: school tomorrow, Basil. Oh, Yes, said the boy, as he
• 1:21:53
  Speaker 1: wished his parents good night and went to bed with
• 1:21:55
  Speaker 1: a light and grateful heart. Jacob and his wife sat
• 1:21:59
  Speaker 1: talking long after the fire had gone out. This spell
• 1:22:02
  Speaker 1: seemed broken that had so long estranged them from each other,
• 1:22:06
  Speaker 1: and once having made up their minds through God's grace,
• 1:22:08
  Speaker 1: to endeavor to live new lives. They seemed as if
• 1:22:11
  Speaker 1: they could never have done talking about it. I think
• 1:22:15
  Speaker 1: even the little change to West Bay has done you,
• 1:22:17
  Speaker 1: good wife. You look quite as you used to do tonight.
• 1:22:22
  Speaker 1: The change is in our hearts, Jacob, and let us
• 1:22:25
  Speaker 1: bless God for it, said Missus Green as she pressed
• 1:22:28
  Speaker 1: her husband's hand. End of chapter five Chapter six of
• 1:22:38
  Speaker 1: Basil Or Honesty and Industry. This is a LibriVox recording.
• 1:22:44
  Speaker 1: All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
• 1:22:47
  Speaker 1: information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording
• 1:22:53
  Speaker 1: by Robert Harder. Basil or Honesty and Industry by C. G. O'Brien.
• 1:23:00
  Speaker 1: Chapter six A sabbath well spent. Basil was up very
• 1:23:06
  Speaker 1: early the next morning and had lighted the fire before
• 1:23:09
  Speaker 1: his mother, who was rather tired from the effects of
• 1:23:12
  Speaker 1: her journey, came downstairs. She had been working too rather
• 1:23:16
  Speaker 1: late the night before, and had patched up Basil's clothes
• 1:23:19
  Speaker 1: after he had gone to bed, in order that he
• 1:23:21
  Speaker 1: might look a little decent to go to the Sunday school.
• 1:23:25
  Speaker 1: Her sister had put into the bundle a pair of
• 1:23:26
  Speaker 1: boots which her second boy had outgrown, and they had
• 1:23:29
  Speaker 1: just happened to fit Basil as if they had been
• 1:23:31
  Speaker 1: made for him, so that when his hands and face
• 1:23:34
  Speaker 1: were well washed and his hair was well brushed, he
• 1:23:37
  Speaker 1: looked quite a tidy, respectable boy. Basil don't look as
• 1:23:41
  Speaker 1: nice as cousins do when they have to go to school,
• 1:23:44
  Speaker 1: said little Annie. They have always nice, clean pinafores on
• 1:23:48
  Speaker 1: and a black bag to carry their books in. I
• 1:23:51
  Speaker 1: hope Basil will have pinafore by next Sunday, said his mother.
• 1:23:55
  Speaker 1: I wish I could go to school too, Mother, you're
• 1:23:58
  Speaker 1: not strong enough to walk so far yet. Awhile Annie,
• 1:24:02
  Speaker 1: Aunt Mary has a pretty little cart, all painted green,
• 1:24:05
  Speaker 1: and cousin Frank draws Nellie to school in it, said Annie,
• 1:24:08
  Speaker 1: rather discontentedly. Your aunt and cousins have many things that
• 1:24:12
  Speaker 1: we have, not, replied her mother. Maybe we shall be
• 1:24:16
  Speaker 1: better off some day, Annie, but you mustn't begin to
• 1:24:18
  Speaker 1: grumble now you're come home. I won't, mother, I won't, indeed,
• 1:24:23
  Speaker 1: cried the little girl. And I will try not to
• 1:24:25
  Speaker 1: be thinking about what my cousins have. Some day, we'll
• 1:24:28
  Speaker 1: see if we can't make you a little green cart
• 1:24:30
  Speaker 1: to go to school. And Annie said her father, who
• 1:24:33
  Speaker 1: had been listening to the conversation, Oh father, and the
• 1:24:37
  Speaker 1: little rainbow face looked up with a bright, happy smile.
• 1:24:41
  Speaker 1: And if you'd like to go to church this morning,
• 1:24:42
  Speaker 1: wife continued, he I will look after the young uns.
• 1:24:46
  Speaker 1: I think I'd rather wait till next Sunday. Jacob, thank
• 1:24:48
  Speaker 1: you all the same. But you will go, won't you?
• 1:24:51
  Speaker 1: Added she persuasively. I'm afraid I'm hardly decent enough, said Jacob,
• 1:24:56
  Speaker 1: looking down at his clothes, which were certainly anything but clean.
• 1:25:01
  Speaker 1: He sha'n't be another Sunday with such dirty things, said
• 1:25:03
  Speaker 1: his wife. It's all my fault, Jacob. But miss Hamilton,
• 1:25:08
  Speaker 1: said father, that our shabby clothes did not so much
• 1:25:10
  Speaker 1: matter as long as our hands and face were clean.
• 1:25:14
  Speaker 1: I'll go, said Jacob with a determined voice. God knows
• 1:25:17
  Speaker 1: I've done many things lately. I had more reason to
• 1:25:19
  Speaker 1: be ashamed of than going to God's house in shabby clothes.
• 1:25:23
  Speaker 1: I'll go, wife. Basil set off to school with a
• 1:25:26
  Speaker 1: light heart when all thy mercies, O, My God, my
• 1:25:31
  Speaker 1: rising soul surveys transported with the view I'm lost in wonder,
• 1:25:36
  Speaker 1: love and praise. Basil had never heard that beautiful hymn,
• 1:25:41
  Speaker 1: but the thoughts expressed in it passed through his mind
• 1:25:44
  Speaker 1: as he walked along through the pleasant lanes on that
• 1:25:46
  Speaker 1: bright and peaceful sabbath. He was almost afraid he should
• 1:25:50
  Speaker 1: be late, and was glad when he had ascended a
• 1:25:52
  Speaker 1: hilly part of the road, from whence the schoolhouse was
• 1:25:55
  Speaker 1: visible to see a number of children going toward it
• 1:25:58
  Speaker 1: from different directions. Then he knew he was in good time. Beechgrove,
• 1:26:03
  Speaker 1: the name of the house where mister Hamilton lived, was
• 1:26:06
  Speaker 1: situated on the hillside very near the church and schoolhouse,
• 1:26:10
  Speaker 1: and as Basile passed the lodge gate, he saw a
• 1:26:13
  Speaker 1: young lady walking on a short distance before him, who
• 1:26:16
  Speaker 1: he fancied might be miss Hamilton. Although she looked very
• 1:26:18
  Speaker 1: different in a bonnet to what she had done in
• 1:26:21
  Speaker 1: her writing dress. He was quite right in his conjecture,
• 1:26:25
  Speaker 1: for when he entered the schoolroom she had just taken
• 1:26:27
  Speaker 1: her seat. She welcomed Basil with a kind smile. I
• 1:26:32
  Speaker 1: am very glad to see you, Basil, she said, pointing
• 1:26:35
  Speaker 1: to a seat on a form close by her. Mister Norton,
• 1:26:39
  Speaker 1: the clergyman, also spoke a few kind words to Basle
• 1:26:42
  Speaker 1: and said he hoped he would now be more regular
• 1:26:44
  Speaker 1: in his attendants. I hope so, sir, said Basil. I
• 1:26:48
  Speaker 1: will try to be so. Miss Hamilton had not more
• 1:26:52
  Speaker 1: than six or seven boys in her class, but she
• 1:26:55
  Speaker 1: hoped to have a larger number by the following Sunday.
• 1:26:58
  Speaker 1: She had given them all the same hymn to learn
• 1:27:00
  Speaker 1: for her, and was pleased to find that Basil had
• 1:27:02
  Speaker 1: learned two verses quite perfectly. She gave him a neat
• 1:27:06
  Speaker 1: Bible and told him she would bring him a piece
• 1:27:08
  Speaker 1: of stuff when she came to his cottage in the week,
• 1:27:12
  Speaker 1: for his mother to make him a bag in which
• 1:27:13
  Speaker 1: to keep his books. I shall expect to see them
• 1:27:17
  Speaker 1: quite clean, Basil, and free from dog's ears, she said.
• 1:27:22
  Speaker 1: She then read to the boys the eighth chapter of
• 1:27:24
  Speaker 1: Saint Matthew, and dwelt particularly upon that portion of it,
• 1:27:28
  Speaker 1: commencing at the twenty third verse, where a great storm
• 1:27:31
  Speaker 1: at sea is described, and where the disciples awoke our
• 1:27:35
  Speaker 1: Savior saying, save Lord, we perish. And then she pointed
• 1:27:39
  Speaker 1: out the loving kindness and gentleness of Jesus Christ, who,
• 1:27:43
  Speaker 1: instead of being angry with his disciple's want of faith,
• 1:27:46
  Speaker 1: listened to their prayer and calmed the raging of the tempest.
• 1:27:50
  Speaker 1: Why are ye fearful, O, ye of little faith, he
• 1:27:53
  Speaker 1: said to them, more in sorrow than in anger. Just
• 1:27:57
  Speaker 1: so continued Miss Hamilton, like as a father pityth his children,
• 1:28:01
  Speaker 1: So the Lord will look with pity on our weakness
• 1:28:03
  Speaker 1: and help us in all our dangers. To be acquainted
• 1:28:06
  Speaker 1: with our own weakness. To distrust our own power of
• 1:28:10
  Speaker 1: standing upright is one great help in the right way.
• 1:28:13
  Speaker 1: For when we feel ourselves so very weak, what does
• 1:28:16
  Speaker 1: it naturally make us incline to do? To pray to
• 1:28:21
  Speaker 1: God to make us strong? Ma'am, said Basil, as the
• 1:28:24
  Speaker 1: events of the past week came into his mind. Quite right, Basil,
• 1:28:28
  Speaker 1: and what assurance have we that God will hear us
• 1:28:30
  Speaker 1: when we call upon him? Can any boy give me
• 1:28:33
  Speaker 1: a text, ask and it shall be given. You seek
• 1:28:38
  Speaker 1: and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened
• 1:28:40
  Speaker 1: unto you, said little Robert Allen, a boy of ten years.
• 1:28:46
  Speaker 1: Call upon me in the day of trouble, and I
• 1:28:48
  Speaker 1: will deliver thee, said another. Will God always answer our prayers?
• 1:28:52
  Speaker 1: Ma'am asked Basil. That will depend very much on whether
• 1:28:57
  Speaker 1: we ask such things as please him or such things
• 1:29:00
  Speaker 1: as will be good for us to have granted. You
• 1:29:03
  Speaker 1: boys might ask your parents for many things which they
• 1:29:05
  Speaker 1: might know would not be proper or good for you
• 1:29:07
  Speaker 1: to have, and they would consequently refuse your request. We
• 1:29:12
  Speaker 1: ought to feel that God will always answer our petitions
• 1:29:14
  Speaker 1: when it is good for us. Is it right to
• 1:29:18
  Speaker 1: pray to be rich? Asked Basil. I don't think it
• 1:29:22
  Speaker 1: is right to wish very much to be rich, answered
• 1:29:24
  Speaker 1: Miss Hamilton, and therefore I don't think it would be
• 1:29:27
  Speaker 1: right to pray for it. I once read that it
• 1:29:31
  Speaker 1: would be a good way to prove whether our wishes
• 1:29:33
  Speaker 1: were right or wrong, to think whether they would bear
• 1:29:36
  Speaker 1: to be turned into prayers. I mean that we should
• 1:29:39
  Speaker 1: then find that we ought not to desire very much,
• 1:29:42
  Speaker 1: but we dare not pray for You know, the wise
• 1:29:45
  Speaker 1: man says, give me neither poverty nor riches. God could
• 1:29:49
  Speaker 1: have made you rich if it had been good for you.
• 1:29:52
  Speaker 1: I think one of our prayers to God ought to
• 1:29:54
  Speaker 1: be similar to the petition the apostles made to our
• 1:29:56
  Speaker 1: Lord upon the earth Lord. Teach us to pray, and
• 1:30:00
  Speaker 1: then we should be sure to pray right if God
• 1:30:03
  Speaker 1: taught us, shouldn't we, ma'am? Said Robert? Yes, Robert, can
• 1:30:07
  Speaker 1: anyone give me an example of a prayer that pleased God.
• 1:30:11
  Speaker 1: Was it Solomon's prayer, ma'am? It was when Solomon became king,
• 1:30:16
  Speaker 1: he prayed to God for wisdom to rule his kingdom rightly.
• 1:30:20
  Speaker 1: And God heard his prayer and said to him, because
• 1:30:23
  Speaker 1: thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for
• 1:30:26
  Speaker 1: thyself long life, neither hast asked riches for thyself, Lo,
• 1:30:31
  Speaker 1: I have done according to thy words. I have given
• 1:30:33
  Speaker 1: THEE a wise and an understanding heart. I have also
• 1:30:37
  Speaker 1: given thee what thou hast not asked, both riches and honor.
• 1:30:41
  Speaker 1: I think we may learn from this example, Basil, what
• 1:30:43
  Speaker 1: sort of petitions pleases God. We have great need to
• 1:30:48
  Speaker 1: pray to Him to make us ask such things as
• 1:30:51
  Speaker 1: please him. And if we are accustomed to ask his
• 1:30:53
  Speaker 1: blessing upon all we do, it will help us never
• 1:30:56
  Speaker 1: wilfully to do a wrong thing. It will help us
• 1:31:00
  Speaker 1: to think whether what we are about to do is
• 1:31:02
  Speaker 1: right or wrong, and so help us both to pray
• 1:31:05
  Speaker 1: and to act according to the will of God. The
• 1:31:09
  Speaker 1: time passed away so quickly that Basil was surprised and
• 1:31:12
  Speaker 1: sorry when he was told to prepare for going to
• 1:31:14
  Speaker 1: divine worship. You may walk down with me, boys, if
• 1:31:18
  Speaker 1: you like, said miss Hamilton, and they gladly availed themselves
• 1:31:21
  Speaker 1: of the permission. I should like you all to think
• 1:31:24
  Speaker 1: during the week of what you have heard at school
• 1:31:26
  Speaker 1: on Sunday, said their kind teacher. Next week, for example,
• 1:31:31
  Speaker 1: let each boy recollect those lines in his hymn Jesus Christ,
• 1:31:35
  Speaker 1: my Lord and Savior, once became a child like me.
• 1:31:40
  Speaker 1: Let it ever be before your mind, at work or
• 1:31:42
  Speaker 1: at play, that the Lord of Heaven and Earth condescended
• 1:31:45
  Speaker 1: for your sakes to take upon him the form of
• 1:31:47
  Speaker 1: a little child. And whilst that thought fills us with
• 1:31:50
  Speaker 1: love and gratitude, let it also encourage you to go
• 1:31:53
  Speaker 1: to Him and all your difficulties and trials, seeing that
• 1:31:57
  Speaker 1: we have not a high priest which cannot be touched
• 1:32:00
  Speaker 1: with a feeling of our infirmities, but was in all
• 1:32:02
  Speaker 1: points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Basil
• 1:32:08
  Speaker 1: sat by his father during the service, and when it
• 1:32:11
  Speaker 1: was over they had a pleasant walk home together, and
• 1:32:13
  Speaker 1: Basil repeated a good deal of what he had been
• 1:32:16
  Speaker 1: taught at school. I'm so glad Miss Hamilton has a
• 1:32:20
  Speaker 1: class father. I like her so much better than my
• 1:32:22
  Speaker 1: former teacher. She is so kind and good. I shouldn't
• 1:32:28
  Speaker 1: have known her, again, said his father. She was but
• 1:32:31
  Speaker 1: a slip of a girl when she left home for
• 1:32:33
  Speaker 1: foreign parts. Most folks said only to die. But God
• 1:32:36
  Speaker 1: had some work for her to do for him. It
• 1:32:38
  Speaker 1: seems that afternoon Basil read a chapter to his father
• 1:32:43
  Speaker 1: and mother out of his new Bible, and Missus Green
• 1:32:45
  Speaker 1: suggested to her husband that they should begin to read
• 1:32:48
  Speaker 1: a portion every evening, for continued she, how can we
• 1:32:52
  Speaker 1: expect God to take care of us and bless us
• 1:32:54
  Speaker 1: if we neglect his word and never pray to him.
• 1:32:58
  Speaker 1: I'm no great scholar, wife, but I'll do my best,
• 1:33:01
  Speaker 1: said Jacob end of chapter six. Chapter seven of Basil
• 1:33:13
  Speaker 1: Or Honesty and Industry. This is a LibriVox recording. All
• 1:33:18
  Speaker 1: LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information
• 1:33:22
  Speaker 1: or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording by
• 1:33:27
  Speaker 1: Robert Harder. Basil Or Honesty and Industry by C. G. O'Brien.
• 1:33:34
  Speaker 1: Chapter seven a pleasant ending. In a pleasant morning room
• 1:33:40
  Speaker 1: at Woodside Farm, mister and Missus Stewart sat at breakfast
• 1:33:44
  Speaker 1: the day following that on which the events occurred related
• 1:33:47
  Speaker 1: in the last chapter, Give me another cup of coffee, Kate,
• 1:33:51
  Speaker 1: and then I must be off. I expect a number
• 1:33:54
  Speaker 1: of boys from the village to see me this morning.
• 1:33:56
  Speaker 1: I have heard sad accounts of the manner in which
• 1:33:58
  Speaker 1: many of the peasantry about here live. They say a clean,
• 1:34:02
  Speaker 1: tidy cottage is quite a strange sight, and that scarcely
• 1:34:05
  Speaker 1: one person out of ten ever enters a place of worship.
• 1:34:09
  Speaker 1: I think the fault must lie a great deal with
• 1:34:11
  Speaker 1: the resident proprietors Edward. You see, Kate, it has been
• 1:34:14
  Speaker 1: much against the poor people that this large estate has
• 1:34:17
  Speaker 1: been so long unoccupied. Mister Hamilton too has been an
• 1:34:21
  Speaker 1: unavoidable absentee, through his daughter's delicate health, which has obliged
• 1:34:25
  Speaker 1: him to live so much abroad. I think matters will
• 1:34:28
  Speaker 1: improve now in my humble way. I hope, with God's blessing,
• 1:34:32
  Speaker 1: to remedy as much of the evil as lies in
• 1:34:34
  Speaker 1: my power. And how do you propose setting about it?
• 1:34:39
  Speaker 1: In this way? I intend paying my boys less wages,
• 1:34:42
  Speaker 1: and taking them into the house, where they will acquire
• 1:34:44
  Speaker 1: habits of order and industry, and be constantly under my
• 1:34:47
  Speaker 1: own eye. I intend, also, if possible, to devote an
• 1:34:51
  Speaker 1: hour in the evening to giving them a little instruction
• 1:34:54
  Speaker 1: in reading, writing, and arithmetic. By taking boys into the house,
• 1:34:58
  Speaker 1: I of course put a stop their attending any school,
• 1:35:01
  Speaker 1: and I think it my duty not to allow them
• 1:35:03
  Speaker 1: to grow up in ignorance. Quite right, edward, and I
• 1:35:07
  Speaker 1: suppose that if I, at some future time should see
• 1:35:10
  Speaker 1: my way clear to taking two or three girls into
• 1:35:13
  Speaker 1: the house for a few months each at a time,
• 1:35:15
  Speaker 1: to be trained in a household duties, I have your
• 1:35:17
  Speaker 1: consent to make the experiment. Most heartily. I am delighted
• 1:35:22
  Speaker 1: to find you contemplating such a plan, For after all,
• 1:35:24
  Speaker 1: it is perfectly useless to expect much improvement in the
• 1:35:27
  Speaker 1: cottages of the peasantry whilst future mistresses of cottages are
• 1:35:31
  Speaker 1: being brought up as they are here. It will be
• 1:35:34
  Speaker 1: striking at the root of the evil to get the
• 1:35:36
  Speaker 1: children away from such houses for a time. When they return,
• 1:35:40
  Speaker 1: they will to a certain extent to carry with them
• 1:35:42
  Speaker 1: the habits of order and industry which they have acquired elsewhere.
• 1:35:45
  Speaker 1: And in the meantime we must do all in our power,
• 1:35:48
  Speaker 1: by kind and conciliatory advice, to get the mothers to
• 1:35:51
  Speaker 1: improve the condition of their homes. If you please, sir,
• 1:35:55
  Speaker 1: said a servant entering the room, there are more than
• 1:35:58
  Speaker 1: twenty boys waiting to see you. I'll come directly, said
• 1:36:03
  Speaker 1: mister Stuart, and I shall be glad if you will
• 1:36:05
  Speaker 1: come with me, Kate and assist me in my selection.
• 1:36:09
  Speaker 1: A strange and motley group was assembled before the hall door,
• 1:36:13
  Speaker 1: upward of twenty boys of all sizes, from the little
• 1:36:15
  Speaker 1: curly headed urchin of seven or eight to the tall,
• 1:36:18
  Speaker 1: overgrown lad of fourteen or fifteen. Their costume was decidedly
• 1:36:22
  Speaker 1: more picturesque than tidy, and many bare knees and elbows
• 1:36:25
  Speaker 1: peeped through ragged trousers and jackets. Well, my lads, said
• 1:36:29
  Speaker 1: mister Stuart, with a good humored smile. I am glad
• 1:36:31
  Speaker 1: to see you all, and to find so many of
• 1:36:33
  Speaker 1: you anxious to obtain employment. I cannot, however, promise to
• 1:36:37
  Speaker 1: engage you all, but I must try and choose those
• 1:36:40
  Speaker 1: who I think will be most useful to me. He
• 1:36:43
  Speaker 1: then put several questions to the boys, and finished by
• 1:36:45
  Speaker 1: selecting six of the bigger ones, telling the others that
• 1:36:48
  Speaker 1: they were still young enough to be able to afford
• 1:36:50
  Speaker 1: to wait a little, and that he would take down
• 1:36:52
  Speaker 1: their names and would remember them the next opportunity. Mister
• 1:36:57
  Speaker 1: Stewart then commenced making a list of the names of
• 1:36:59
  Speaker 1: those boys he could not at present engage. What is
• 1:37:04
  Speaker 1: your name, my boy, Tom Hill, sir? And yours, William
• 1:37:09
  Speaker 1: Allen and yours, Fred Brown and yours. But as mister
• 1:37:15
  Speaker 1: Stuart put the question, the boy thus addressed, burst into
• 1:37:18
  Speaker 1: tears and sobbed out Basil Green, sir. And why do
• 1:37:23
  Speaker 1: you cry so my boy, said mister Stuart. Basil still
• 1:37:27
  Speaker 1: sobbed on and could not articulate a word. Mister Stuart
• 1:37:31
  Speaker 1: looked at the boy and could not help thinking he
• 1:37:33
  Speaker 1: had seen him somewhere before, but where he could not recollect.
• 1:37:38
  Speaker 1: Did you ever see me before? Basil? Yes? Please, sir,
• 1:37:42
  Speaker 1: I held your horse the other day. Ah, now I remember.
• 1:37:47
  Speaker 1: But tell me, Basil, what makes you so unhappy? Because, Sir,
• 1:37:51
  Speaker 1: I wanted to begin to try and be industrious, so
• 1:37:56
  Speaker 1: that I might become independent like Squire Hamilton, sir, and
• 1:37:59
  Speaker 1: help father, mother and Annie, Sir. And if I have
• 1:38:02
  Speaker 1: nothing to do, I can't be industrious. And I'm very
• 1:38:06
  Speaker 1: nearly thirteen, sir, though I ain't very bague. And at
• 1:38:10
  Speaker 1: this moment a kind, good natured looking man came to
• 1:38:13
  Speaker 1: the hall door to speak to mister Stuart. Here's one
• 1:38:17
  Speaker 1: of the village lads in sad trouble, Donald, because I
• 1:38:20
  Speaker 1: cannot find room for him too on the farm. He
• 1:38:23
  Speaker 1: is much older than I thought he was. And if
• 1:38:25
  Speaker 1: you think you can manage seven boys instead of six,
• 1:38:28
  Speaker 1: why I don't mind giving him a trial. He don't
• 1:38:30
  Speaker 1: seem very strong, I must say. Long before mister Stewart
• 1:38:34
  Speaker 1: had finished speaking, a smile of recognition had passed between
• 1:38:38
  Speaker 1: Donald and Basle, and the face of the latter brightened
• 1:38:40
  Speaker 1: wonderfully in the hope that the good Woodman would again
• 1:38:43
  Speaker 1: stand his friend. I know something of the lad, sir,
• 1:38:47
  Speaker 1: said Donald. He worked with me for a day last
• 1:38:49
  Speaker 1: week up in the woods yonder, and as far as
• 1:38:51
  Speaker 1: I can see, I think he will make up in
• 1:38:53
  Speaker 1: good will for what he wants in strength. He won't
• 1:38:56
  Speaker 1: be badly off for strength neither when he gets a
• 1:38:58
  Speaker 1: little regular feeding. So Basil was entered as one of
• 1:39:02
  Speaker 1: the boys on Woodside farm, and Missus Stewart, having inquired
• 1:39:05
  Speaker 1: of him who Annie was, of whom he had spoken
• 1:39:08
  Speaker 1: when he was crying, and learning that the child was delicate,
• 1:39:12
  Speaker 1: sent her some milk and eggs by Basil, and promised
• 1:39:14
  Speaker 1: to call and see her in a few days. Basil
• 1:39:19
  Speaker 1: and his companions were not to commence their farm duties
• 1:39:21
  Speaker 1: into the middle of the week, as the rooms were
• 1:39:23
  Speaker 1: not quite ready which mister Stewart was having fitted up
• 1:39:26
  Speaker 1: for them to sleep in, and Basil was not sorry
• 1:39:28
  Speaker 1: to have a few more days to spend at home.
• 1:39:31
  Speaker 1: Annie and Willie were standing by the garden hedge as
• 1:39:34
  Speaker 1: Basil came bounding across the green. Mother, Mother, they cried out,
• 1:39:38
  Speaker 1: I know it's all right with Basil, by the way
• 1:39:40
  Speaker 1: he's running. There was great joy in the cottage when
• 1:39:44
  Speaker 1: the good news was told. Things were certainly getting brighter
• 1:39:47
  Speaker 1: and brighter. How pleased father will be, won't he? Mother? Yes,
• 1:39:52
  Speaker 1: Basil replied missus Green. I hope and pray he will
• 1:39:54
  Speaker 1: come home again in good time this evening, that's all.
• 1:39:58
  Speaker 1: In the course of the morning, Basil, who was in
• 1:40:01
  Speaker 1: the garden, saw his good friend Donald mcnicholl, coming across
• 1:40:04
  Speaker 1: the green and proceeding in the direction of the cottage
• 1:40:07
  Speaker 1: near to that in which the Greens lived and which
• 1:40:09
  Speaker 1: was about to be re thatched. It's all true, mother,
• 1:40:13
  Speaker 1: cried Basil. Mister mc nichols coming to be our neighbor. Surely,
• 1:40:16
  Speaker 1: I am right glad, that's all, and so saying, he
• 1:40:19
  Speaker 1: rushed out to meet his friend and to thank him
• 1:40:21
  Speaker 1: for the service he had rendered him that morning. All Right, laddie,
• 1:40:25
  Speaker 1: all right, cried the kind hearted Donald. I'm glad I
• 1:40:28
  Speaker 1: was there just then. Certainly some people will call it
• 1:40:31
  Speaker 1: a lucky chance. But there's no such thing as chance, Basil,
• 1:40:34
  Speaker 1: Believe me, this is no chance world in which we live.
• 1:40:37
  Speaker 1: Thank God for it in your prayers tonight. Boy Donald
• 1:40:42
  Speaker 1: took Basil over the cottage and told him what improvements
• 1:40:44
  Speaker 1: were going to be made in it. When it is
• 1:40:47
  Speaker 1: all finished, I shall send for the wife in Baron's Basil,
• 1:40:50
  Speaker 1: you and young Donald will be great friends. I think
• 1:40:54
  Speaker 1: Donald mcnicholl was right. There was no such thing as chance.
• 1:40:58
  Speaker 1: Job says, speaking of the Almighty, doth he not see
• 1:41:02
  Speaker 1: my ways and count all my steps? And David says,
• 1:41:06
  Speaker 1: the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord.
• 1:41:10
  Speaker 1: And again thou art about my bed and about my path,
• 1:41:14
  Speaker 1: and spiest out all my ways. It was not chance
• 1:41:18
  Speaker 1: that had led Basil to pray that he might be
• 1:41:20
  Speaker 1: kept from stealing. It was not chance that brought him
• 1:41:23
  Speaker 1: to the spot where Donald was working. It was not
• 1:41:26
  Speaker 1: by chance that Jacob and his wife were led to
• 1:41:29
  Speaker 1: repent of having told Basil to steal the wood, and
• 1:41:32
  Speaker 1: it was not chance that led Missus Green to visit
• 1:41:34
  Speaker 1: her sister at West Bay. Lastly, it was not chance
• 1:41:38
  Speaker 1: that had just at this particular time, caused Jacob to
• 1:41:41
  Speaker 1: find work in an opposite direction from the half Moon.
• 1:41:45
  Speaker 1: Jacob could not go to the half Moon without first
• 1:41:47
  Speaker 1: passing his cottage and leaving all his tools there. We
• 1:41:51
  Speaker 1: do not mean to say that he intended going to
• 1:41:53
  Speaker 1: the Ale House on this Monday evening. But the chains
• 1:41:56
  Speaker 1: of long indulged vices are very strong, and human nature,
• 1:41:59
  Speaker 1: when left to itself, is very weak, and there is
• 1:42:02
  Speaker 1: no saying whether Jacob would have resisted the temptation had
• 1:42:05
  Speaker 1: the Ale House been on his road as he returned
• 1:42:07
  Speaker 1: from work. As it was, he went home just as
• 1:42:11
  Speaker 1: a matter of course, with his tools, and as he
• 1:42:13
  Speaker 1: neared his cottage he heard a woman's voice singing quite cheerfully.
• 1:42:17
  Speaker 1: It was years since such a sound had issued from
• 1:42:19
  Speaker 1: his home, and somehow it recalled his early married life,
• 1:42:23
  Speaker 1: and with softened feelings, he entered the cottage. Missus Green
• 1:42:27
  Speaker 1: was dressed, and the neat print dress her sister had
• 1:42:29
  Speaker 1: given her. The cottage floor was well swept thanks to
• 1:42:32
  Speaker 1: Basil's broom. The children's hands and faces were clean, and
• 1:42:36
  Speaker 1: the baby, looking neatter than ever it had been known
• 1:42:39
  Speaker 1: to do before, sat crowing on her mother's lap. A
• 1:42:43
  Speaker 1: small but bright fire burnt cheerfully on the hearth. The
• 1:42:46
  Speaker 1: round deal table had been washed, and on it were
• 1:42:49
  Speaker 1: arranged the tea things a cracked and broken assemblage, truly
• 1:42:53
  Speaker 1: but quite clean at all events. Who could have found
• 1:42:56
  Speaker 1: it in his heart to leave home again under such
• 1:42:58
  Speaker 1: a new and pleasing asses of affairs? Not Jacob Green.
• 1:43:03
  Speaker 1: He praised his wife's looks again, repeated that he was
• 1:43:06
  Speaker 1: sure her visit to West Bay had done her good,
• 1:43:08
  Speaker 1: played with the children, gave his wife half a crown,
• 1:43:12
  Speaker 1: and when he had done his tea, expressed his intention
• 1:43:14
  Speaker 1: of paying a visit to a neighboring wheelwright to get
• 1:43:17
  Speaker 1: some pieces of wood to make a gate to the garden.
• 1:43:20
  Speaker 1: The wheelwright was a kind hearted man who had long
• 1:43:23
  Speaker 1: regretted the state of matters at Jacob Green's, and he
• 1:43:26
  Speaker 1: was so pleased at this sign of improvement. Evinced by
• 1:43:28
  Speaker 1: a gate being thought necessary for the garden, that he
• 1:43:31
  Speaker 1: would take no money for the wood, but declared to
• 1:43:34
  Speaker 1: Jacob that he never gave anything away with more pleasure
• 1:43:36
  Speaker 1: in his life. Some strong nails, a pair of old hinges,
• 1:43:41
  Speaker 1: and the loan of a few tools were added, and
• 1:43:44
  Speaker 1: in the course of a couple of hours a neat
• 1:43:46
  Speaker 1: looking gait was completed. For Jacob was a handy man
• 1:43:49
  Speaker 1: and could, when sober, turn his hand to many things.
• 1:43:52
  Speaker 1: He kept his promise also of reading a chapter in
• 1:43:55
  Speaker 1: the Bible to his wife and children, and poor missus
• 1:43:57
  Speaker 1: Green could scarcely restrain her tears of joy and thankfulness
• 1:44:01
  Speaker 1: at her husband's altered conduct. When Miss Hamilton called again
• 1:44:05
  Speaker 1: at the cottage, she was much pleased with the improved
• 1:44:07
  Speaker 1: appearance of everything, and kindly and affectionately encouraged Missus Green
• 1:44:11
  Speaker 1: to persevere. God has been very good to you, Missus Green,
• 1:44:15
  Speaker 1: she said, and I need not urge upon you the
• 1:44:17
  Speaker 1: necessity of not growing weary and well doing. You must
• 1:44:21
  Speaker 1: not expect that things will always go smoothly. It is probable,
• 1:44:25
  Speaker 1: though I pray it may not happen, that your husband
• 1:44:27
  Speaker 1: may occasionally be tempted to go back to his old ways.
• 1:44:30
  Speaker 1: But if you pray to God to enable you to
• 1:44:32
  Speaker 1: persevere in your present course. You will not have, as
• 1:44:35
  Speaker 1: formerly the additional pain of feeling that your husband's sin
• 1:44:38
  Speaker 1: lay greatly at your own door. Miss Hamilton was delighted
• 1:44:43
  Speaker 1: to find that Basil had been engaged at Woodside Farm,
• 1:44:46
  Speaker 1: and also to hear that he would still have his
• 1:44:48
  Speaker 1: Sundays at home and be able to continue his attendance
• 1:44:51
  Speaker 1: at the school. She told him to come to her
• 1:44:54
  Speaker 1: house that evening, and she would order the gardener to
• 1:44:56
  Speaker 1: give him the cabbage plans she had promised him. Basil
• 1:45:00
  Speaker 1: went as desired and found a basket of plants ready
• 1:45:02
  Speaker 1: for him. There were several kinds of winter kil and
• 1:45:06
  Speaker 1: cabbage plants, and the gardener told Basil his young mistress
• 1:45:09
  Speaker 1: had told him to put by a few gooseberry and
• 1:45:11
  Speaker 1: currant trees for Basil when the time for removing such
• 1:45:14
  Speaker 1: plants should come. We might write a great deal more
• 1:45:18
  Speaker 1: about Basil and his family, but it would make too
• 1:45:21
  Speaker 1: long a story. It must be sufficient to say that
• 1:45:24
  Speaker 1: Basil was enabled, by God's grace to prove a useful
• 1:45:28
  Speaker 1: and faithful servant to mister Stewart, who in return showed
• 1:45:31
  Speaker 1: himself a kind friend and adviser. Both to Basil and
• 1:45:34
  Speaker 1: his family, that Jacob Green was persuaded by his brother
• 1:45:38
  Speaker 1: in law Frank Morris, who came over one day from
• 1:45:40
  Speaker 1: West Bay, to give up going to the half Moon,
• 1:45:43
  Speaker 1: and that he has never regretted the step he then took.
• 1:45:47
  Speaker 1: You would not recognize the cottage were you to see it.
• 1:45:50
  Speaker 1: All is so neat and comfortable. Donald mc nicholl's family
• 1:45:54
  Speaker 1: set an excellent example to the little Greens, and Missus
• 1:45:57
  Speaker 1: mc nicholl, a kind and motherly woman, like an elder
• 1:46:00
  Speaker 1: sister to Basil's mother. Thus, then we leave them happy
• 1:46:05
  Speaker 1: in each other, and never ceasing to thank God for
• 1:46:08
  Speaker 1: his great mercies toward them. All. End of chapter seven,
• 1:46:14
  Speaker 1: end of Basil Or Honesty and Industry, recorded by Robert
• 1:46:19
  Speaker 1: Hard