«
 
 GV 
 
 M^

 
 THE GOOD TRACT.— SCE PAGE IT.
 
 MALAN'S NARRATIVES. 
 
 THE GOOD TRACT, 
 
 THE GOOD BOYS. 
 
 EDITED BY D. P. KIDDER. 
 
 PUBLISHED BY L.VXE & SCOTT. 
 
 FOE THE SVXDAY-SCHOOL VJflON OF THE METHODIST EPISCOFAL 
 CHUBCH, 200 MULBERET-STBEET. 
 
 JOSEPH LONOKING. PRIKTE2. 
 1852.
 
 Entered according to Act of Congress, in the j-ear 1852, by 
 LANE & SCOTT, 
 
 in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the Soutlirin 
 District of New-York.
 
 COXTEr^TS 
 
 Chap. Page 
 I. — Good and bad Tracts distinguished 7 
 
 11. — The Fa^iily op the Vine-dresser 10 
 
 ITT. — The Shooting Match — The Tract found — 
 
 Its Perusal and good Effect 12 
 
 iv. — con^'ersation with josephine 16 
 
 V. — Good Behavior — Surprise op Parents — A 
 
 Bible w.vnted 21 
 
 VI. — Reading in the Family — A Bible purchased 23 
 
 Good Boys 35 
 
 /
 
 THE GOOD TRACT. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 GOOD AND BAD TRACTS DISTINGUISHED. 
 
 Every one knows what a tract is. It 
 is a little printed book, which is sold 
 at a very low price, oftener given away, 
 and even thrown, here and there, about 
 the streets and roads, where those who 
 receive it, or find it, may read the re- 
 ligious truths or good advice which this 
 book contains. 
 
 This manner of instructing all classes 
 of people is very ancient. It was 
 in use, for example, in the earliest years 
 of the Reformation, when some faithful 
 Christians of Picardv, in France, as-
 
 8 THE GOOD TRACT. 
 
 sembled together to read the Holy Bible, 
 and were for this exposed to persecution, 
 to death, and especially to be burned 
 alive. 
 
 Then these true disciples of the Lord 
 Jesus composed and circulated, but with 
 difficulty, little writings which taught" 
 the way of salvation, and which the low 
 and poor among the people could read ; 
 for it was then impossible for them to 
 procure and read the Bible, Avhich was 
 not only rare, but cost much money, al- 
 most as much as a thousand Bibles would 
 cost now, and besides could not be kept 
 and read secretly as well as a simple 
 tract. 
 
 In our times, and especially for fifty 
 years past, this method has been em- 
 ployed in almost all countries where 
 faithful Churches and Christian com- 
 munities are to bo found ; and every
 
 THE GOOD TRACT. 9 
 
 year now millions of these writings are 
 printed and distributed for all ages and 
 all conditions of men. 
 
 It is true also that not all tracts are 
 good. Many of them are intended to 
 sustain false religions and bad principles, 
 and consequently do the greatest harm 
 to those who read them. 
 
 And if you ask how shall a good tract 
 1)0 known from a bad one, this is my 
 reply :— 
 
 A good tract is one which is like the 
 Bible, which speaks of the love of Jesus, 
 and which invites the reader to be holy, 
 through love for God. 
 
 A had tract is one which does not 
 speak Hke the Bible, which says that 
 salvation is merited by human virtues, 
 or insinuates some false and ruinous 
 principle. 
 
 The tracts which speak of the happi-
 
 10 THE GOOD TRACT. 
 
 ness of man, as if it originated \vith 
 man, and not with God, and which con- 
 sequently den}' the Bible, are bad. 
 They should be avoided and detested ! 
 
 The good which has been done by re- 
 ligious tracts cannot be estimated. A 
 great number of families owe their pros- 
 perity and happiness to the introduction 
 of one of these evangelical tracts ; and 
 the following anecdote is an interesting 
 proof 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 THE FAMILY OF THE VINE-DRESSER. 
 
 The family of a vine-dresser in the 
 canton of Vaud, in Switzerland, w^as 
 known throughout the village for being 
 as immoral as irreligious. The father, 
 whom we will not call by name, was a
 
 THE GOOD TRACT. 11 
 
 proud and stern man, intemperate and 
 dissolute ; and his wife, who was equally 
 far from fearing the Lord, was what is 
 called a gossip. 
 
 The pastor of the village had more 
 than once attempted to awaken in the 
 hearts of these young people sentiments 
 of piety, but had received from them 
 only scornful words or jests. 
 
 The family of the vine-dresser was 
 composed of three children. The oldest, 
 Mark, was, like his father, haughty and 
 stubborn ; and although he was not yet 
 fourteen years old, he already associated 
 with gamblers and drunkards. He was 
 therefore destitute of religion. His sister, 
 Josephine, who was a httle more than 
 twelve years of age, manifested an inter- 
 esting disposition. The wife of the 
 pastor had taught this child, who could 
 not help seeing that her parents were
 
 12 THE GOOD TRACT. 
 
 not submissive to God. Peter, the 
 youngest, was only ten ; but the example 
 of his brother did him more harm than 
 that of his sister. did good. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 THE SHOOTING MATCH THE TRACT FOUND 
 
 ITS PERUSAL AND GOOD EFFECT. 
 
 About the last of May there was to 
 be, at a large village not far from that 
 of the vine-dresser, a shooting match. 
 This was a general festival, to which 
 all the people in the neighborhood re- 
 paired. 
 
 On the morning of this day Mark had 
 rephed with impudence to his father, who 
 had grown angry with him, and chastised 
 him severely, prohibiting him, besides, 
 from going to the fete.
 
 THE GOOD TRACT. 13 
 
 The father went there, and Mark, 
 after having remained undecided for a 
 few moments, soon resolved not to mind 
 the prohibition, but to go also. 
 
 He profited by the absence of his mo- 
 ther, who had gone, as usual, to gossip 
 with some neighbors, and, notwithstand- 
 ing the representations of Josephine, left 
 the house, and hastened through the 
 fields and shrubbery towards the place 
 of the celebration. 
 
 '^ What is that ?" said he, picking up 
 a little tract, covered with colored paper, 
 which was lying on the path, near 
 the opening in the hedge. " Ah ! it is 
 one of those tracts which we find 
 everywhere. It is excellent paper for 
 gun-wadding," added he, putting the 
 tract in his pocket; and he continued 
 his way. 
 
 But when he approached the village,
 
 14 THE GOOD TRACT. 
 
 where be could hear the sound of th'm<r, 
 })laying, and dancing, he was suddenly 
 arrested by the thought that his father, 
 who was there, would see him, and would 
 not fail to beat him and to drive him 
 away before everybody ; and as he did 
 not know where his father might be, 
 and Peter, whom his father had taken 
 with him, might suddenly appear and 
 expose him, he kept himself concealed 
 behind the hedge, without daring to go 
 a step farther. 
 
 "I- might read this book!" said he, 
 after having in vain racked • his brains 
 for some expedient to be at the fete with- 
 out being discovered. " There is nothing 
 but nonsense in it, I know beforehand ; 
 but it will take up my time a few mo- 
 ments." 
 
 This tract was The Hapiyy Familij ; 
 and Mark was so much interested in it,
 
 THE GOOD TKACT. 15 
 
 that he read it through, and the latter 
 part of it twice. 
 
 " It is siHgular !" said he, when he had 
 finished his reading. '' I should never 
 have beheved it possible. This Andrew 
 and Julia were after all happier than we 
 are, than I am especially. Ah !" added 
 he, walking with his head down, along 
 the hedge, ^-perhaps Josephine is right, 
 and the good w^ay may be that of which 
 the lady tells her. 
 
 As he reflected on the narrative he 
 had just read, he at first pursued slowdy, 
 then more rapidly, the road to his own 
 village, and re-entered his father's house 
 quietly, not w^histling or singing as 
 usual.
 
 16 THE GOOD TliACT. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 CONVERSATION WITH JOSEPHINE. 
 
 " You have not been to the fete, then ?" 
 said Josephine to him. 
 
 Marie, a little ashamed. I did not 
 dare. I was afraid of being beaten. 
 
 Josephine. It would have been better, 
 my brother, if you had been afraid of 
 offending God. 
 
 Mark felt himself on the point of 
 ridiculing her, as he always did ; but 
 he remembered Andrew and Julia, and 
 remained silent. 
 
 Josepliine, Izindhj. Is it not true ? 
 Would it not be much better to fear God, 
 than to offend him always ? 
 
 Marie, knitting his hroiv. Yes, as 
 Andrew and Julia did. 
 
 Josephine, surprised. Of what are
 
 THi: GOOD TKACT. 17 
 
 you speaking, Mark? Of The Happy 
 Family^ in which there is an Andrew 
 and a Julia ? Have you ever read that 
 pretty story? 
 
 " Here it is !" said ^lark, drawing the 
 tract from his pocket, and presenting it 
 to his sister. 
 
 Josephine. That is it. But where 
 did }'ou get it, brother? It is new. 
 Did }'0u buy it of the colporteur ? 
 
 -Buy it!" said Mark. ''\ should 
 look well spending my money in such a 
 fooHsh way. 
 
 Josephine. But where did you get it, 
 then ? Who gave it to you ? 
 
 3Iark. I should like to have seen 
 any one offer it to me ! I would have 
 torn it in his presence, and thrown the 
 pieces in his face ! 
 
 Josephine. So much the worse, Mark. 
 For it is the truth of God which vou
 
 18 THE GUOB TKACT. 
 
 have read there ; and to tear the truth 
 of God would be a great sin. 
 
 Mark, rudely. Well^ you see I have 
 not torn it, since the book is whole. 
 And if you must know, I found it on 
 the ground, near the road, be}^ond the 
 shrubbery. 
 
 Josephine. Ah ! then I know where 
 it came from. The eldest son of the 
 pastor and some others have formed a 
 tract society, to distribute and scatter 
 them about. 
 
 Marlc^ reproachfully. Well ! why 
 need they put them everywhere ? Can 
 they not let people alone, without thrust- 
 ing their ideas into their heads. Let 
 them keep their religion to themselves, 
 and let every one enjoy his own. 
 
 Josephine. Do you think, then, Mark, 
 that Andrew and Julia did w^rong in 
 listening to their father and grandmo-
 
 THE GOOD IKACT. 19 
 
 ther, and obeying the Bible, rather than 
 to walk in the way of sinners ? 
 
 MarJc^ softening. I did not say that. 
 I think Andrew and JuHa were in the 
 
 right, but . Come, give me the 
 
 tract ; I wish to look at something in it. 
 
 Upon this Mark went out, taking the 
 tract with him ; and a few moments after, 
 Josephine perceived him seated in the 
 garden, behind a hedge of rose-bushes 
 reading it. 
 
 ^^ Where is the rogue of a Mark?" 
 asked the vine-dresser, when he returned 
 home in the evening, half drunk. '* Per- 
 haps he went to the village ? I heard 
 he was seen roving about there. Where 
 is he now ?" 
 
 ^•He has been in bed more than an 
 hour," repHed the mother ; ^' and he did 
 not go to the fete any more than I did, 
 for I saw him in the garden reading."
 
 20 THE iJUUi) TKACT. 
 
 ** Mark reading !" resumed the lather. 
 '' That is a miracle, indeed, to see him 
 with a book, — an idler hke him, who has 
 never learned anything, and will ne\ cr 
 know anything." 
 
 The vine-dresser's wife remained si- 
 lent, and after having put little Peter to 
 bed, who was entirely fatigued and ex- 
 hausted, she succeeded in inducing the 
 father to go to bed too, and all was quiet 
 in this miserable house. 
 
 Meanwhile Mark, who was not asleep 
 when his father returned, had heard 
 the names of rogue and idler, and had 
 trembled all over, wdien he learned that 
 he had been seen near the village. 
 
 ^'How lucky," said he to himself, 
 " that I did not go any farther ! It was 
 I'eally God who kept me from it," added 
 he, ashamed of this sentiment, so new 
 to him, but which he Avould not repulse.
 
 THE OOOD TRACT. 21 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 GOOD BEHAVIOR SURPRISE OF PARENTS 
 
 A BIBLE WANTED. 
 
 The next day, to the great surprise of 
 Ills father and mother, Mark rose in 
 a good humor, repHed pleasantly to liis 
 father, and when the latter commanded 
 him to go and work in the field, ]\Iark 
 took his spade and set out, singing. 
 
 " What has happened to him ?" asked 
 the father. '- 1 should not know him. 
 What did you say to him last night, wife, 
 to make him so good-natured ?" 
 
 ''1 did not even speak to him," said 
 the woman, drily. '• lie has his whims, 
 you know." 
 
 '' I hope it will last !" said the vine- 
 dresser ; and upon that lie went to the 
 tavern, to talk about the best shots.
 
 '22 THE GOOD TRACT. 
 
 Josephine related to the good pastor's 
 lady the history of the little tract, and 
 the lady advised her to go to meet Mark, 
 when he returned from the field, and to 
 talk to him again of what he had read. 
 
 "Is it yon, sister?" said Mark, with 
 a ga}' and satisfied air, as soon as he 
 saw^ her. " You are very good to come 
 to meet me." 
 
 Josephine, who had never met with 
 such a reception before, was rejoiced ; 
 and approaching her brother, said af- 
 fectionately, ••I should hke to talk 
 with you a little more about Andrew 
 and Juha." 
 
 Marky seriously. And T — I wish I 
 was like them. 
 
 Josephine. Do you, indeed, Mark? 
 Have you thought so since yesterday ? 
 
 Marie, still very serious. I have 
 thought so much of it, that I am resolved
 
 THE GOOD TRACT. 23 
 
 to change my conduct. Yes, Josephine, 
 I feel that you are in the right, and that 
 after all to possess religion is better than 
 to ridicule it. 
 
 The conversation continued as it had 
 commenced ; and when Mark returned, 
 he went to embrace his mother, who w^as 
 setting the table for dinner. 
 
 " What is the matter," said she, sur- 
 prised. "You are very gay, it seems 
 to me." 
 
 " Nothing is the matter, my good mo- 
 ther," repHed Mark, seriously, " only that 
 I mean to change my conduct." 
 
 " To change !" said little Peter, laugh- 
 ingly, who had just come to look at his 
 brother. 
 
 " And you also, little one," said Mark ; 
 " you must become wise." 
 
 " How amusing !" cried the child. 
 " One would think vou had suddenly
 
 24 THE GOOD TRACT. 
 
 turned schoolmaster? When shall T 
 begm ?" 
 
 " We will see by-and-by," said i\Iark, 
 kindly. " Meanwhile come and help mo 
 take care of the horse and cow/' 
 
 " There is somethin«; in it !" said the 
 mother, and she blushed as she thought 
 that the change had not originated 
 with her. 
 
 The father had returned from the inn, 
 and had placed himself at the table, as 
 usual, without asking a blessing. Jo- 
 sephine prayed inwardly, and Mark, who 
 remembered Andrew and Julia, reddened 
 as he took the spoon to eat his soup. 
 
 After dinner Josephine said to Mark, 
 when they were out of doors, before the 
 house, "It is a pity, my brother, that 
 papa never prays before his meals !" 
 
 " He will, Josephine, he will. I never 
 prayed, myself; but I mean to commenne
 
 THE GOOD TRACT. 25 
 
 soon. But how shall I ? Papa will 1)o 
 angry, if he sees me religious." 
 
 " I do not believe it," said Josephine ; 
 " I heard him say, this morning, to mo- 
 ther, that he should be very glad to have 
 you become a good boy." 
 
 ^lark colored and did not reply ; he 
 returned to his labor, without being or- 
 dered to do so, and his father, astonished, 
 said to his wife, " There is something 
 extraordinary about Mark. I hope it 
 will last." 
 
 " What is it to you ?" repHed the wife, 
 '' since you do not care to change your- 
 self" 
 
 ^- And you, my poor wife," said the 
 vine-dresser, '^ do you care anv more than 
 I do ? I think we have not much reason 
 to reproach one another on this subject." 
 
 " At least," said the wife, " I am not 
 a dmnkard."
 
 2G THE GOOD TRACT. 
 
 "Nor I a gossip," said the husband. 
 " We have both of us enough evil to 
 think of; and if Mark tries to improve, 
 we had better not hinder him ; for our 
 example is not any too good." 
 
 Josephine, who was sewing in an ad- 
 joining room, could not help hearing this 
 confession of her father, and felt encou- 
 raged to strengthen Mark in his good 
 resolutions. 
 
 She therefore went a second time to 
 meet him, and related what had passed. 
 '•I think," added she, "that you will 
 do well to tell what has happened 
 to you, and to read this tract aloud 
 at home." 
 
 " Not yet," said Mark. " I am not 
 strong enough. It is only an hour 
 since the son of the innkeeper ridiculed 
 me, because I told him I would not go 
 to play ninepins with him, while I ought
 
 THE GOOD TRACT. 27 
 
 to be at work. He asked me if I had 
 become a bigot, and I did not know how 
 to reply. Bat I have read this httle 
 book for the third time." 
 
 '- Ah !" said Josephine, ^' we ought to 
 read the Bible, and w^e have none." 
 
 ^•That is true!" said Mark, with 
 astonishment, '-I never thought of it. 
 Xo, we have no Bible in the house. I 
 am sorry for that !" added he, looking 
 down and striking the earth with his 
 spade. 
 
 " What shall we do, then ?" asked Jo- 
 sephine, '- for we ought to have one." 
 
 Mark said nothing, and returned pen- 
 sive. From that day his conduct be- 
 came more and more res-ular and m- 
 dustrious.
 
 28 THE aOOI) TRACT. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 READING IX THE FAMILY A BIBLE PURCHASED. 
 
 About a Aveek «after the first circnm- 
 stance we have named, his father, who 
 had seldom manifested any kindness 
 towards him, said, at table, in pre- 
 sence of them all, ^'Well, Mark, tell 
 ns what has happened to you, for it 
 is a pleasure to see how well you be- 
 have. Say, my boy, where did }'ou get 
 this wisdom ?'' 
 
 "From this httle book," said Mark, 
 drawing from his pocket the tract which 
 he had found. 
 
 " What book is that ?" said the mother, 
 scornfully. '' Is it not one of those non- 
 sensical — ?" 
 
 "Hush!" cried the father. "Since 
 this book has done orood, how can it
 
 nil:: GOOD IKACT. 29 
 
 be nonsensical ? Do we make good wine 
 of rotten grapes ?" 
 
 "But," replied the mother, sharply, 
 ^' I do not wish introduced into my house 
 these books which they scatter — ." 
 
 "Well, for my part," said the vine- 
 dresser, •• I wish anything that will make 
 our children better. Mark has worked 
 industriously for a week past ; he has 
 not given me the least trouble ; and since 
 he says it is this book which has made 
 him better, I will read it also myself. 
 Read it to us, Mark. Come ! we will 
 listen. Wife ! be silent, and you also, 
 Peter. As for Josephine, I know she 
 is all read}'.'' 
 
 ]Mark commenced reading, but he 
 could not continue ; his father rose and 
 went out, without speaking, and his 
 mother began to clear off the table, also 
 in silence.
 
 30 THE L5U0D TRACT. 
 
 But when the family were assembled 
 together in the evening, the father said 
 to Mark, '' Continue your reading. I 
 should like to hear the end of it." 
 
 ^lark read, and when he came to 
 what the tract says about the Bible, 
 the vine-dresser cast his eyes on a shelf 
 where there were a few old books, and 
 said, "Wife, did we not have a Bible 
 once ?" 
 
 '' More than fifteen years ago," replied 
 the wife, "you changed it away for a 
 pistol." 
 
 The Adne-dresser colored, and listen- 
 ed, without speaking, to the rest of 
 the tract. When it was finished, he 
 remained silent, with his head cast 
 down, and his hands clasped on his 
 knees. Josephine thought this was 
 the moment to speak of her desire to 
 possess a Bible, and, approaching her
 
 THE GOOD TRACT. 31 
 
 father, she stood beside him, without 
 speaking. 
 
 The father perceived her, and raising 
 his head, said to her, "What do you 
 "want, Josephine ? Tell me, my child." 
 
 " Dear father," she said, " I have long 
 desired to read the Bible. Will you 
 please to buy me one ?" 
 
 " The Bible !" exclaimed the mother. 
 "What can you want of it at your 
 age?" 
 
 " Wife ! wife !" said the vine-dresser, 
 impatiently; "when will you let me 
 do what is good ? Yes, my daugh- 
 ter," pursued he, patting Josephine's 
 cheek, "' I will buy you one to-mor- 
 row. Do you think the pastor has 
 any to sell ?" 
 
 " yes," exclaimed Josephine ; "' some 
 veiy large ones too." 
 
 "Well," said the father, rising and
 
 32 THE GOOD TKACT. 
 
 leaving the house, ^'you shall have a 
 large one." 
 
 ^^But," exclauned his wife, ^'you do 
 not know what it will cost." 
 
 " It will not cost as much as the wine 
 which I shall no^ longer drink," replied 
 the father with firmness. 
 
 He kept his word. The next day 
 the Bible was bought; and the father, 
 the very same evening, asked JMark to 
 read a chapter aloud. This evening 
 the inn did not see hhn. He did not 
 appear there for a whole week. His 
 friends laughed at him, and tried to 
 entice him. He was tempted ; but the 
 thought of the Bible withheld him, and 
 he refused. 
 
 "Are you mad?" said they. ^'No," 
 replied he ; " but I read the Bible 
 now ; and since it says that dritalcards 
 cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven,
 
 THE GOOD TRACT. 33 
 
 I mean to obey it, and cease to be a 
 drunkard." 
 
 '•'You see," said Josephine to Mark, 
 as they were on their way to the 
 church, ''how good God has been to 
 us. We have a Bible, and can read it 
 at home !" 
 
 Mark. Have you told the son of the 
 pastor how much good his tract has 
 done us ? 
 
 Josej)hine. I told his mother. 
 
 Mark. And what did she say ? 
 
 Josephine. She said that God is ad- 
 mira1)le in all his ways ; and that, since 
 he has thus commenced his work in us, 
 he will surely complete it. 
 
 Mark. Who would have said, when 
 I went, like a rebel, to that fete, that 
 God was then waiting to draw me to 
 himself? But, dear Josephine, there is 
 much to be done ! 
 
 3
 
 34 THE GOOD TRACT. 
 
 " Listen," said Josephine : " what God 
 has promised he will perform. He tells 
 us to pray in the name of the Saviour : 
 we will do so ; and we shall soon become 
 wiser."
 
 GOOD BOYS, 
 
 Two ragged ill-looking boys were loiter- 
 ing before the door of a minister's 
 house, one Sunday morning. They 
 looked as if they wished to ask for 
 something, but were afraid. The min- 
 ister happened to see them, and, 
 opening the window, asked what they 
 wanted. 
 
 Boy. Sir, we are told that you some- 
 times give away little books, and we 
 should like to have some. 
 
 Minister. What do you want them 
 for ? Can you read them ? or do you 
 want them to sell ?
 
 86 GOOD BOYS. 
 
 Boy. Sir, we wish to have them to 
 read. 
 
 Minister. Do you know they are re- 
 ligious books ? 
 
 Boy. 0, sir, we dare say they will 
 do us good. 
 
 Minister. I hope they may. Here 
 are some, and I pray to God that he may 
 teach you to understand them. 
 
 The minister then gave them some 
 tracts, which they received very 
 gladly. The same evening two other 
 boys, well dressed and respectable in 
 their appearance, asked to see the 
 minister. 
 
 Minister. Well, my lads, what do 
 you want ? Tell me who }'0u are ? 
 
 Francis. Sir, my name is Francis 
 White, and this is James Turner; we 
 come to ask you to give us some of your 
 good little books.
 
 GOOD BOYS. 37 
 
 Minister. Who told you that I had 
 any to give away ? 
 
 James. Lawrence Williams told us so. 
 
 Minister. Who is Lawrence Williams ? 
 
 James. He lives by the side of the 
 river : but I assure you, sir, he is not 
 one of our companions; we are not 
 good-for-nothing fellows like him. 
 
 Minister. Is he a good-for-nothing 
 fellow ? 
 
 James. yes, sir ; everybody knows 
 his character ; he is a thief ; he stole a 
 knife last Saturday from his aunt. 
 
 Francis. And he gave it to the apple- 
 w^oman, who sits by the bridge, for some 
 apples. He is a sad glutton, and never 
 so happy as when he is eating. 
 
 Minister. Are you sure that Law- 
 rence did so ? 
 
 James. Yes, sir, and it was not the 
 first time he has done wrong; a day
 
 38 U001> BOYS. 
 
 never passes but he is punished for 
 fighting, or something or other that is 
 wrong. I once saw him get a severe 
 lecture for quan-ehng and fighting. 
 Ilis father and mother do all they can 
 to make him a good boy. It was only 
 last Tuesday that they tied him to the 
 bed-post all day ; but it is all of no use, 
 for he is a good-for-nothing fellow, and 
 alwaj's in mischief 
 
 3Iinistcr. Can you tell me w^hy Law- 
 rence behaves in this manner ? 
 
 James. Sir, it is owing to bad com- 
 pany ; he is always about the streets. 
 If he goes to school, it is only for once 
 and away, and he pla}'s truant for a week 
 afterwards. He was yesterday caught 
 robbing an orchard. 
 
 Francis. And he got a good thrash- 
 ing; the gardener gave it to him 
 thoroughly.
 
 GOOD BOYS. 39 
 
 James. So it is, sir; one bad thing 
 leads to another : for my part, I would 
 not be a thief for all the world. 
 
 Francis. Nor I ; we should be point- 
 ed at everywhere. Whenever the boys 
 at our school see Lawrence, they hoot 
 after him directly. 
 
 Minister. Do they hoot after you ? 
 
 James. No, sir : we are good honest 
 boys ; we never do wrong. 
 
 3£imster. Then you are quite dif- 
 ferent from Lawrence ; but are you sure 
 you are so much better than he is, and 
 that you never do anything wrong ? 
 
 James considered for a minute, his 
 conscience seemed to strike him, and 
 he said, "No, sir, I do not quite mean 
 that we never do anything wrong. 
 I mean, sir, that we always — no, sir, 
 not quite always — in short, sir, I mean 
 that we are not thieves, and that we
 
 40 GOOD B0Y6. 
 
 go to school regularly, and never play 
 truant." 
 
 Minister. James, suppose your fa- 
 ther's shop-boy were to steal some money 
 out of the till, what would be done to 
 him ? 
 
 James. 0, sir, he would soon be turn- 
 ed off; and, indeed, I should suppose he 
 would be put in prison. 
 
 Minister. Most likely. But suppose 
 he said, " I should like to take that mo- 
 ney, and I would do so, only I should 
 be punished for it ;" now, tell me, is not 
 he in reality a thief? 
 
 James. Why, yes, sir ; he is a thief 
 in his heart. 
 
 Minister. You are right, James ; for 
 it is a sin, in the sight of God, to wish 
 to do wrong, as well as actually to sin 
 openly ; for God sees the heart, and looks 
 at our secret desires and inclinations.
 
 GOOD BOYS. 41 
 
 Francis. Yes, sir, God sees every- 
 thing — in the dark as well as in the Hght. 
 He kno\YS everything. 
 
 James. And I am very sure he has 
 seen Lawrence when he was steahng. 
 
 Minister. But, James, do you think 
 God only looks at thieves ? 
 
 James. Yes, sir, he sees ever}ioody 
 and everything. 
 
 Minister. Does he also see those 
 who are proud, and liars, and swearers ; 
 those who disobey their parents and 
 masters, the envious and the slanderers ? 
 
 James understood what was meant, 
 and remained silent. 
 
 Minister. Look at those two i)osts : 
 tell me which is the best ; that green 
 one which has been lately fresh painted, 
 or the other which looks so shabby ? 
 
 James. The shabby-looking one is 
 the best piece of wood.
 
 42 GOOD BOYS. 
 
 Minister. Then you mean, that as 
 that smart looking green one is worm- 
 eaten and decayed, it is not so good as 
 the other, though it looks so much better 
 on the outside. 
 
 Francis. There can be no doubt about 
 that, sir. A piece of pine which is sound 
 and is good at heart, is much better 
 than a piece of oak if it is rotten and 
 decayed. 
 
 Minister. Well, Francis, consider 
 yourself, and tell me, frankly and truly, 
 remembering that God sees you, have 
 you a good heart? You and James 
 are much better dressed than Law- 
 rence, and you are not good-for-nothing 
 fellows, as you call it, like him ; but do 
 not trust to the outward appearance only, 
 do not look only at the smart color 
 painted outside, but examine what the 
 inside really is. Tell me, arc you really
 
 GOOD BOYS. 43 
 
 good, and without blame, in the sight 
 of God ? What do you suppose God 
 thinks of you ? 
 
 Francis looked down, but said no- 
 thing; he seemed to recollect some- 
 thing ; and, when he remembered that 
 the eye of God was upon him, he did 
 not feel quite so comfortable and so 
 much at his ease as he had done just 
 before. 
 
 Minister. Francis, you do not answer 
 my question. Are you quite a good boy 
 in every respect, and without blame in 
 the sight of God ? 
 
 Frauds. No, sir, there is nobody who 
 is quite good in every respect ; we have 
 all done something wrong. 
 
 Mini st err And what have you done 
 amiss : 'suppose you tell me at once ? 
 
 Francis. Ah, sir, I have naught}^ 
 thoughts, and sometimes I speak naugh-
 
 44 GOOD BOYS. 
 
 ty words, and am in a passion now 
 and then. 
 
 Minister. And have you never said 
 what was false or untrue, and intended 
 to deceive? Are not you sometimes 
 idle, or greedy, or envious, or spiteful, 
 and revengeful ? And have you not 
 sometimes sinned against God ? 
 
 Francis, No, sir. I have never sinned 
 against God, whatever else I may have 
 done. 
 
 Minister. What ! never ? Have you 
 never broken the Sabbath ? Do you al- 
 ways keep holy the sacred day ? Do 
 not you sometimes forget that it is a day 
 in which you should think about God 
 and your souls, and not play as on other 
 days? 
 
 James. 0, sir, all our school-fellows 
 play, sometimes, on Sundays. 
 
 Minister. But supposing all your
 
 GOOD BOYS. 45 
 
 companions break the commandment 
 of God, do you suppose that they are 
 right in so doing ? Remember, you are 
 not to follow a multitude to do evil. 
 Exod. xxiii, 2. 
 
 James. True, sir, I had forgotten 
 that. 
 
 Minister. You see, then, that you 
 ouo'ht not to sin against God ; and re- 
 member that if you sin against others, 
 you sin against God, for He has com- 
 manded us to love our neighbor as our- 
 selves. Matt, xix, 19. 
 
 Francis. Yes, sir; my mother tells 
 me not to vex my little sister, and if I 
 should go and tease her it is very plain 
 that I am disobedient. 
 
 Minister. Then, Francis, how can you 
 say that you have never sinned against 
 God, since you confess that you are 
 sometimes in a passion? With whom
 
 40 GOOD BOYS. 
 
 have you been angry? Was it only 
 with your dog or the cat ? 
 
 Francis. No, sir ; there are several 
 persons at home that I have some- 
 times been in a passion with, they are 
 so cross to me. 
 
 Minister. I do not wonder at that, 
 if you are only good-humored to those 
 persons who flatter and spoil you. But 
 you now see that you have sinned 
 against God, so that you are a sinner 
 before him, and need his forgiveness, 
 as well as Lawrence, whom you have 
 just called a good-for-nothing fellow. 
 
 James. But, sir, if you ask any per- 
 sons who know us, they will give you 
 a better character of us than of him. 
 
 Minister. What has other people's 
 opinion of you to do with the state of 
 your heart? Did not you tell me just 
 now that God looks at the heart ? Are
 
 GOOD BOYS. 47 
 
 you aware that a murderer is worse 
 than a thief? 
 
 Francis. Certainly, sir ; for a thief 
 does not kill people, at least he does not 
 always. 
 
 James. Surely we are not murderers ! 
 
 Minister. James, tell me, do you be- 
 lieve the Bible ? 
 
 James. Yes, sir, I beheve all that it 
 tells us is true. 
 
 Ministey. Then, what do you say to 
 these words of our Lord Jesus Christ ? 
 " Whosoever shall say to his brother. 
 Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire." 
 Matt. V, 22. And remember the de- 
 claration of St. John, that ^'whosoever 
 hateth his brother is a murderer." 
 1 John iii, 15. 
 
 James. I never attended to these 
 words before ; nobody ever showed them 
 to me.
 
 48 GOOD BOYS. 
 
 Minister. They are not the less true 
 for that. God forbids all envy, hatred, 
 malice, and all uncharitableness ; and de- 
 clares that those who live therein, sin 
 against him, and shall not inherit the 
 kingdom of heaven. This he positively 
 declares, and therefore I tell you that, 
 in the sight of God, you are a sinner as 
 well as Lawrence ; and on this account 
 I was sorry to hear you praising your- 
 selves, and finding fault with him in the 
 manner you did a few minutes ago. Do 
 you recollect what our Lord said about 
 the man who saw the mote which was 
 in his brother's eye, but — ? 
 
 Francis. yes, sir : — he did not per- 
 ceive the beam that was in his own. 
 I have read about it in my gi-andmother's 
 great Bible with pictures. 
 
 Minister, It is, indeed, necessary 
 that we should know our own hearts ;
 
 GOUD BOYS. 49 
 
 and this, my children, is what I wish 
 you to do. Do not employ yourselves 
 in thinking so much about Lawrence 
 and his wicked doings. You have great 
 reason to be thankfid that you have been 
 kept from being like hmi in some re- 
 spects ; but consider your own conduct, 
 and }'ou must be aware that there arc 
 many things in which you offend God. 
 Wlio will have to answer for you before 
 God ? 
 
 James. 0, sir, ever\' one must answer 
 for himself: there can be no doubt of 
 that. 
 
 Minister. And what will you say, 
 James, when you are called upon to 
 render account of the manner in which 
 you have kept the holy law of God ? 
 Think: you must go either to heaven 
 or to hell : to which do you wish to go ? 
 
 James. To heaven, certainly. And 
 4
 
 50 GOOD BOYS. 
 
 I do not talk carelessly about the day 
 of judgment, as some people do. 
 
 Minister. My boy, do not talk about 
 other people, but tell me about your- 
 self. Do you think that you ought to 
 expect to go to heaven, having broken 
 the laws of God, having a Avicked sinful 
 heart, as you feel you have ? 
 
 James. I am afraid I should not ; 
 and I see that I must not sin any more. 
 
 Minister. How will 3^ou avoid this ? 
 How will you change the inclinations of 
 your heart ? 
 
 James. I must read good books, and 
 pray a great deal, and go regularly to 
 pubhc w^orship, and do all other things 
 that I ought to do. 
 
 Minister. What should you do if you 
 had splashed your nankeen trowsers ? 
 
 Francis. His mother would give him 
 a good scolding, that she would.
 
 GOOD BOYS. 51 
 
 Minister. But would the good scold- 
 ing take out the splashes ? 
 
 Francis. To be sure not. 
 
 Minister. Suppose he looked into 
 his mother's receipt book, and read 
 there how to take out stains ; or sup- 
 pose he went to the wash-house door, 
 and stood there all day, cr}ing, " I have 
 stained my trowsers !" 
 
 James. That would not be the way 
 to make them clean. 
 
 Minister. Then how do you suppose 
 that merely reading good books, and 
 repeating prayers, will change your 
 heart ? 
 
 James. But, sir, if I do nothing that 
 is wroiig in future, will not that take 
 away my past sins ? 
 
 Minister. James, did you ever see 
 a chimney-sweeper, whose hands or 
 clothes were not dirty ; can he avoid it ?
 
 52 cool) BUYS. 
 
 James. No, sir; not if he follows 
 his business. 
 
 Minister. And can you, who are by 
 nature inclined to sin, and living in the 
 midst of temptation, suppose that you 
 can keep yourself from it ? Do not 
 }'ou know that your heart is inclined 
 to sin ? 
 
 James. It is true, sir, and I have 
 four times determined never to say any 
 naughty words, and I tied a knot in my 
 handkerchief that I might be sure to re- 
 member it ; but somehow I have forgot 
 my resolution. 
 
 Francis. And, for my part, it is not 
 al)ove a month ago that I ate so many 
 tarts that I was ill all the next day, 
 and obliged to take physic ; and I then 
 promised, most seriously, that I would 
 remember not to eat so many next time, 
 but it is onlv three davs aij-o I made
 
 GOOD BOYS. 53 
 
 m3'self ill again in the same manner ; 
 they tasted so sweet and nice, and 
 looked so tempting, spread out on the 
 old woman's table, that I could not help 
 eating a great deal. 
 
 Minister. My boys, you think sin is 
 sweet, and that entices you, and, as long 
 as you delight in it, good resolutions 
 will be of no use ; you will never keep 
 them. 
 
 James. Then, sir, what must we do, 
 if we cannot change our own hearts ? 
 
 Minister. James, tell me what is 
 done when anvthins; wants cleaning:? 
 Do they put water by it, and merely say, 
 It cannot wash itself? 
 
 James. No, sir : they must get some- 
 body to wash it. 
 
 Minister. Well then, since your heart 
 cannot cleanse itself from its evil ways, 
 you must look for somebody to cleanse it.
 
 54 GOOD BOYS. 
 
 Francis. How can I do that ? 
 
 Minister. Is it not written in the 
 Bible that God cleanseth our hearts, 
 by faith in Christ ; and, that the blood 
 of Christ cleanseth us from all sin ? 
 1 John i, 7. 
 
 James. How can this be ? I do not 
 understand you, sir. 
 
 Minister. I will try to explain it. 
 Suppose a man owed more money than 
 he could pay, and was sent to prison. 
 
 Francis. My uncle is in prison for 
 debt ; I went to see him yesterday. 
 
 Minister. Suppose I was to go and 
 pay all your uncle's debts for him, would 
 he still be in debt to his creditors ? 
 
 Francis. No, sir ; and then, my poor 
 aunt and my cousins need not work so 
 hard as they do : and after all I am 
 afraid they will never be able to pay 
 his debts.
 
 GOOD BOYS. 55 
 
 Minister. And what would have set 
 your uncle at liberty, if I had paid his 
 debts ? 
 
 Francis, Your money, sir. 
 
 Minister. So that it might be said, 
 a friend's money had taken away your 
 uncle's debts. 
 
 James. I understand you now. sir; 
 you mean to explain to us, that Christ 
 has paid our debts. 
 
 Minister. Yes : he was delivered for 
 our offenses, and that by the determinate 
 counsel and foreknowledge of God ; 
 and, being by the hands of wicked men 
 crucified and slain, was raised again 
 for our justification. Thus, to use the 
 apostle Paul's expression, '^ He was made 
 a curse for us :" that is, lie suffered in 
 our stead the curse of the law upon 
 transgressors, which we could not in any 
 other way have escaped.
 
 5G GOOD BOYS. 
 
 Francis. Was he then punished in 
 our stead ? 
 
 Minister, I will try to explain it fur- 
 ther to you. All men are sinners, all 
 have sinned against God. There is not 
 one who has kept his holy law. No one 
 of us can cleanse himself from his sins : 
 how then can they be taken away ? 
 Jesus Christ our Saviour, seeing that 
 we deserved punishment for breaking 
 this holy law, took our sins upon him- 
 self, he became answerable for them, 
 and has himself suffered for us the 
 punishment which we deserved. 
 
 Francis. But shall not we be pun- 
 ished for them too ? 
 
 Minister. God has declared that who- 
 soever believes that Christ Jesus has 
 done and suffered this for us, and really 
 desires to be pardoned for his sake, shall 
 be f3rgiven. But mind what I am going
 
 GOOD BOYS. 57 
 
 to say ; this must realh" be desired by 
 you, in your hearts, and not merely be 
 said by you without caring about it, and 
 only, because you are told to say so. 
 
 James. Sir, I have often heard about 
 the Saviour, but never before heard what 
 you have just told me. 
 
 Minister. Then what did you sup- 
 pose was the reason why Christ came 
 into the world, and was crucified ? 
 
 James. That we might be saved. 
 
 Minister. He has obtained forgive- 
 ness for those who believe in him : it 
 does not remain to be done now. If you 
 were to come and say, " Sir, you have 
 ^mid my debts, and I will now go and 
 pay them," you would talk nonsense, 
 or it would be a proof that you did not 
 believe that I had really paid them. 
 
 Francis. This is plain; what has 
 been already done cannot remrun to be
 
 58 GOOD BOYS. 
 
 done now. Sir, it is as if I had a great 
 load upon my back. If somebody took 
 it off, I should then feel quite at ease. 
 
 3finister. My dear boy, if you really 
 believe that Christ died to take away 
 your sins, you will feel at ease, for Christ 
 has said, " Come unto me, all ye that 
 labor and are heavy laden, and I will 
 give you rest." Matt, xi, 28. 
 
 James. Then w^ill Christ be punished 
 for our sins instead of us ? 
 
 Francis. Will he be punished, did 
 you ask ? He was punished when he 
 was crucified. 
 
 Minister. Yes. Christ came down 
 from heaven to save us ; this was done 
 Avhen he Avas nailed to the cross. He 
 who looks to the Saviour for pardon will 
 find it. 
 
 Francis. But, still, will he not be 
 afraid to die ?
 
 GOOD BOYS 69 
 
 3Iinister. Why should be be afraid, 
 since be bas been saved and redeemed ; 
 and^ when be dies, be Tvill go to beaven 
 to tbe Saviour ? 
 
 James. But^ sir, ougbt not I to take 
 care not to do anvtbino' wronor ? 
 
 Minister. Tbere was once a man wbo 
 bad a well in bis garden, and all tbe 
 water tbat was drawn from it was dirty 
 and good for notbing. Tbe man said 
 one day, " I must find out tbe reason of 
 tbis :" be opened tbe well, and examined 
 it, and found tbere was a great deal of 
 dirt in tbe well, wbicb nearly filled it, 
 so tbat all tbe water wbicb was drawn 
 out was muddy and bad. Finding tbis 
 was tbe case, be bad tbe well cleaned 
 out. James, tell me wbetber tbe water 
 wbicb was afterward drawn out of tbe 
 well was the same as be used to have, 
 or not.
 
 GO GOOD BOYS. 
 
 James. It must have been better, be- 
 cause the well had been cleaned. 
 
 Minister. Will he find dkty water 
 in the well, now it has been cleaned ? 
 
 James. No, sir ; as the well is clean, 
 the water will be clear. 
 
 Minister. Our Saviour said, " A good 
 man out of the good treasure of his heart 
 bringeth forth that which is good ; and 
 an evil man out of the evil treasure of 
 his heart bringeth forth that which is 
 evil," (Luke vi, 45 j) and that " every 
 good tree bringeth forth good fruit." 
 Matt, vii, 17. So, if he has been pleased 
 to give you a new heart, he will, by the 
 power of his Holy Spirit, cause you to 
 thinly good thoughts, and to do what is 
 good. 
 
 Francis. But supposing that any one 
 continued to be wicked, to tell lies, and say 
 naughty words, would Christ save him ?
 
 GOOD BOYS. 61 
 
 Minister. Tell me whether you would 
 think the well was properly cleaned, if 
 the water drawn from it was still dirty ? 
 
 Francis. Certauily not, sir. 
 
 3Iinister. And tell me, did the clear 
 Avater clean the well ? Or, was the well 
 cleaned out before the good water was 
 found there ? 
 
 Francis. The well must have been 
 cleaned out first. 
 
 Minister. Then observe this, my dear 
 children. I hope you have been con- 
 vinced that what proceeds out of }'our 
 hearts is not good. You have found a 
 great deal of fault with Lawrence, but 
 have forgotten that in some respects you 
 were as bad as he was. This was wrong ; 
 and you have done other things which 
 were not right in the sight of God, al- 
 though }-ou said that you never did any- 
 thing wrong. You understand, I hope,
 
 62 GOOD BOYS. 
 
 that you cannot cleanse your own hearts, 
 and that before you can please God it is 
 necessary that you should be pardoned 
 by him, and have new hearts given to 
 you. Then believe in Christ Jesus, rny 
 dear children. He has said, " Sutler 
 little children to come unto me, and for- 
 bid them not." Mark x, 14. Confess 
 your sins to him, and beheve that he 
 can take them away and forgive you; 
 and that it was for this he died upon 
 the cross. 
 
 James. But, sir, if you knew how 
 often evil thoughts come into our minds, 
 and how often we see and hear things 
 w^hich are wrong. 
 
 3Iimster. My dear children, God w^ill 
 give his Holy Spirit to those who believe 
 in the Saviour, and the Holy Spirit will 
 enlighten their minds, and cause them 
 to love God. Pray, therefore, above all
 
 GOOD BOYS. 63 
 
 things, for the Holy Spirit ; he will teach 
 you to love what is right, and to avoid 
 what is wrong, and will enable you to 
 live to the praise and glory of the Saviour. 
 
 The conversation ended here ; the 
 minister gave these lads some little 
 tracts, the contents of which might 
 teach them to know themselves better, 
 not to think so highly of themselves, 
 but to seek for true wisdom and peace, 
 which are only to be found in the know- 
 ledge of the Saviour. He then advised 
 them to go to Lawrence, and tell him 
 what they had heard. They went away, 
 askino' to be allowed to come as-ain next 
 Sunday. 
 
 The reader will doubtless be glad to 
 hear that this conversation produced 
 some good effects. James has since 
 come to the minister, and asked to be 
 allowed to attend his Sunday-school,
 
 G4 GOOD BOYS. 
 
 " that," as he said, " he might learn more 
 about rehgion, and the way of salvation." 
 As for Francis, although so quick in his 
 answers, and so ready at understanding 
 what the minister said, he does not like 
 to hear much about God, or to read 
 the Bible ; but hkes better to play and 
 amuse himself with foohsh things. I 
 am afraid there are more little boys 
 and girls like Francis, than like James ; 
 ]3ut, my dear httle readers, I hope you 
 will try to be like the latter, and pra}^ 
 earnestly to God that he will make you 
 so. " Wilt thou not from this time cry 
 unto me, My Father, thou art the Guide 
 of my youth ?" 
 
 THE END.

 
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