Gray Hairs made happy.
AN INTERESTING STORYFOR CHILDREN.
Providence:
H. H. BROWN, PRINTER.
.........
1831.
Youth has its pleasures, and age hasits cares.
Opposite to the house in whichMary’s parents lived, was a littleopening, ornamented with a grassplot, and overshaded by a venerabletree, commanding an extensiveview before it. On thisdelightful spot, Mary used frequentlyto sit in her little chair,while employed in knitting stockingsfor her mamma.
As she was one day thus employed,she saw a poor old manadvancing very slowly towards her.His hair was as white as silver,and his back bent with age; hesupported himself by a stick, andseemed to walk with great difficulty.“Poor man,” said Mary,[4]looking at him most tenderly, “heseems to be very much in pain,and perhaps is very poor, whichare two dreadful evils.”
She also saw a number of boys,who were following close behindthis poor old man. They passedjokes upon his thread-bare coat,which had very long skirts andshort sleeves, contrary to the fashion[5]of those days. His hat, whichwas quite rusty, did not escapetheir notice; his cheeks were hollowand his body thin. Thesewicked boys no sooner saw him,than they all burst out a laughing.A stone lay in his way, which hedid not perceive, and over it hestumbled, and had liked to havefallen. This afforded them sport,and they laughed loudly; but itgave great pain to the poor oldman, who uttered a deep sigh.
It is very wicked for children to ridiculeaged persons. See II. Kings ii, 23.
“I once was as young as youare,” said he to the boys, “but Idid not laugh at the infirmities ofage, as you do. The day willcome in which you will be oldyourselves, and every day is bringingyou forward to that period.You will then be sensible of theimpropriety of your present conduct.”Having thus spoken, he[6]endeavored to hobble on again,and made a second stumble, whenin struggling to save himself fromfalling, he dropped his cane, anddown he fell. On this the wickedboys renewed their laugh, andhighly enjoyed his misfortune.
Mary