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  STRIVE AND THRIVE.




  [Illustration]

  STRIVE AND THRIVE;

  OR,

  STORIES FOR THE EXAMPLE AND ENCOURAGEMENT
  OF THE YOUNG.

  [Illustration]

  LONDON:

  T. NELSON AND SONS, PATERNOSTER ROW;
  EDINBURGH; AND NEW YORK.
  1875.




  Contents.


  COURAGE AND PRESENCE OF MIND,       7

  THE BOY WHO TOLD THE TRUTH,        24

  TRY AGAIN,                         43

  LEARN TO SAY "NO,"                 62

  LITTLE CHARLIE'S WILL,             80

  THE STUDENT AND APPRENTICE,        97




[Illustration: HE THAT WALKETH UPRIGHTLY WALKETH SURELY.]




Courage and Presence of Mind.


George Williams and Edward Jones, two boys living near together,
obtained their parents' consent one Saturday to go to the mill-pond and
skate. There had been some pretty cold weather, and as the ice had
formed rapidly, Mr. Jones and Mr. Williams supposed that the surface of
the mill-pond was as hard as the floor, and that therefore their boys
would be entirely free from danger.

Away ran the two boys, with their skates hung round their necks, and
their thoughts intent upon the pleasure they were to have on the
mill-pond. On reaching the top of a hill which overlooked the pond,
they saw Henry Lee, a school companion, gliding along over the smooth
surface of the ice as swiftly as a bird on the wing. Eager to join him,
they ran shouting down the hill, and were soon occupied in strapping on
their skates. But ere this was completed, the two lads were alarmed by a
cry of terror from Henry; and on looking up, they saw that he had broken
through the ice, and was struggling in the water.

At this, Edward Jones became so frightened, that he threw off his skates
and started back, screaming, toward home; but George Williams, with more
presence of mind and courage, seized a long pole that lay upon the
shore, and went as quickly as possible to the assistance of the drowning
boy. Henry had broken into what is called an "air hole," where the ice
is very thin; and as at every attempt he made to extricate himself the
ice broke with the weight of his body, he was in great danger of losing
his life unless speedy assistance came. If he remained still and held
on to the edges of the ice, he could keep himself up; but then the water
was so cold, that in a little while he would get benumbed, and lose all
power to sustain himself. Before, therefore, the frightened Edward Jones
could alarm his friends and bring assistance, he would, in all
probability, have been lost under the ice.

As we have said, George Williams, who was much more courageous than
Edward, caught up a pole, and ran as speedily as possible to the place
where Henry was struggling in the water.

"Do not be frightened, Henry," he called; "do not be frightened--I am
coming, and will get you out."

At this Henry ceased his violent efforts to extricate himself, and
remained quiet until George came up as near as it was prudent to come,
and laid his pole across the broken place, so that each end of it rested
upon solid ice.

"Now hold on to that," said he, coolly.

You may be certain the poor lad in the water did not wait to be asked
twice to do as he was told. With both hands he grasped the stick. Then
George lay down at full length, and keeping one hand for support on the
pole, crept up so close to the broken place in the ice, that he could
grasp one of Henry's hands.

"Easy--easy," said he, in a calm encouraging voice, as the boy in the
water caught his arm eagerly, and was in danger of dragging him in also.
This gave Henry more confidence, and restored, in some measure, his
presence of mind. After this, it took but a moment for George Williams
to pull Henry out, and get him beyond all danger.

The two boys were more than half-way home, when they met a number of
men, whom Edward Jones had alarmed by his cries for help, running at
full speed to rescue the drowning lad. The praise they bestowed upon
George for his courageous conduct was very pleasant to him, but not half
so pleasant as the reflection that he had saved the life of his young
playmate.

On the evening after this occurrence, Mr. Jones, the father of Edward,
took his son into his room, and when they were alone, said to him,--

"How comes it, my boy, that you did not, like George Williams, go
immediately to the aid of Henry Lee when you saw him break through the
ice?"

"I was so frightened," replied the boy, "that I did not know what I was
doing."

"And this fright would have cost Henry his life, if there had not been
another boy near to save him."

Edward looked very serious, and his eyes were cast upon the floor.

"I am very sorry," he said; "but I could not help it."

"Do not say that, my son," replied Mr. Jones. "This timidity--or, I
might say, cowardice--is a weakness that all may, in a great measure,
overcome; and it is the duty of every one to overcome it, for all
should be brave, and ready to risk even life itself to save others. It
is not often that persons who so risk their lives receive any injury,
for God protects those who seek to protect others. Let me tell you
something that happened when I was a boy. Two children were playing near
a spring. One of them was only four years old, and the other was seven.
The larger boy's name was Frank. While Frank was building a house with
sticks that he had gathered under the trees, he heard a splash, and
turning round, saw that his little brother had plunged head foremost
into the spring, and was struggling in the water. The spring being deep
and narrow--it was walled up at the sides--there was no chance for the
child to extricate himself.

[Illustration: EDWARD AND HIS FATHER.]

"When Frank saw this, he was terribly alarmed, and his heart beat so
loud that it seemed to him that any one standing near might have heard
it. What did he do? Run away for help? No; he was a very little boy,
but he was thoughtful and brave, little as he was. Instead of darting
off for home as fast as his feet would carry him, to get some one to
come and save his brother from drowning, he seized hold of him, and
applying all his strength, succeeded in dragging the already
half-drowned child from the spring. Thus, by his presence of mind and
bravery, he saved the life of his brother.

"These two children lived near a mill, and were permitted by their
parents to play in the mill or about the water, just as they pleased.
They did not think any more of danger than we do when we send you to
school over the long bridge that crosses the river. Well, one day they
were playing by the side of the deep wooden trough or sluice that
receives the water from the mill-race, before it is poured upon the
great wheels. This is furnished with heavy gates at both ends, by which
the water is let on and shut off at pleasure. In this trough the water
glides along more rapidly than in the mill-race, and it is drawn under
the gate at the lower end with a very strong, whirling motion, and
thence passes to the water-wheels.

"By the side of this deep trough, the two children of whom I spoke were
playing, when the little one, who had before fallen into the spring,
slipped off, and went plunging down into the water. Frank saw him fall.
In an instant the child, who was buoyed up by his clothes, went sweeping
down toward the open gate through which the water was rushing. The delay
of half a minute would be fatal. Had Frank become so much frightened as
to be unable to act promptly, had he hesitated a moment what to do, his
brother would have been lost. But the brave boy sprang at once to his
rescue, and leaning down, he caught the child by the clothes, and held
on to him eagerly. The water was so far down, and Frank had to stoop so
low, that he had not strength to pull his brother out; but he held on to
him, and screamed loudly for help. But the noise of the mill was so
great, that the millers could not hear his voice. Still he held on, and
cried out for aid. Nearly five minutes passed before any one came to his
assistance; and then a man who was going by saw him, and ran down along
the mill-race, and rescued the drowning child. Thus it was that the
courage and presence of mind of Frank saved the life of his brother a
second time. Now, suppose he had been too frightened to think or act in
a proper manner, as you were to-day, his brother would, in all
probability, have been drawn in under the gate, and been killed on the
wheel."

Edward shuddered at the thought.

"That brave lad," continued Mr. Jones, "was your uncle Frank; and the
brother whose life he saved is now your father."

"You, father! you!" exclaimed Edward in surprise.

"Yes, my son: I fell into the spring, and your uncle saved me from
drowning by his promptness to act; and I fell into the mill-race, and
was rescued through his courage and presence of mind."

Edward's thoughts went back to the mill-pond, and he saw, in
imagination, Henry Lee struggling in the hole in the ice, and saw how
easy it would have been for him to have gone to his assistance, and
rescued him from his perilous situation, instead of running away,
frightened out of his wits, screaming for others afar off to do what was
needed to be done at the moment. He felt, painfully too, that his
playfellow would have been drowned, had not George Williams, with true
bravery, gone instantly to his aid. It was a moment of self-reproach and
mortification.

"Many years ago," continued Edward's father, "I remember reading a story
of a boy's presence of mind and courage that I shall never forget. The
lad of whom I speak was walking along the road with his mother and a
little sister, when all at once was heard the startling cry of 'Mad
dog!' On looking in the direction from which this alarming cry came, a
dog was seen running toward them, pursued by a crowd of men and boys. A
high fence on each side of the road made escape impossible. So
f