Carrie Gale's First Disobedience.


"THIS afternoon, mother," said little Carrie 

Gale,  " I want to go  over to see  Mary  Law- 

ton.  I haven't  been there for  a  long  time, 

and her mother often  asks me to  come."

"I  know  it, my  dear,"  said  Mrs.  Gale; 

"but Mary is  a little girl who is not taught to 

obey  her  mother,  and  I fear  she  may  lead 

you into harm, if I  allow  you to go  there  so 

often."

"Why, mother, I  haven't  been  there for 

more  than  two  weeks;  and  Mrs.  Lawton 

says she  would  like to  have me  come  every 

day," said Carrie.

"I do not  doubt  it,"  said  her  mother; 

"but I much  prefer  to  have  you  remain  at 

home."

"I don't  see why," said  the  child    

impatiently.  "Grace Lowe  is  to  be  there  this 

afternoon,  and I think it is  too bad  if I can't 

go too.  I'll come  home  early,  and  be  a real 

good  girl, if you'll only let me  go.

"'Well Carrie, I will  let  you go this  afternoon; 

   but you must be  back  at four  o'clock, 

for I want  you then."

"Why, mother, Grace is  going  to  stay to 

tea, and Mary wanted  I should," said Carrie. 

"No, Carrie; I  shall  not let  you stay so 

long.  You must  be  sure  to  return  by four 

o'clock,  as I wish you to  attend the baby, so 

I can  finish  your dress  for  you  to  wear  to 

Sabbath-school to-morrow."

Carrie  had  so  much  feared  her  mother 

would not let her go  at all, she said  no more 

about staying to tea, though  in  her heart she 

thought her mother was very strict not to let 

her do  as  other  little  girls  were  allowed  to 

do.  But she  kissed  her and  the  baby good 

bye as she started away, and  again  promised 

she would  be  back  at four  o'clock.

When  she  arrived  at  Mary's  home,  she 

found  Grace  already  there,  and  the  three 

were  soon  having  a  merry  time  with  their 

dolls,  and  other  playthings,  under the  large 

elm trees that stood in  the  yard, front of the 

house.

For more than  an  hour  they played  there 

in  great glee, till Carrie began to think it time 

to go  home,  and  she told  the  little girls she 

must  see  what  time  it  was, for  her  mother 

had told  her to be  home  at four.

"No, I shall not let you go so early," said

Mary.  "We have only  just  begun to  have 

a good time,  and I want you should  go  with 

us to the  pond for some  lilies."

"O, I couldn't do  that,  even  if I were  to 

stay,  for  mother  never  lets  me  go  to  the 

pond," said  Carrie.

"Now I'd stay longer if I were  you.  Your 

mother won't care.  I'll go  home with  you 

and  tell  her  you  couldn't  help  staying, we 

were  having such  a good  time.  

Come now, do,"  said  Grace.

"No," said Carrie, " I must go, for mother 

cannot finish  my  dress for to-morrow,  unless 

I go home to  help  take  care  of the  baby," 

and she started resolutely for the house to see 

what time it was.

"Is  it  four  o'clock,  Mrs.  Lawton?"  she 

asked,  as  she  neared  the  window  by which 

that lady sat sewing.

"No.  It wants  a  quarter of four,"  said 

Mrs.  Lawton.  "Why?"

"Because  I  must  go  home  soon,"  

said Carrie.

"What!  Go  home  as  early as  this!  It is 

too bad!  I don't  believe  your  mother will 

care if you stay longer.  Why, you  haven't 

but  just  begun  to  enjoy  yourselves,"  said 

Mrs. Lawton.

"I know  it,"  chimed  in  both  the  other 

girls,  "and  I wish she  would stay  as long as 

I do," said Grace Lowe.

"Come, Carrie,"  said  Mrs.  Lawton,  "I 

will  give you leave to stay,  and  your mother 

will  not  care  I'm  sure.  You don't  come 

very often, and I think there will be no  harm 

in  your staying  a little longer."

Carrie  hesitated  for some  time,  but  gave 

her  consent  to  stay till  five  o'clock,  asking 

Mrs. Lawton to be sure to tell her when that 

time  came.  Mrs.  Lawton promised, and the 

girls returned to their play.

But for Carrie,  all  pleasure was gone.  In 

vain  did  she  try to  make  herself think  she 

was  enjoying  her play  as  before;  it was not 

possible.

At  last Mary said to Grace, "Come, let's 

play  something  else,  for  Carrie  is  getting 

tired  of dolls."

"So I say," said Grace.  "Let's go  down 

to the swing in  the  grove."

"That will  be nice," said the others,  and 

away they started for the swing.  Mrs. Law- 

ton saw them start off"  in  that direction, but 

as Mary was in  the  habit of going there oft- 

en,  she thought no more  about it.

The swing was  a large  and  high one,  and 

the  little girls soon  tired  of  pushing one  an- 

other, so  that  amusement was  given  up  and 

they wandered  off in  quest of flowers.  For 

a long time they kept on,  and  each  had  her 

apron full  when  they  came  in  sight  of  the 

pond  where the water-lilies were  growing.

"O, let's get some of those beautiful lilies," 

said Mary.

"Yes," said Grace.  "Won't they be nice 

to take home  to  our mothers?"

"Come,  Carrie," said  Mary, for  the  little 

girl  had  drawn  back  at  the  thought  of get- 

ting the  lilies  her mother  had  often  said  it 

was  dangerous  for  her  even  to  attempt  to 

gather, unless her father was  with  her.

"I'm afraid  you'll  be  drowned," she said. 

"My mother says there is great danger."

"Your mother is  never willing you should 

have  any fun," said  Mary;  "for  my  part, I 

shall  get some  lilies.  Shan't you, Grace?"

"Yes, I shall," said  Grace.  "I  know my 

mother will  not care,  and  I can  be  careful."

By this time the  children  had  reached the 

edge of the pond,  and the lilies shone out  in 

all  their  glory  just before them, though too 

far from  the  edge for them to  reach.

"Let's  take  off  our  stockings  and  shoes, 

and  get them that way."

"No," said  Mary,  "you  wait  a  minute. 

Tom Sawyer's boat is tied just the other side

of that point,  and  we'll get into that, and go 

after  them."

"I shouldn't dare to," said Carrie.  

"We cannot row."

"Yes, I can," said Mary.  "The last time 

I came out with father, he let me row all the 

way,  and said  I was  quite  a  good  rower."

"I'm not a bit afraid," said Grace;  "come, 

Carrie.  We'll have a nice row, and get lots 

of lilies."

By this time, Carrie had gone so far in   

disobedience  that  she  felt  there  could  be  no 

harm in  going a little farther, so she followed 

the  girls  around  the  narrow  point  of  land 

that hid the boat from their sight, and helped 

untie the various  knots in  the  rope  that  

secured  it to  the  shore.

When the  boat was loosed, Mary took the 

oars  as  she  had  seen  Mr.  Sawyer  and  her 

father do,  and  telling  the  girls  to  jump  in, 

she  proceeded  to push the boat off in  quite a 

scientific manner.  But for some time her efforts 

were  not successful,  and  she  began  to  think 

they would  have to give up  their ride,  when 

a more vigorous push than before, loosed the 

boat from the pebbly shore, and nearly threw 

her overboard;  but she  soon  collected  herself, 

and  plied  away  at the  oars with    

considerable skill.  In a little while, they rounded 

the  point,  and  once more the  beautiful  lilies 

greeted their eyes.

They soon reached them, and were all   

anxiously  endeavoring  to  get  as  many of them 

as  possible, without any thought or  care  as 

to  the  position  of  the boat, when  by  an  un- 

lucky  chance,  one  of  them  made  a  sudden 

move for the side  of the boat where the    

others were already reaching out at arm's 

length, and  in  an  instant  the  frail  craft  was

  over-turned, and  all three of the  little  girls 

 were in  the water.

Scream followed  scream,  as  long as  they 

could  keep themselves out  of  the  water  by 

clinging to  the  lily pads.  But  at  last, one 

after the  other, they sank down, down under 

the blue waters.

But  there  was  hope!  Mr. Sawyer,  the 

owner of the boat, had heard cries in that   

direction, as he was going toward the pond for a 

short row before  dark, and  he  hastened  with 

all speed to  the spot where  his  boat was    

usually  anchored.  Finding  it  gone,  he  ran 

around the  point, thinking it  probable some 

one  had  taken  it  to  go  in  search  of  lilies. 

Judge of his surprise when he found it empty, 

and  no  one in sight.  Knowing the  rider  or 

riders must have gone down, he plunged in to 

save  them if possible.

The water was not deep, though  the  long, 

tough stems  of  the lilies  prevented  his making 

much  headway, and  held the boat almost 

motionless where it had  overturned.  But  a 

moment  passed,  when  he  caught  sight  of 

Grace's dress, as she  came slowly to the

 surface  the first time.  He soon  had  her out of 

water  and  in  the  bottom  of the  boat,  while 

he  watched  for  the  others, for  he  had  seen 

the little girls  at play in  Mr.  Lawton's yard, 

and thought it very probable the  three were 

there.

He  had  not  long  to  wait,  for  very  soon 

Mary  and  Carrie  came  to  the  surface,  and 

catching  them  by  the  clothing,  he  waded 

to the shore  with  his  heavy burden, then    

returned to the boat for Grace.

He found it quite a  task  to  attend  to  the 

three, but as no help was near, he was obliged 

to  do so.  It was some time before they were 

sufficiently recovered for him to  leave them, 

and go to Mr. Lawton's house for a  conveyance. 

He  found  Mr.  Gale  there, inquiring 

for his little daughter, whose mother had be- 

come  much  alarmed  at  her  long  stay.  He 

accompanied  Mr.  Lawton  and  Mr.  Sawyer, 

when  they went for  the  children,  and  a  sad 

sight it was to see them  lying  there  so  pale

and helpless.  They each took one  in  their 

arms  and  rode  slowly  home,  all  thanking 

God the  children  had  been saved.

Mr.  Sawyer took  Grace  to  her home, and 

she soon recovered from her fright, and went 

to  school  again  the  next  week,  but  it  was 

not  so  with  Carrie  and  Mary.  They were 

both sick with fever,  and long weeks passed 

before they returned to school.

Mrs. Lawton begged  Mrs.  Gale's forgive- 

ness  many times  over, for  urging  Carrie  to 

disobey her, and told  her if Mary ever recovered 

she should try and  be a different mother 

to  her.  Mary did  recover,  and  her  mother 

kept  her  word,  for  a  more  faithful  mother 

than Mrs.  Lawton  can  hardly be found.

Carrie was so much ashamed of her naughty 

conduct, that she never forgot  the  lesson  in 

her life, and  often told her little brother when 

he was older the story of the  punishment she 

received for  her first  and  last  disobedience. 



  The  Myrtle.