Paul's Victory.


PAUL MARVIN is a very passionate child.

He is kind-hearted, intelligent, and interesting,

and a bright scholar. He is gentlemanlike

in his manners; and he walks with a quick

step and a decided air, that shows a boy of no

common character. But with all these 

attractions, he is, as I said, a passionate child;

 and for this reason, he has not as many friends

 as he otherwise would have.

One day Paul became angry with his

teacher, and spoke rudely to her. She took

him up stairs and put him on a bed, and left

him to his reflections. It was not long before

he said to a lady in the room, "I will do that

sum now."

"Miss Thompson did not say you could go

down when you were ready to do the sum,"

the lady replied. She laid down her work,

and went to the bed-side, and talked kindly

and affectionately with the child. She saw

that he was penitent, and asked him if he was

sorry he had been rude to Miss Thompson.

"Yes," he replied, with a low voice, at the

same time nodding his head, as if to make

that compensate for his half whisper.

"Are you willing to tell her so?"

 Yes."

"Are you willing to tell her so before the

school?"

"I don't like to do that."

"But your sin was committed before the

whole school; you not only did wrong, but

you were very ungentlemanly. It requires a

brave spirit to be willing to confess that you

have done wrong and to apologize for it. I

know it is hard to do it. The Bible tells us

that 'he that ruleth his spirit is greater than

he that taketh a city.' I want you to be a

brave boy and gain a great victory."

"I don't like to do it, because Ellen will

laugh if I do. She always laughs when I go

down."

"But you must not mind her laughing. I

know it is not pleasant, but the victory will

be greater. Do you think you can do it?"

"Yes," he replied, and the lady kissed him

and told him she thought Miss Thompson

would be willing he should go down.

Paul said in a clear voice before the school,

"I am sorry I was rude to you, Miss Thompson."

And he was permitted to take his accustomed

seat, and go on with his lessons.

I am sure Paul, by his apology, rose in the

estimation of his teacher; and I know she

loved him much; and I am equally sure that

he rose in the estimation of the children, and

what is of still more consequence, he acted

rightly, and did what was pleasing in the eyes

of his Heavenly Father. It was a great victory.

I suppose Paul will have many such

battles to fight; for he is naturally hasty;

but I trust he will so often conquer, that his

temper will be brought into obedience to his

reason; and I hope that other children will be

equally successful in their attempts to do right.




Anna Hope