The Lost Boys And Their Dog Pomp.

  

I will here relate for you a little incident that

 occurred when I was a small lad, and when this

 country (Illinois) was quite thinly settled, and 

the woods but a wilderness. I, in company with 

my brother two years older than myself, started

 to hunt a cow that had strayed away. We 

started into the woods, and traveled a long way

 without paying any attention to the direction we

 were going. Finding ourselves very tired, and no

 hopes of finding the cow, we concluded to 

return home, but as we had not paid attention to

 the course we had come, we did not know which

 way to go. After some consultation we agreed

 upon the direction to start, hoping we were 

right, but fearing we were wrong; and after 

traveling some way, we concluded we were

 wrong, and without much hesitation, we began

 to retrace our steps.

Our faithful old house dog walked close to our

side all the while, until we thought we were 

wrong, when we started in another direction; 

and thus we continued to wander about, tired

 and hungry, the thistles striking our bare feet,

 and making them sting so badly as almost to 

make us cry. At last, finding all our efforts 

fruitless, we stopped, and as we thought of our

 dismal situation, lost in the woods and night

 coming on, we both began to cry. At this, our

 dog Pomp seemed to know we were in distress,

 and would look up into our faces and whine as

 though he wanted to help us.

It is on an occasion like this, my dear children,

that we can feel how dear our parents and our

homes are. And it was there in the dark woods,

made still more drear by the idea of being lost,

that my acts of disobedience came to mind; and I

resolved to be obedient to my parents, whom I 

never valued so much as I did then; and never be

 ungrateful for the tender love they had for me. I

think it would do some children good to be lost 

in the dark woods for a little while. Those who 

think they are old enough to do as they wish, 

and do not appreciate the watchful care of their

 parents. It would lead them to reflection, and to

 a sense of their own dependence.

But to return to my narrative: We wept bitterly

at the thought of having to stay in the woods all

night, and Pomp seemed to feel sorry for us too.

He would walk around us, and then sit down and

look in our face, and whine, and seemed very 

anxious to help us. At this time the thought 

came into my mind, Send Pomp home, and then

 follow him.

I told my brother of my plan, and he gave the 

command, "Pomp, go home!" The dog seemed to

 understand it all, and immediately started off on

 a trot, and we started after with new courage,

 trusting in the guidance of our faithful dog; nor

 were we disappointed; for in a short time we 

were in sight of our home, which we were never

 more glad to see.

Now, my dear children, I fear that many of you

are wandering in a more dreary wilderness than

we were: that is, the wilderness of sin. But there

is One who is ready and willing to lead you in the

right way, if you will only obey him and keep his

commandments. Let us ever strive to love him

 who first loved us, and sent his own Son to

 suffer and die for us, that he might lead us out

 of this wilderness of sin to our Father's home

 above, where Jesus has gone to prepare us a

 mansion, and has promised to come again to 

take us to himself.

 John 14:3.

Was ever love like this? O no!

My dear little children, do you not want to be

among the one hundred and forty-four thousand?

Then you must keep the commandments; for this

is the love of God, that we keep his 

commandments.

And the fifth commandment says, "Honor thy

 father and thy mother, that thy days may be

 long upon the land which the Lord thy God

 giveth thee."





I. F. BALLENGER. 

Oneco, Stephenson Co., Ills.