The Ten Commandments explained...... Friendly Talk with a Religious Inquirer. The Peach and the Pocket-piece. THE SABBATH DAY BOOK. CHAP. I. HOW TO KEEP THE SABBATH. 1. Saturday Night: a Scene at Home. 2. Account of Dick the Sabbath-breaker. ONE Saturday evening between sunset and dark, several boys were playing upon a sort of common in the heart of a pleasant village. They were in front of a two story white house, which had a little yard filled with shrubbery, before it. The door of this house presently opened and a matronly looking lady appeared, who stood there a few minutes looking at the boys. Presently a small boy who had been looking on while the others were at play, rather than taking any very active part in their sports, came up to one who appeared to be his older brother, and who had just run up, without his coat or hat, and almost out of breath, and sat down upon a little tuft of grass. George," said he, "there is mother standing at the door; don't you think she wants us to come in?" "I don't know," said George hesitatingly, looking towards the house,-do you think she does ?" "No,-No," said a large rough looking boy who happened to be near." No; let her call you if she wants you. game." Come up and let us have another The boys did not rise, but continued looking at their mother. "I think she does want us," said the little boy. "She would not like to call aloud for us, and she has nobody to send for us. You know it is Saturday night." "Poh," replied the rude boy we have before mentioned," don't act like fools. She can find ways enough to get you in if she wants you. It isn't near dark, yet." George and his little brother might, perhaps, have hesitated about their duty, or rather they might have been tempted to have neglected it, but the rude and coarse way by which this playmate of theirs, spoke of their mother, seemed to operate in just the contrary way to what he intended. George got up and began to put on his hat and coat, and his little brother ran on towards the house. Their companion did all he could to restrain them from going, but they were firm. When they reached the house they found that their mother did want them to come in, and she looked pleased and happy that they had taken some pains to ascertain and comply with her desires: I wish all the boys and girls who may read this, could always act on the same principles instead of waiting always to have positive, and perhaps repeated, commands before they will obey. Children ought to comply with their parents' desires however they are expressed. If I hold up my finger to my little boy, when he is making a noise, meaning by it that he must be still, he is guilty of disobedience, if he disregards it, just as much as if I had told him to be still in the most |