When I was eight years of age, my dear father now, I trust, in heaven - promised heaven-promised my sister and myself a reward of a handsomely bound Bible, for reading the inspired volume through in course. As you will suppose, I was very anxious to obtain the beautifully-gilded book, which was already purchased and lying upon the shelf. I read chapter after chapter as fast as I could read. But I had early been taught that the Bible is the word of God; and I knew better than to jabber it off as I did, merely for the sake of getting through it. When I came to Leviticus and Numbers, I found whole chapters of hard names, and ceremonial laws which I could not comprehend; and without going to my parents for explanation, I thought the faster I read them the better, and the sooner I should obtain my reward. The proper course would have been for me to have requested permission to pass over these portions till maturer years enabled me to understand their import, and thus have avoided the sin of treating God's holy word with disrespect, and have lived up to my motto, "Whatsoever is worth doing at all is worth doing well." The facts narrated in these stories are derived partly from personal observation, and partly from other authentic sources. With the sincere hope that they may prove interesting and instructive to my young readers, I am happy to subscribe myself Your friend, THE AUTHOR. |