How John Became a Man: Life Story of a Motherless Boy

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s still thrived and bloomed could be seen a small two-story frame building. There was nothing strange in this except that the house was dif

it is possible to obtain. There was, therefore, little thought among them of the hereafter, when men must give an account of themse

er of the little household. But could this happy group have known of the presence of a grim monster just outside the door, who at that very moment was seeking an entrance, their joy would have given place to sorrow. Death was soon to destroy the light a

could not express. During the three years of his short life he had known the care of a tender, loving mother, whose ambitions were high and noble. Although not a Christian, she had often expressed her wish that h

ou must hurry up and become a man as soon as you can; for I need you to help me. Mama has gone away and left us, and she cannot teach you the things that she had planned that you should know; so we will have to do the best that we can

in an awed tone, quite unable to comprehend his father'

w, I will tell you the short prayer that I used to say when I

little bed repeated the prayer that has bee

y me down

, Lord, my

d die befo

Lord, my so

ered a man ought to be. But although he tried, in his childish way, to be one, he was often very lonely; and had it not been for frequent visits to his uncle's home, several miles distant, he would have missed his precious mother

l years the oldest, to be his closest friend and companion. Regardless of these facts, however, the three

the neighborhood corn, wheat, and barley fields that were scattered about here and there over the prairies and that were in but few

usually kept filled with water by the rains. Some of the "wallows," or "ponds," were rather deep, and were treacherous bec

spend with the child. John's aunt, too, although a good woman, was too much occupied with housekeeping to do her duty by her own two boys, much less by a third. So John and his cousins had spent nearly all of the three years that they had been together in doing as they pleased, an

, occupy nearly all their time, and the boys found i

ccasion

s, and that another man got out of a boat to go and meet Him. The first fellow did all right, but the second one came very near drowning because he looked down at the water. Ma

The smaller boys, not knowing the depth of the water, supposed that it was deep and that Will had actually done some marvelous thing. Will did not know that he was doing wrong by speaking lightly of one

he matter over when they

That wallow must have been deep out in the middle. Let's try it some time for

y chose a wallow that they thought would answer their purpose. "I'll go first," Charley said, and he hurrie

ne at once, and with a bound he sprang in after his companion. He did not, however, go beyond the shallow water, and when his cousin came to the surface, he reached o

ry, no questions were asked. But was the scene unnoticed? No. He who notes the sparrow's fall was watching over these little boys; He had not for