Rollo waited until he was tired, and then he had to wait some time
longer. At length his father and mother appeared, and Rollo jumped out,
and asked his father if he might ride in the wagon, and drive the girls
again.
"No," replied his father, "I have made another arrangement. Jonas," he
continued, "you may get into the wagon, and drive on alone."
Rollo's father then helped Mrs. Holiday and Mary into the back seat,
while he put Lucy and Rollo on before, and he took a seat between them.
When they had rode on a little way, he said,
"I was very sorry to have to send you away, Rollo."
"Why, father, I was not more than an inch before you."
"That's true," said his father.
"And I don't think I was in any danger."
"I don't think you were myself," said his father.
"Then, why did you send me back?"
"For two reasons. First, you disobeyed me."
"But I don't think I came before you more than an inch."
"Nor I," said his father; "very likely it was not more than half an
inch."
"And was that enough to do any harm?"
"It was enough to constitute _disobedience_. I told you to keep back,
_outside_ of us, and by coming up even as near as we were, you showed a
disposition not to obey."
"But I forgot," said Rollo. "I did not observe that I was so near."
"But when I give you a direction like that, it is your duty to observe."
Rollo was silent. After a short pause, he added,
"Well, father, you said that there were two reasons why you sent me
away."
"Yes, the other was that you were spoiling all the pleasure of the
party. You kept Mary and mother continually uneasy and anxious."
"But I don't think I went into any danger."
"Perhaps not; that is not what I charge you with. I did not send you
away for going into danger, but for making other persons anxious and
uneasy."
"But, father, if there was not any danger, why need they be uneasy?"
"Do you suppose that persons are never made uneasy and anxious, except
by actual danger?"
"Why--I don't know, sir."
"If you observe persons carefully, you will see that they are."
"Then they must be unreasonable," said Rollo.
"Not altogether," said his father. "If you were lying down upon the
ground, and I were to come up to you with an axe, and make believe cut
your head off, it would make you very uneasy, though there would be
really no danger."
"But this is very different," said Rollo. "That would have been as if I
had made believe push mother off."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account