Rollo at Play; Or, Safe Amusements Part 19

"She does think they were to blame, Rollo, I know."

"No, she does not; she will not hear me say any thing about them."

Lucy did not answer, because she knew it would do no good to dispute with Rollo, while he was so unreasonable. Rollo ought to have been willing to have seen his fault, and to have felt truly sorry for it; but he was not, and so Lucy thought it was better not to talk with him about it at all. If he had been truly sorry, and had gone and told his father so, and asked his forgiveness, he would have been happy again.

But as it was, he was not happy. The recollection of his disobedience and sin would remain in his mind, and though he tried to talk, and laugh, and play, as usual, his mind was not much at ease. In fact, he was secretly glad when the time arrived for going home.

The party all gathered together on a smooth piece of ground, about the middle of the afternoon, to make their arrangements for going down the mountain. They put their baskets, filled beautifully with blueberries, together on the gra.s.s, while they sat on the stones and logs around, to rest a little before walking down.

Then Rollo's father arranged the order of march. Jonas was to go first, with two of the heaviest baskets of berries. Next came Lucy, with her little basket about two thirds full, and with leaves and some beautiful pieces of moss she had found, put in upon the top. Then came Rollo's mother leaning on his uncle's arm. His uncle had a basket of berries in his other hand. Finally, Rollo and his father walked together behind, with each a basket in his hand.

Thus they walked along down the steep path, until they began to enter the bushes. Rollo's father had made this arrangement so that he might have an opportunity to talk with him about the difficulty with the boys, for he thought, on the whole, it would be better to talk with him now than to wait till they got home.

After they had walked along a little way, Rollo's father asked him whether he had a good time blueberrying?

"Why, yes, sir," said Rollo, "pretty good."

"Have you seen any thing more of those boys?"

"No, sir."

"Your mother went to talk with you, and said you did not seem very sorry for your fault."

"Why, father," said Rollo, "I did not do any thing to the boys at all: it was all their fault, entirely."

"I don't suppose you did do any thing wrong towards _them_, but you committed a great fault in respect to me."

"What fault?" said Rollo.

"Disobedience."

"Why, father, how? You did not tell me to stay close by you."

"And is a boy guilty of disobedience only when he does what his father forbids in words?"

"I suppose so," said Rollo.

"What is disobedience?" asked his father.

"Why, it is doing what you tell me not to do; is it not?"

"That is not a sufficient definition of it; for suppose you were out there in the bushes, and I was to beckon you to come here, and you should not come, would not that be disobedience?"

"Why, yes, sir."

"And yet I should not _tell_ you to come."

"No, sir."

"And so, if I were to shake my head at you when you were doing any thing wrong, and you wore to continue doing it, that would be disobedience."

Rollo admitted that it would. "So that it is not necessary that I should tell you _in words_ what my wishes are: if I express them in any way so that you plainly understand it, that is enough. The most important orders that are given by men, are often given without any words."

"How, father?"

"Why, at sea, sometimes, where there is a great fleet of s.h.i.+ps, and the admiral, who commands them all, is in one of them. Now, if he wants all the fleet to sail in any way; or if he wishes to have some one, vessel come near to his, or go back home, or go away to any other part of the world; or if he wants any particular person in the fleet to come on board his vessel,--he does not send an order in _words_; he only hoists flags of a particular kind upon the masts of his vessel, and they all obey them.

"Now, suppose," continued he, "one of the s.h.i.+ps did not sail as he wished, and when he called the captain to account for it, he should say that he was not guilty of disobedience, because he did not _tell_ him to sail so."

Rollo laughed, and said he thought that would not be a very good excuse.

"Well, it is just such an excuse as yours. I did not positively command you not to go near the boys, or not to have any conversation with them at all, though I expressed my wish that you would not, so that you could not help understanding it."

Rollo could not deny that this was so.

"But that is not the only case of disobedience. For you did one thing which was contrary to _my express command in words_."

Rollo looked concerned, and said he was sure he did not know it.

"I told you not to go out of my sight."

"Well, but, father," said Rollo eagerly, in reply, "I am sure I did not mean to. I was picking berries so busy, I did not observe where I was."

"I know you were, and that was the disobedience; for when I command you to keep in sight of me, that means that you must take good care that you _do_ mind where you are. Suppose I were to tell Jonas that he might go and take a walk, but that he must be sure to come back in half an hour, and he should go, and pay no attention to the time, and so not come back until three quarters of an hour; would that be obedience?"

"No, sir; but it would not be so bad as it would be if he should stay away when he _knew_ that the time was out."

"No, it would not be so wilful an act of disobedience, but it would be disobedience, notwithstanding. You see, Rollo," he continued, "when I tell you or any boy to come back in half an hour, there are two things implied in the command--first, that you should _notice the time_, and, secondly, that you should come back when the time is out. Now, you may disobey the command by neglecting either of these."

"Yes, sir," said Rollo, "I see we may, but I did not think of it before."

"No, I presume you did not," said his father; "but I want you to understand it, and remember it after this forever. You have disobeyed, to-day, in two ways, in which boys are very apt to disobey, when they do not mean to do it wilfully. I will tell you what the principles are, again, so that you can remember and tell me when I ask you.

"1. Boys must take care to comply with their parents' directions, if they are expressed in any way whatsoever; and,

"2. When directed to do any thing in a particular time or way, they must see to it themselves, that they _notice_ and _keep in mind the circ.u.mstances_ which they are required to attend to."

Rollo said he would try to remember it, and as he seemed attentive and docile, his father did not talk with him any more about his fault at that time. Besides, they came now to some very rough places in the path, and Rollo's father had to lift Lucy over them.

Lucy spilled some of her berries in one place, and Rollo was going to help her pick them up, but Jonas said they had better leave them for the birds, and walk on.

"So we will, Lucy," said Rollo, "and I rather think that Mosette is hungry by this time."

"Yes," said Jonas, "and what are you going to do with Mosette?"

"O, put him in a cage, and bring him up tame," said Rollo. "I mean to teach him to eat out of my hand. I shall treat him very kindly, though he is my little prisoner."

"I would give: him the liberty of the yard, if I were you," said some one behind, laughing.