TALKS TO LITTLE FOLKS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1205, 5 April 1895, Page 13

TALKS TO LITTLE FOLKS.

THIS SPECIALLY FOR BOYS. By Rev. William Birch, D.D. “ I WILL NOT ; IT IS NOT RIGHT I” Lyttn Was young in yeats, but tall of stature and quick in perception > and when sent to a well-known British public school near London, Was placed in an upper form and a dormitory of boys his size but considerably older; When his mother was dying* almost her last words to the nutse who held Lynn, then only a few days old, for her last tender kiss Were* “ When my babe is old enough to know, tell him horn me* and fob ray sake, to die . rather than do anything he knowa is wrong in the sight of God/' His father was seldom at home, and little Lynn was brought up amongst servants, and mixed with men, who trained him in athletic exercises ; and, spending most of his leisure alone, he became a youth when he should have been only a child. He had great influence. If a man uttered an oath Lynn would stand bareheaded with his right hand pointing up, and nothing could induce him to speak to the swearer until he had made an apology. He had queer ways. He prayed to God night and morning, but during the day would unlock his mother’s bed-rocm door—it was not used after her death —and, fastening the bolt inside, kneel down and speak and pray as if she were present, thinking she came from Heaven to meet him there. Believing that both God and his mother always observed him, he grew truthful and fearless, hating the wrong for her sake until righteousness became his second nature.

He was asked to say that a certain servant had not left the house one evening, though he had seen her outside, and replied, “I cannot ; it is not right; but if questioned, I will refuse to answer.” The misconduct of the servant was, however, discovered by the housekeeper in another way, and in her anger, simply because he knew, she and another held a hot iron to Lynn’s back, severely burning him. They knew he would not expose them : he did not, for he thought it mean to telltales to get any one into disgrace ; but in the. dark, he went into the closed bedroom, told his mother, was comforted, and slept on her bed that night. In the winter frost, several older boys wanted his help, and his name if any one had to be blamed, to open the lock-gates at night and let the top-river run through to flood the lower fields for “ a grand stretch of ice to skate on, same as they have in Holland.” Lynn refused, saying, “ I will not ; it is not right; it will do grievous harm, and it shall not be done ; I will tell the keeper to put the chain on, but not say why." In a great rage the boys seized him, and, though he pulled one of them after him, they succeeded in holding him head downwards in the river, almost drowning him. The next day, however, he got the four boys together, and, with two men friends and the village constable to see fair play, fought them, as it was called, “ one down and the other come on,” and, though himself considerably bruised, gave them such a beating as made them in future respect the “ flag of Right,” as Lynn called it. The constable said, “ That fight was as good as seeing Shakespeare with a moral at the end.” * ,

Soon afterwards, having a fair knowledge of mathematics and the classics, Lynn was packed off to the fashionable public school, his old nurse weeping over him as if he were “ going to the wars." In his dormitory were seven older boys, one of whom was the chief bully of the school and ringleader in wreng-doing, two being his “ pards ” or partners, the three bullies overawing the junior four, making them also mean and bad. In this den of terrorizing prigs, Lynn that night knelt to say his prayers, when some one poured a jug of water over him : he shivered, but concluded his prayer, and quietly changing his garment as if nothing had happened, got into bed, thinking it might be the wars ” after all. Just then, one of the masters came round and occupied a spare bed in the room opposite, which prevented further unpleasantness.

Though the boys in that wing of the school wished to be considered aristocrats, it had a bad name for rowdyism, and the dormitory doors had been removed, while a master at unawares walked round, and occasionally slept there ; but when any “ devilment ” was on sentinels watched for the master's coming across the qiiadrani.de to give time for everyone to leap info bed and pretend to be fast asleep, several oeing so accomplished in trickery as to gentlv snore ; audit was usual for a master to spend the night there when new boys entered. Next day it was generally remarked that Lynn had been let off easily.

a.-' The following night, however, the bullies decided to “ properly break in the new saint. ’ and a junior was sent to watch.

Lyon was not allowed to knee! in | riyer, and after a fierce fight during which his costume was torn to ribbons, the fellows stripped and tried to treat him badly, when pitting forth all his strength, he broke loose crying, “For God and my mother I”—struck two of the bullies to the floor, seized the ringleader by the throat, and gripped another round the neck ; but after a terrible struggle he became almost breathless, was then overpowered, flung on a bed, and savagely beaten with the bristle ends of a hairbrush.

By this time the doorway was crowded, but no one dared interfere with the bullies, and Lynn remained exhausted on the bed. After whispering the bullies got into bed, but did not send to call in the sentinel, which made Lynn suppose they meant to carry our their wicked intention.

Recovering strength, he slipped on a garment, ran down the staircase, and returned with a short and heavy iron poker. Backing in a corner and facing the enemy, he knelt with his eyes open to say his prayers, but found it difficult to keep his thoughts in the right groove, and, firmly gripping the poker, closed his eyes and prayed for wisdom and courage to make him act worthily for God an.d his mother. His extraordinary action, which one of the fellows afterwards

said seemed supernatural, or the fear lest the poker in such a determined hand might do more than bruise the skin, had a soothing effect on the bullies, who made no sign of getting out of bed. Lynn then went to give the signal to the sentinel to return* and took his friend the poker to bed, knowing that he Was indeed in the wars, and tried, without success* to sleep with one eye open like a dog on guafd. He slept like a tired boy. The next morning the three junior culprits and the sentinel begged Lynn’s pardon, saying the others compelled them to do Wrong ; and they shook hands. He then went away to pray for guidance, and haviug as he supposed received divine direction, called on the Dux (the captain about eighteen years of age) of the school, saying he wished to challenge three fellows, naming them, and if Dux would see fair play, he would give them every advantage and fight them “ one down and another come on.” Dux was amazed, wanting to know if he were serious and what it was all about, but Lynn respectfully and firmly declined to give any particulars, saying, “ Challenge them I must for the, honour of the school, but I cannot tell tales ; it is not right!”

Dux slapped him on the back, exclaiming' “ We heard you were a religious chap, but that kind of religion smartens one up—T am a bit religious that way myself. Of coarse, young 'un, if you are in dead earnest, I will see fair play, but those fellows are older, and may inash you into pudding.” Lynn answered, “ I must do it for G-od’s sake, and for my dead mother’s sake.” “ Shake hands, old man,” cried Dux, “ I will arrange a fair and square battle this evening after prayers." During the day the matter got wind, and there was suppressed excitement, the school congregating in groups to discuss it ; for there had not been “ a stand up proper fight" a long time, and the new boy challenging three bullies, as they were well known to be, was a startling affair. Meanwhile Dux gave the challenge to the three, saying, he had made up his mind to sse fair play, and that it should take place before all the school. As the boys filed out after evening service, Lynn remained, and Dux, turning back to bid him be of good heart, found him on his knees in prayer. Waiting reverently near, when Lynn rose and joined him the manly captain said, “Lynn, my boy, it is an unequal show, but the three are bullies, and, you know, young ’un, buTies are cowards. I was obliged in honour to tell the Doctor (the head master), and, in this instance, he thinks the affair must come off, but he hates fighting ; at the same time his sympathy is with you, for one of the four juniors has privately m confidence told him about the bullying of last night, and I think he has been praying for you ; at least, he said, ‘ Tell young Lynn to remember David.’ ” Lynn grasped the hand of the friendly Dux, saying, “ Yes, it seems as if I had very little chance against the three, but, please God, I will not disappoint you.” “If they prove too much for you,” Dux whispered, “ I am to stop it—the Doctor made me promise that —so, young ’un, shake hands again, and we will go to the battle of right against wrong/' When Dux and Lynn appeared there was a sudden breathless hush. Dux sternly said, “ When one is down, another comes on ; it is scarcely fair, but the challenger wishes it ; there is to be no striking under or on the ribbon (tied round the body just under the. breast) ; if one backs beyond the line it is an ‘over/ and they must nob begin again till I say * Now / there must be silence ; no one speaks but myself; if agreed, hands up 1” Every hand in the crowd of boys solemnly went up." Lynn stood between the chalked lines. 'One of the opponents faced him. “Shake hands/' cried Dux. Lynn in a strangely firm voice for a boy, replied, “ I respectfully decline ■ to shake hands unless he either apologises or is beaten.” “ Well, well /' said Dux, “we must go on without that usual formality." “ Now!”

The boys around scarcely saw how it was done. Like lightning, Lynn had struck out, the other one falling doubled up, and* for a while, blinded. “ Now 1” cried Dux.,

For some time the second opponent fenced, waiting an unguarded moment to strike home, but Lynn, being of lighter build, kept out of harm's way, until suddenly as before he struck so forcibly as to knock the bully beyond the line, where he stumbled and fell with a dreadful looking nose.

The third, the ringleader, was more wary, acting on the defensive, trying to trip Ly nn, and was. unable to do more than strike his fist, but, losing self-control or thinking it might pass unobserved, he gave a heavy blow on the ribbon, when as if transformed with indignation, Lynn suddenly struck him in return, the same moment vaulting on his shoulders, where he held his opponent’s head, as if sitting on a horse ; and, amidst the laughter of the .school, the bully had to “give in.”

Lynn was again at the “ ready/’ but as neither of the other two came forward, lie walked up to Dux, asking for the loan of his riding-cane, and horsewhipped the bullies one after the other, Dux not having presence of mind to stop him, or, perhaps, thinking it was the proper course to settle matters. Lynn begged to be allowed to say that he had given, the challenge only for the sake of true freedom and right conduct; anc Dux exclaimed, “Bravo, our plucky saiDt has struck the last nail in the coffin of bullyis.cn in this school 1”

Then amidst excited “ Hurrahs 1” Lynn held out his hand to the converted bullies one after the other, saying, “Do not let us say anything further about it; I am your friend ; be mine.” That night Lynn said his prayers in peace, and other boys, for the first time during several terms, knelt down in prayer before getting into bed. Bullyism in all the rooms was utterly routed.

Boys, at all costs dare to do what you believe is right. Never do anything that might bring an indignant blush to the face of God, the heavenly Father of us all. When tempted to swerve from the true path in modesty or honour, firmly answer, “ I will not, it is not right \” Masculine religion is not yet old fashioned. Dare to say and do what you think God and your mother wo#ld

have you say and do ; and fight to the death rather than be bullied into doing what you know is wrong in the sight of God and your parents. For the boy who with gracious firmness dares to do right and to refuse to do wrong, I say, with God’s blessing, Hurrah!