Left to Ourselves
Catharine Shaw
Paperback
(RareBooksClub.com, Sept. 13, 2013)
Excerpt: ... nor the principle of the thing." "Do you mean to say father has ever forbidden me?" "Perhaps not in so many words." "Do you think he would have, if I had waited to ask him?" "I believe so." "I did not do it as an act of disobedience," said 106 Hugh, "and your making it out so is horrid. I thought I was free to take it if I liked, so long as I didn't take much." John sat down by the fire, his face grave and troubled. "Hugh," he exclaimed, in a beseeching tone, "say you won't be tempted to take it again till father comes home. Oh, Hugh, I would give everything I possess if you hadn't!" Hugh was silent. In his present mood he did not feel inclined to promise. "Where's the harm?" he asked at last. "Father trusted us not to take it till we were old enough to judge of its dangers; he said we must take his judgment till then." "And how long was that to last?" "I don't know, but I was quite willing to leave it till then. Hugh, what does our text say, as father is not here?" John's voice was low, and his face full of feeling. "I hadn't that to look at out there!" murmured Hugh. "No. Oh, Hugh, say you will not again till they come home?" "I'm sure I wish I had not, now you say so much about it. John, you won't tell the girls?" "Not 'the girls;' but I must tell Agnes." "Then I shan't promise!" John was staggered for a moment, but after an instant he said: 107 "I must not do evil that good may come. I'm sure you will think better of it, Hugh dear; and it would be such a comfort to me if you would." "At anyrate don't tell Agnes to-day, till I have had time to think it over. Do as much as that for me, John." "I think I may promise that," answered John. "Hugh, we've had such a beautiful sermon this morning on, 'Able to keep you from falling;' it has helped me ever so much." Then John left the room, and Hugh got up and walked round the table, and stood in front of the new frame: he stood long and silently, and did not move till the others came in. "You are not...