BOB,
THE CABIN-BOY.
200 MULBERRY-STREET, NEW YORK.
Bob’s father was dead. He diedwhen Bob was so young that thechild did not know as he had everseen him. Don’t you pity little Bob?Would not you feel very sorry ifyour father should be taken awayand you never see him again?
But Bob had a mother. Yes, that[4]was she on her last sick bed; all thelong years since his father had diedshe had worked hard to get enoughto live on with her little boy throughheat and cold, and wet and dry, tillat last she was worked out, and shelay down to die.
She had been a good mother toBob; she had read the Bible to him,and told him all about God, and thegood place up in the skies where hispapa had gone, and where she wasgoing, and where he too would go if[5]he were good. And Bob loved hismother very dearly, and he lovedthe Bible and he loved God. A verygood boy was little Bob; but O itwas a sad, sad day to him when hismother died.
He sat by her side all the timeshe was sick, and read to her fromthe Bible, and talked with her tillhe felt as if his little heart was readyto break. “Mother, O mother, takeme with you, will you not? Whatwill become of your little Bob when[6]you are gone? I shall have noplace to live in. I would so muchrather die and go to the good placewith you.”
“Yes, my child,” the motherwould say, “it grieves me to theheart to leave you here, and I cannottell where you will go; but thegood Lord will take care of you, andit will not be long ere you will cometo be with me. Be a very good boy.Always be ready to do a kind act toall that come in your way, and you[7]will find friends. Come and kissme, my boy;” and then the poorchild would lay his head on the bedsideand sob himself to sleep.
The poor woman had a few friends,but they were as poor as herself, andhad little mouths in their own housesto feed. But one that lived near bysaid that he would take poor Boband care for him till he could findsome one else to take him, and sothe poor woman died with a smileon her face.
Spring came. The leaves were onthe trees, and the grass was greenon the hill-sides and in the graveyard;but it had not grown much onthe new mad