FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64  
65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   >>   >|  
e judges' boat. "You have won the prize handsomely, Frank, and it affords me great pleasure to present it to you," said Mr. Hyde, as he handed him a purse containing the prize. "After the noble expressions of kindness on the part of your rival, I am sure the award will awaken no feeling of exultation in the minds of the Zephyrs, and none of envy in the Butterflies. I congratulate you on your victory." Frank bowed, and thanked the schoolmaster for his hopeful words; and the Butterflies gave three cheers again as he took the prize. The Zephyr was then brought alongside her late rival. "Starboard oars--up!" said Frank. "Larboard oars--up!" added Tony. "What now, I wonder?" queried Fred Harper. "Forward oarsman, step aboard the Butterfly," continued Frank. "Forward oarsman, step aboard the Zephyr," said Tony. Then the next member in each boat was passed over to the other, and so on, till the whole starboard side of the Zephyr was manned by Butterflies, and the larboard side of the Butterfly by Zephyrs. "Ready--up!" said the coxswains, as they proceeded to get under way again. Thus, with the two clubs fraternally mingled, they slowly pulled towards the nearest shore, while the band played its sweetest strains. The spectators still lingered; and as the boats neared the land, they were greeted with repeated cheers. Then, side by side, they pulled slowly along the shore, within a few rods of the lake's bank, till they reach the Butterflies' house, where they all landed. And thus ended the famous boat race, over which the boys had been thinking by day and dreaming by night for several weeks. The occasion had passed; and if it was productive of any evil effects in the minds of those who engaged in it, they were more than balanced by the excellent discipline it afforded. They had learned to look without envy upon those whom superior skill or good fortune had favored, and to feel kindly towards those over whom they had won a victory. It was a lesson which they would all need in the great world, where many a race is run, and where the conqueror is not always gentle towards the conquered--where defeat generates ill-will, envy, and hatred. "A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another," said Jesus--not only love one another when the sky is clear, and the waters are smooth, but when the clouds threaten, and the stormy sea lashes with its fury; not only when the arm of friendship and kindness hol
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64  
65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Butterflies

 

Zephyr

 
victory
 

pulled

 

cheers

 
slowly
 

passed

 

Butterfly

 

aboard

 
Forward

oarsman

 
kindness
 

Zephyrs

 

afforded

 

balanced

 
excellent
 

discipline

 

famous

 

learned

 

landed


engaged
 

productive

 
dreaming
 

effects

 

thinking

 

occasion

 

waters

 
commandment
 

smooth

 

friendship


lashes
 
clouds
 

threaten

 
stormy
 

hatred

 

favored

 

kindly

 

fortune

 
superior
 
lesson

gentle

 

conquered

 

defeat

 

generates

 
conqueror
 

fraternally

 

thanked

 

schoolmaster

 
hopeful
 

congratulate