the sides of the road, on such patches of ice
as he could find; "but," said she, "be sure you do not go on the pond."
He went out; and contrary to the strict charges he had received from his
parents, he went on the pond. He thought there was no danger; for the
ice was a foot thick. But there was a place that had been cut open to
get ice, where he and his companions fell in, and he was drowned!

Some years ago, a boy in Woburn, named William Wheat, came to a terrible
end in consequence of disobedience to his parents. Three Sabbaths before
his death, he left the Sabbath School, and went to a public house--a
place where no boy should go, on any day, unless sent on business. The
next Sabbath, his teacher reproved him, and he was very angry, and
declared it was the last time he should ever enter the Sabbath School;
which proved true. The next Sabbath, he did not go; and the following
Wednesday, he got an old gun barrel, which his parents had repeatedly
forbidden him to meddle with, and charging it with powder, applied a
lucifer match, to "fire off his _cannon_," as he called it. The gun
burst and killed him instantly. Here was a boy of a turbulent
ungovernable disposition, despising the authority of his parents and the
law of God. He only came to the end to which the road, in which he
walked, naturally leads.

Boys should never attempt to set up their own judgment against that of
their parents. When a parent denies the requests of his children, he
does it, not to deprive them of pleasure, but because he sees a good
reason for it. If the child submits, he will one day see that his
parents had a good reason, although he could not then perceive it. Let
this reflection silence all murmuring: "_My father and mother know
better than I._" The truth of this is clearly proved in the foregoing
cases.

_Conscientious Obedience._

Some children obey their parents because it is right, and because they
love them. This is true, conscientious obedience--the obedience of the
heart. And those who render to their parents this kind of obedience,
will be just as careful to obey them, when out of their sight, as in
their presence; and they will be careful not to _evade_ their commands.
They only want to know the wishes of their parents, promptly to obey
them.

The shouts of half a dozen children were heard from the piazza of one of
the large boarding houses at Saratoga Springs--"O yes; that's capital!
so we will! Come on now! there's Willi