How John Became a Man | Page 8

itself to his
mind, he exclaimed, "I wonder why we couldn't get into that trunk the
same as we did the chest?"
In a twinkling, all the boys were examining the trunk, but to their
dismay, they found that the hinges, instead of being on the outside of
the trunk, were arranged differently, and they could not get at them.
Again it was John who suggested a plan whereby they could

accomplish their desires. "Just take a nail," he said, "and turn the head
of it around in the lock. I've watched my father do that, and he gets his
open every time."
The trunk, which was an old one, yielded quickly to the efforts made
by the boys; and upon raising the lid, they saw before them two shining
weapons that were supposed to have been carefully hidden away from
their inexperienced fingers. John and Will each quickly caught one up
in his hand; and Will began handling his as though it were a toy, but
not so did John.
John's father had taught him something of the dangers connected with
the handling of a gun or revolver. Besides, John was at one time
present when a duel was fought; and on that occasion one of the
duelists was killed. The memory of that incident and of his father's
warnings, made John very careful about pointing the revolver at either
of his cousins. It was, therefore, with intense fear that John looked into
the barrel of his cousin's revolver as Will snapped it, aimlessly pointing
in his direction; and John exclaimed, "Turn that thing away, or you'll
shoot me."
Will's answer was: "You needn't be afraid, John. This revolver isn't
loaded."
But John, seeing his cousin's careless attitude, was afraid; and he
dodged down behind a barrel of carpet-rags near which he had been
standing. It was well that John did not longer remain where he had been;
for the revolver contained a solitary load, and the frequent pulling of
the trigger discharged this. The bullet passed the very spot where John
had a moment before been standing, and lodged itself deep in the side
of the trunk.
This experience marked an awakening-time in all of the boys' lives; at
that moment their consciences, which had almost fallen asleep, were
aroused, and in startling phrases gave them accounts of their evil deeds.
With great haste the boys returned the weapons to their former hiding
place, relocked the trunk, and in so far as it was possible, covered all
the traces of the accident. Then, with hearts full of guilty thoughts, the

three boys hastened from the place where a scene of horror had very
nearly been enacted.
Out in the open, where the air was fresh and pure, their spirits to a
certain degree revived. But their usual laughter, fun, and merry-making
had been dampened; and as they wended their way to the prairie
pasture-land, few words were passed between them. Poor little
misguided boys! warned, and yet left so ignorant of what was the right
and the wrong way.
Through the voice of conscience God endeavored to speak to John and
to tell him that his ways were evil and that he and his cousins would
some day get into serious trouble if they continued in the way they
were going; but, although he was sad, he could not understand. He
wanted to be a good boy for his father's sake (for his father was the best
friend he knew); and most of all he desired to become the man that that
parent had wished him to be. John's disregard for his father's warnings
from time to time had been due to the fear that, if he obeyed, his early
manhood would be hindered.
Could that father have given his little son an object-lesson such as an
aged monk once, while walking through a forest, gave his scholar, John
might have been spared much suffering. The monk, stepping before
four plants that were close by, pointed to the first, a plant just
beginning to peep above the ground; to the second, one well-rooted in
the earth; to the third, a small shrub; and to the fourth, a full-sized tree.
Then turning to his young companion, he said, "Pull up the first." This
the boy easily did.
"Now, pull up the second." The youth obeyed, but not with so much
ease.
"And now the third." This time before the boy succeeded in uprooting
the plant, he had to put forth all his strength and to use both his arms.
"And now," said his master, "try your hand on the fourth." But although
the lad grasped the trunk of the tree in his arms, he scarcely shook its

leaves; and he found it impossible to tear its roots from the earth. Then
the