Page:Anecdotescatechi00spiruoft.djvu/75



A child once  noticed  how  the  thorns  in  a quickset hedge tore  the  wool  of  the  sheep. In his  ignorance he went  to  his  father  and  begged  him  to  cut  down the hedge  that  did  the  mischief. But his  father  was not so  hasty  and  impetuous; he  bade  the  child  sit down on  the  hill  near  the  hedge  and  watch  the  little birds. He did  so,  and  before  long  he  saw  the  feathered songsters  come  and  carry  off  the  wool  to  line their nests. Then the  boy’s  father  said  to  him: “ Do you  see  how  useful  this  wool  is  to  keep  the  poor little unfledged  nestlings  warm? The sheep  do  not feel the  loss  of  a few  bits  of  wool. Now would  you have me  cut  down  the  hedge?”  The  child  begged that he  would  not  do  so. That is  the  way  with  many people; they draw  conclusions  hastily,  without  due reflection, and  therefore  they  fail  to  appreciate  the wisdom that  directs  the  world.

''Q. Did  all  the  angels  remain  good  and  happy? ''

''A. All  the  angel  did  not  remain  good  and  happy; many  of  them  sinned  and  were  cast  into  hell,  and  these are  called  devils  or  bad  angels. ''

There are  evil  as  well  as  good  angels. Hobbes, a well-known English  free-thinker,  used  confidently to assert  that  there  was  neither  God  nor  angel, still less  did  he  believe  in  a devil. Strange to  say, despite his  boasted  unbelief,  this  man  had  the greatest dread  of  evil  spirits; even  in  his  old  age  he