Page:Samantha on Children's Rights.djvu/185

 sperits, but the minute I begun to talk about that he kinder whimpered out, "I don't want to everykneeshallbow, and I told Ma that I didn't, I don't know what it is and don't want to talk about it, and I told Ma so, and then she said I'd got to, and then I got mad and I told her I won't everykneeshallbow, and then she whipped me. And what is it, anyway?"

"Say it slower, Jack," sez I.

"Every-knee-shall-bow," sez he.

And then it come to me, "Every knee shall bow." And I went on and told him about the great kind Ruler who made him and all the pleasant things that he had ever enjoyed, and how it is writ down that every knee shall bow to Him.

"Well, I'll do that," sez Jack. "I will kneel to Him now, I didn't know what it meant, and Ma wuz too busy to tell me, and I got mad and wouldn't ask anybody else. And there is sunthin' else that I wanted to know awfully, and I wish you would tell me." That poor little creeter trusted me it seemed more than he did any other person, and I felt greatly complimented by it, as much as if a President or King had paid compliments to me.

"What is the Miz that Ma makes me pray about in church?"

"The Miz?" sez I.

"Yes, the sea and all that in the Miz. I didn't want to pray about that, for I thought it wuz sunthin' big and kinder fuzzy. What is it, anyway?"

And then I told him about the same great Ruler, who ruled over the land and sea, and all that in them is. And he went to bed quite happy and promised to say his prayers good, and I believe he did. Poor little creeter!

Well, he stayed two days and had an awful good time,