Page:Short stories for little folks, or, Little tales calculated to excite juvenile minds to the love and practice of virtue.pdf/22

(22) benevolent perſon he ſhould meet with. His character as a liar was generally known; few to whom he applied paid attention to his ſtory; and no one believed it. After loſing much time in fruitleſs entreaties, he returned with a ſorrowful heart, and with his eyes bathed in tears, to the place where the accident happened. But his father was removed from thence: A coach fortunately paſſed that way; he was taken into it, and conveyed to his own houſe, whither Mendaculus ſoon followed him.

A boy, of whom Mendaculus had told ſome falſhoods, often way-laid him as he went to ſchool, and beat him with great ſeverity. Conſcious of his ill deſert, Mendaculus bore, for ſome time, in ſilence his chaſtiſement; but the frequent repetition it at laſt overpowered his reſolution, and he complained to his father of the uſage which he met with. His father, though of the truth of this account, applied to the parents of the boy who abuſed him. But he could obtain no redreſs from them, and only received the following painful anſwer: " ſon is a notorious liar, and we pay no his aſſertions." Mendaculus was therefore obliged to ſubmit to the wonted correction till full ſatisfaction had been taken by his antagoniſt for the injury, which he had ſuſtained.

were the evils in which this unfortunate youth almoſt daily involved himſelf