Chapter 12
section 12 of a cup of sweets that can never cloy or delightful tales for good children this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org read by Marie Christian a cup of sweets by Elizabeth simple and Elizabeth Sandham the truant what will become of us tomorrow exclaimed a boy at M school to little George Clifton as they were undressing to go to bed I am so frightened that
I shall not be able to close my eyes George who was very sleepy and had no inclination to be disturbed scarcely attended to what he was saying but on being asked how he thought to get off and how he should relish a good sound flogging if he could not excuse himself he thought it time to inquire into his meaning and was informed that some of the boys had that evening been robbing the master's garden that they had taken away all the fruit both ripe and unripe and had trodden
down and destroyed everything George said he was very sorry for it but he had no fears on his own account for he could prove that he had drank tea and spent the whole evening at his aunt's and was but just returned before their hour of going to bed but Robert assured him that all he could say would avail him nothing and that he was very certain he would not be believed and moreover that the master had declared as he could not discover the offenders he would punish the whole
school and for my part said Robert I am determined not to stay here to suffer for what I do not deserve I can easily slip out of this window into the yard and at the dawn of the day I intend to set off and shall be many miles from him when you are begging in vain for forgiveness of your hard-hearted master George who though a good boy in other respects had a very great dislike to the trouble of learning anything and had been sent to school much against his inclination thought
this an excellent opportunity of leaving it and had no doubt but having such a melancholy story to recount of the injustice of his master added to the many hardships he fancied he had already endured on different occasions he should be able to prevail upon his papa to keep him at home and imagined that when he grew up to be a man he should by some means or other have as much learning and knowledge as other people without plaguing himself with so many books and lessons Robert had therefore
very little difficulty in persuading him to accompany him which he had no reason to wish for but that he knew he had always a good deal of pocket money which he hoped to get possession of and cared very little if once he could carry that point what became of poor George he knew him to be quite innocent and also that the master was well acquainted with the names of the boys who had done the mischief and consequently had no thought of punishing the whole school but he was a wicked boy
had been the chief promoter of the robbery long tired of confinement and determined to run away at four o'clock in the morning they got out of the window into the yard jumped over a low wall and were soon several miles from the school poor little George began before it was long to grow very tired he was hungry also and had nothing to eat Robert asked him if he had any money and said he would soon procure him something to eat if he would give him the means of paying for it but the
moment he had got his little purse in his hand he told him that he must now wish him a good morning that he was not such a fool as to go home to get a horse whipping for having run away from school but should go immediately to Portsmouth where he should find ships enough ready to sail for different parts of the world and would go to sea which was he said the pleasantest life in the world and making him a very low bow he set off immediately across the fields towards the high road and was out of
sight in an instant George began to cry bitterly he now repented having listened to this wicked boy's advice and would have returned to school if he could but he did not know the way back again and if he had known it would have been afraid to see his master he wandered on the whole long day without seeing anybody who thought it worth their while to stop and listen to his tale and at length towards the close of evening quite ill for want of eating and so tired that he could no longer stand
he seated himself by the side of a brook and leaning his head upon his hand sobbed aloud an old peasant returning from his labor and passing that way stopped to look at him and perceiving that he was in much distress went up to the place where he was sitting and inquired kindly what ailed him I'm a naughty boy said George and do not deserve that you should take notice of me when naughty boys confess their faults they are more than half cured of them replied the old peasant whatever you have
done I am sure you repent of it and I will take care of you he then took him by the hand and led him to his cottage which was very near and where he found an old woman spinning near the window and a young one sitting with two pretty little girls and a boy whom she was teaching to read they each had a book in their hand and were so attentive to their lessons that they scarcely looked up when the door was opened there said the old peasant sits my good wife this is my daughter
and these are her children we are poor people and cannot afford to spend much money on their education but they are very good and endeavor to learn what they can from their mother and get their lessons ready against the hour they go to school in the morning that they may make the most of their time and not rob their parents by being idle rob their parents exclaimed George yes rob them replied the old man would it not be robbing their father and mother if they allowed them to
squander their money upon them and paying for their schooling to no purpose George wiped the tears from his eyes and said he was afraid he was a very bad boy but he was sorry for it and would endeavor to mend if his papa could be prevailed on to pardon what was past he then told the old man all that had happened and how the wicked Robert had enticed him to run away from school but he was so hungry and so fatigued that he could hardly speak or hold up his head
the young woman gave him a large bowl of milk and bread and put him into a neat clean bed where he slept soundly till eight o'clock the next morning when after a comfortable breakfast the good peasant accompanied him to his father's house and said so much in his favor and of the sorrow he had shown for his ill behavior that he was immediately forgiven he was at his own desire taken back to school where he entreated his master to pardon the little attention he had paid to his books
and the instruction he had been so good as to give him as also his elopement a fault he had he said repented of almost as soon as he had committed it the master readily forgave him upon his acknowledging his error and assured him that though he always punished those who deserved it he knew very well how to distinguish the innocent from the guilty and that whilst he behaved like a good boy he would have no reason to fear his anger end of section 12
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