"
"Oh, good!" cried Prue, nestling closer to express her appreciation.
"What kind of stories do you like best?"
"Not sad ones. Don't let anybody die."
"This story is about a boy. He was like other boys, he was bright and
quick and eager to get on in the world. He loved his mother and his
brother and sister, and he worked for them on the farm at home. And then
he came to the city and did so well that all his friends were proud of
him; everybody liked him and admired him. He was large and fine looking
and a gentleman. People thought he was rich, for he soon had a handsome
house and drove fine horses. He had a lovely wife, but she died and left
him all alone. He always went to church and gave money to the church; but
he never said that he was a Christian. I think he trusted in himself,
people trusted him so much that he began to trust himself. They let him
have their money to take care of; they were sure he would take good care
of it and give it safe back, and he was sure, too. And he did take good
care of it, and they were satisfied. He was generous and kind and loving.
But he was so sure that he was strong that he did not ask God to keep him
strong, and God let him become weaker and weaker, until temptation became
too great for him and he took this money and spent it for himself; this
money that belonged to other people. And some belonged to widows who had
no husbands to take care of them, and to children who had no fathers, and
to people who had worked hard to save money for their children and to
take care of themselves in their old age; but he took it and spent it
trying to make more money for himself, and instead of making more money
always he lost their money that he took away from them.
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