'If I let you go, what advantage could you gain ?' he asked gently. 'Vulpes is twice as strong as you are, and might soon knock you down again, the second time perhaps with more serious consequences.' 'I don't care,' said Fortis in an angry tone. He called me a liar; and 'tis he that's the liar, and a thief too. If he is, he will be sure to be punished for it,' answered Ductor; and how much more he deserves your pity than your anger! But I see you are not in a fit state to listen to me; by and by I hope you will see not only the wickedness, but the absurdity of your conduct.'4 So saying, he took Fortis by the arm, and led him away to the house. Metis, who had begun to cry when she saw the blood upon her brother's face, wanted to go with them; but Lenis, knowing Ductor would be more likely to bring him to a sense of his fault if they were alone, begged her not, assuring her there was not much the matter, and Ductor would be sure to take every care of him. This was indeed the case: a little kind attention soon restored his face almost to its usual appearance, though still a little swollen. His disturbed mind was not so easily set to rights; the passion aroused was too violent to be soon calmed. Hatred towards Vulpes, and annoyance with Ductor for having interrupted them, for a time choked every other feeling. Without saying more, Ductor kindly laid him on a couch in his own little room; and sitting down at some distance, left him for a while to his own reflections. By and by better feelings began to return first gratitude to his friend for his undeserved kindness, then a feeling of shame at his own disgraceful appearance. It was in a subdued and humble voice that he presently asked Ductor if he would help him to repair his dress. It had been so sadly bruised and damaged in the fall, that even Fortis could now see it had indeed lost all its brightness and beauty. Ductor answered that he would give him all the help in his power, but that neither of them could repair it by their own unassisted efforts. As the Good Shepherd provided the dress, and it could + The Golden Gates. 281 be obtained in no other way, so He alone could restore it to its original state. You know,' he added, that although our Shepherd is not here seen by us, yet He can see all that takes place amongst us, and is continually watching over our interests. He has promised His help to all who seek it, and will hear all petitions sent to Him. The first thing you must do, if you would regain His favour, is to confess and forsake the faults which have led to your present sad state.' Fortis made no reply, and Ductor continued: 'I have for some time past grieved over your neglect of duty, and feared, from your never caring to study our Shepherd's will, or to look to His example, that your love to Him was very cold and dead; but I have not been able to discover the whole cause. Bad companions, no doubt, are at the root.' I shall never play with Vulpes again,' exclaimed Fortis ; "he is a great coward, and I hate him!' Ductor looked up with so grieved an expression on his kind face, that Fortis was silent and ashamed. If our Shepherd were to send for you at this moment, do you think you should be ready to appear before Him?' asked Ductor. In a very low voice, Fortis said he 'did not think he should.' 'I have just been reminding you,' continued Ductor, that the only way in which you can become so, is by obtaining His pardon for the past, and help for the future. Supposing He will not grant you the one or the other, what can you do?' You have told me He always will forgive those who confess their faults, and are sorry for them,' said Fortis. Yes; but at the same time, I have told you, and this is truth,' answered Ductor, that He will not forgive us our numberless offences, unless we from our hearts forgive our companions their small trespasses. These are 282 The Golden Gates. His own words, and written so plainly, that a child may understand them' (Matt. xviii. 35). 'It is not likely I can forgive him, when he has taken away my playthings,' answered Fortis. If it were any. thing else, I should not care.' 'And if it were anything you did not care about, there would be no forgiveness required,' answered Ductor 'Just look back upon the last few weeks, and see if the possession of these worthless toys has brought you any real happiness.' Fortis said he thought they had. 'Yet they have been the cause of much quarrelling and many angry words,' continued Ductor, they have made you neglect your duty, and at last led to the breaking of one of our Shepherd's plainest commands.' Fortis did not know that Ductor had ever seen him at play, or heard their disputes; and he wondered how he had found it out, but he said nothing. After a silence of a few minutes, Ductor asked if he thought he had been as happy as his sister or Lenis.' Fortis said, 'No, but they had more pleasures than he : they were always together, and with Fides and Benignus, and did not want him.' 'You must remember it was your own fault: you left them first for bad companions. But even now I am sure they will gladly receive you again, if they see you are really sorry for your faults, and try to amend them.' 'If our Shepherd will only forgive me, I shall not care,1 said Fortis earnestly. I wish I could find some way of showing my love to Him, besides just doing my work, and taking care of my dress; that seems so little.' 'Yet you have not been able to do that well,' said Ductor gently. When your heart is really His, and you give your whole thoughts and mind to please Him, you will soon find other ways of doing so. If you notice Lenis and Metis, you will see that much of their spare time is spent in showing little acts of kindness to their companions,-small and trifling, it may be, in themselves; The Golden Gates. 283 yet if done from love to our Shepherd, He has promised to accept and bless them; and by so doing, they best follow His example, who, when He was here, went about doing good to all around Him. Your sister and Lenis are examples of those who, striving to walk as He walked, attain, without being themselves aware of it, most of His likeness.' Ductor then reminded him that the first victory he had to gain was to conquer his evil feelings towards Vulpes; and he read several passages from his guide-book, in which they were told that no one could really love their Shepherd, or expect His forgiveness, unless from their hearts they forgave all trespasses against them (1 John iii. 4, iv. 20, 21). Fortis still thought it impossible he could forgive Vulpes, or that he should ever like him again. Then Ductor told him it was impossible for him to change his own heart, or to plant good and right feelings there; but the Shepherd could and would help him, if he earnestly begged His assistance and pardon. Without Him they could do nothing. For some time after this, Fortis went on well. It was a great trial to him to face his companions again, as he knew he should be laughed at for being so soon overcome. Vulpes, too, became his bitter enemy, and never spoke to him but in a rude, mocking tone. He expected that Fortis would ask for his playthings again; but as days went on, and he found he was not going to do so, he soon set it down as cowardice, and boasted openly of his possession. This was hard to bear; and many times the high spirit of Fortis rose, and he was on the point of answering again, and quarrelling. But he had not neglected the good advice of Ductor; and having confessed his sins and sought pardon, he was so much happier than he had been before, he wondered how he could have liked such com panions as Vulpes and his friends. He now often went alone to visit the beautiful dress, and unconsciously his own began again to reflect something of its brightness. Fides and Benignus gladly received him again into their 284 The Golden Gates. on his way o company, and helped him o for a time went on smoothly, but he had not yet passed all the rough places in his way-not yet overcome all his difficulties. It chanced, some weeks after this, that Fides had still two large peaches left on his tree: all the rest had been picked; and these, later than the rest, were the finest of all. With interest he watched from day to day; and when fully ripe, they were intended as presents for two poor children in the Home, who had long been ill and suffering. One evening, before leaving the garden, Fides called the attention of Benignus and Fortis to his fruit, saying he thought on the morrow they would be quite in perfection, and he should gather them: his companions thought so too, and together they went into the house. Fides was the first at his work the next morning; and hastening to his tree, what was his surprise and dismay, as he looked in vain for his peaches both were gone! Disappointed and sorrowful, he sat down on the ground, not caring to begin his work. Not many minutes had passed before Benignus came up, and was soon the sharer of his sorrow. Who could have taken them? was a question which puzzled both the boys. The fruit had been nicely shaded with leaves; and knowing there were boys in the grounds who might not scruple to take them, they had been careful not to speak of them beyond their own quarter. There, they had not supposed any one would take them. While Fides sat still on the ground, Benignus walked slowly up and down, and for some time both had been silent. As he drew near the bed which belonged to Fortis, Benignus uttered an exclamation of surprise; and stooping down, he picked up two large fruit stones, just such as would have belonged to the lost peaches. They had evidently not been there long, for they were still moist ; neither had they been dropped there by chance, being carefully laid under the border, so as to be partially concealed. Both the boys were for a few seconds silent from astonishment. Benignus was the first to speak. |