The Young Christian Author:Jacob Abbott Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER II. THE FRIEND. " To whom shall we go ?" There is a very excellent infant-school in. one of the chief towns of Switzerland, where many young chi... more »ldren are collected under the care of a most kind and faithful superintendent, to receive moral and intellectual instruction. When a new pupil is admitted, she looks with fear and trembling upon the strange scene hefore her. A large open room is filled with the children standing in rows or collected in busy groups, and in the pleasant play-ground, verdant with grass and trees, many others are seen full of activity and happiness. It. is the custom, whenever a new scholar enters the school, for-the teacher to collect til the children in the great room, extending them in a line around it; and then he walks into the midst, leading the littHPtranger by the hand, and something like the following conversation ensues. Teacher. " Here is a little girl who has come to join our school. She isa stranger, and is afraid. Will you all promise to treat her kindly ?" Pupils. All answering together. " Yes, sir, we will." Teacher. " She has told me" that she will try to be a good girl and to do her duty, but sometimes she will forget, I am afraid, and sometimes she will yield to temptation and do wrong. Now which of the older children will be her little friend, to be with her for a few days till she becomes acquainted with the school, and tell her what she ought to do, and help her to watch herself, that she may avoid doing wrong?" Se-||:al voices at once : " I will, I will, sir." The teacher then selects from those who thus volunteer, one of the best and oldest children, and constitutes her the friend and protector of the stranger. They are together wherever they go. A strong mutual attachment springs up between them. If t...« less