He soon became so bad that if a piece of mischief
was perpetrated among the village boys, the neighbors used at once to
say they felt sure that Earnest Harwood was at the bottom of it. Often
when among his wicked companions, those lips that had been taught to
lisp the nightly prayer at his mother's knee were stained with oaths and
impure language.
Mr. Humphrey, one day, in passing along the street, chanced to find him
in company with some of the worst boys in the village, smoking cigars at
the street corner. He was hardly able to credit his own eyesight. He
requested him to accompany him home at once. He at the first thought of
administering punishment with the rod, but as he had done so in former
instances of misconduct with apparently no effect but to make him more
defiant and rebellious, he thought in this instance he would try the
effect of mild persuasion.
"My dear boy you little know the pain you are inflicting upon your best
friends by thus seeking the company of those wicked boys who will
certainly lead you to ruin, if you allow yourself to follow their
example."
He talked long to him of his deceased mother, telling him of her many
earnest prayers for the future good of her child.
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