Short Stories

A Tale Of Negative Gravity
My wife and I were staying at a small town in northern Ital...

Melly, Anna And Susy.
There is nothing more pleasant than to see brothers and sis...

Jane And Her Lessons.
It is a mark of a good scholar to be prompt and studious. S...

The Explanation.
Lettice's father was a man of education, a scholar, a gentl...

The Sailor Boy.
Yarmouth is the principal trade sea-port town in the county...

The Plum Boys.
Two boys were one day on their way from school, and as they...

The Boy Found In The Snow.
One winter's night when the evening had shut in very early,...

George And His Guinea.
Little George Ames went with his aunt to attend a missionar...

The Dying Boy.
A little boy, by the name of Bertie, was taken very ill, an...

The Uncertainty Of Life.
Josiah Martin was a young man of whom any mother might have...

Julia's Sunset Walk.
It was a beautiful June day, just at the sun's setting, whe...

The Pleasant Sail.
Down by the sea-coast is the pleasant town of Saco, Where M...

The First Dollar.
I will tell you an affecting story about a young lad by the...

The Remarkable Wreck Of The Thomas Hyke
It was half-past one by the clock in the office of the Regi...

Margaret And Herbert.
In a large family there are often diversity of character an...

The Flower That Looks Up.
"What beautiful things flowers are," said one of the party ...

Harriet And Her Squirrel.
It was on a Sabbath eve, when at a friend's house, we were ...

Jonas And His Horse.
A horse is a noble animal, and is made for the service of m...

The Market Day.
Mrs. Ford had three little children--Lily, Hetty, and a dea...

Mother's Last Lesson.
"Will you please teach me my verse, mamma, and then kiss me...

YOUNG USHER.

You have read of that remarkable man, Mr. Usher, who was Archbishop of
Armagh. I will tell you something about his early childhood. He was
born in Dublin, in the year 1580, and when a little boy he was fond of
reading. He lived with his two aunts who were born blind, and who
acquired much knowledge of the Scriptures by hearing others read the
Scriptures and other good books. At seven years of age he was sent to
school in Dublin; at the end of five years he was superior in study to
any of his school fellows, and was thought fully qualified to enter
the college at Dublin.

While he was at college he learned to play at cards, and he was so

much taken up with this amusement that both his learning and piety
were much endangered. He saw the evil tendency of playing cards, and
at once relinquished the practice entirely. When he was nine years
old, he heard a sermon preached which made a deep impression on his
mind. From that time he was accustomed to habits of devotion. He loved
to pray, and felt that he could not sleep quietly without first
commending himself to the care of his Heavenly father for protection.
When he was fourteen years old, he began to think about partaking of
the Lord's supper. He thought this act to be a very solemn and
important one, and required a thorough preparation. On the afternoon
previous to the communion, he would retire to some private place for
self examination and prayer. When he was but sixteen years of age, he
obtained such a knowledge of chronology as to have commenced the
annals of the Old and New Testaments, which were published many years
after, and are now a general standard of reference.

When his father died, he being the eldest son, the paternal estate was
left to him to manage. But as he feared it would occupy to much of his
time and attention, he gave it entirely to his brother and sisters,
reserving only enough for his books and college expenses. At the age
of twenty he entered the ministry, and seven years after was chosen a
professor in the University of Dublin. In 1640, he visited England at
the time of the commencement of the rebellion; all his goods were
seized by the popish party, except some furniture in his house, and
his library at Drogheda, which was afterwards sent to London. He bore
his loss with submission, but he never returned to Ireland. He had
many trials to endure on account of the troublous times in England,
(it being the time of civil wars.) In 1646 he received a kind
invitation from the Countess of Peterborough to reside in one of her
houses, which proposal he accepted and lived in one of them till his
death, in 1665. By the direction of Cromwell he was buried in
Westminster Abbey.





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Previous: THE TREE THAT NEVER FADES.

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