"ElizaLeeFollen-TheTalkativeWig" - читать интересную книгу автора (Follen Eliza Lee)

purpose.

When he came to the door which he intended to break open, he was
admitted by Alice, who saw him coming. She asked him to come in and
sit down, then inquired if he had travelled far, and set before him
some bread and butter and cold water.

"My father is a minister," she said, "and always asks travellers to
stay. We have some dinner in the oven, and we shall all of us like
to have you stay and dine. You look pale and tired; you had better
stay."

These words Alice said with such a sweet, confiding earnestness,
that the wicked purpose died away from the heart of the intended
thief. He felt as if he was in the presence of an angel. He looked
at her in wonder. All the evil in him seemed to depart.

"You are very good," he said. "Do you take care of the house all
alone by yourself?"

"O yes," she replied; "it does not take much trouble. There is no
one to harm us. Would you like a book to read till papa and mamma
come home; here is my Testament; or would you like I should read to
you?"

"Read to me," said the man.

As Alice read from the history of Jesus, the tears ran down the
robber's cheeks; he said nothing.

When the curate came home, he repeated Alice's invitation to dine.
The man accepted it. After dinner, when he thanked Alice and her
father for their kindness to him, he said to the curate, "Your
daughter is an angel, and has saved me from sin. I go away a better
man than I came."

He then confessed the evil intentions with which he had entered the
house, told how Alice's trusting, gentle kindness had disarmed him,
and promised the curate that he would henceforward be a better man.

I do not mean to say that Alice never did any wrong thing. She was,
however, so sorry for a fault, she repented so soon, and then did
all she could to repair it, that no one could help forgiving her.
She had a trick of squinting now and then. Her mother thought that
my curls perplexed the bright eyes under them; and, to prevent the
evil, drew up all the pretty locks in a bunch, tied them together,
and said, "Now, Alice, your hair is all out of the way, and you will
not squint."

Alice was annoyed by this; she was a little vain of my beauty, and