The cattle
were very unruly, and Jim made little headway with them. First one would
run back, and then another, till he began to despair of being able to
drive them to pasture.
[Illustration: "_The cattle were very unruly_."]
He burst out crying, and said, "Oh dear, I can't make them go, and
father will kill me if I don't."
Isaac pitied his distress, and volunteered to assist him. It cost him a
good deal of running, and kept him from school nearly all the morning.
But when the cattle were safe in the pasture, Jim said, "I shan't stone
you any more."
When Isaac reached the schoolhouse he showed signs of the violent
exercise he had been taking.
"What has Isaac been about?" was the whispered question which went
round. When put to him he replied, "I have been chasing cattle to
pasture." He was understood to mean his father's cattle.
After school, he waited till all the pupils had left the schoolroom,
before he went up to the teacher to give his excuse for being late at
school.
"What made you so late?" asked the teacher.
"I was taking Jim in hand again, sir;" and he gave him an account of his
proceeding, adding at the close, "I thought you would excuse me, sir."
"Very well, you are excused."
Reader, if you have enemies who annoy you, _take them in hand_ in the
same way that Isaac did, and you will be certain, if you persevere to
conquer them.
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