Contrary, however, to
his expectations and hopes, his father, for the sake of gratifying
him, concluded to go to the show, and, on his way, called for him.
But no son was to be found, and no son had been there that day. The
father, during the afternoon, saw the son, but took care that the son
should not discover him. After the return of both at evening, the
father inquired of the son whether he had attended school that day.
His reply was that he had. My youthful readers will perceive how
readily and naturally one fault leads to another. But the son was
soon satisfied from further questions, and from the manner of his
father, that he knew where he had been; and he confessed the whole.
"The father told him that he should feel himself bound in duty to
acquaint his teacher with the affair, and to request him to call him
to account for absenting himself thus from the school without
permission, and to inflict such punishment on him as might be thought
proper.
"He was, accordingly, sent to school, and, in his view, disgraced in
the estimation of his teacher and of his school-fellows; and he
resolved not to submit to it for any great length of time. A few days
after this, he left home, under pretence of going to school, and ran
away. He travelled on, until he reached the town from which his father
had removed, and had been absent for several weeks before his parents
ascertained what had become of him.
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