Rupert knew the words of the first commandment. He answered, “The first commandment is, ‘Thou shalt have no other gods before me.’”

“Now,” said Mr. Penrose, “this commandment forbids our giving that worship, or love, to any other which is due to God alone. If we think of anything besides God when we profess to be thinking of him, and when we seem to be engaged in his worship, then we are putting other gods before him. Now tell me, Rupert, were you thinking much of God when you were in church this morning?”

“No, not very much,” said Rupert, who, with all his faults, generally spoke the truth.

Then Mr. Penrose tried to show Rupert that he had broken the first commandment, by allowing something besides God to have the first place in his mind and heart; but he did not dwell as long upon the subject as he wished to do, because he knew that young people, from their natural dislike to serious truths, can best be instructed by a few hints at a time.

“You say that you did not think much of God, Rupert. Will you tell me candidly what you did think of?”

After close questioning, Rupert acknowledged that he had been thinking more of John Strong’s beautiful gray horses than of anything else; and that he wished that he had them.

Mr. Penrose. “What is the second commandment, Rupert?”

Rupert undertook to say it; but could not get quite through it, and Alfred helped him.

Mr. Penrose. “It is certain that we always worship what we love best; and I fear, Rupert, although you had no graven image to worship, your heart was going out in idolatry after those ‘beautiful gray horses,’ as much as the poor Papist’s after his wooden cross, or his image of the Virgin. Do you not think so? Alfred, can you tell me of another way in which the second commandment can be broken?”

“By thinking of our clothes instead of listening to the minister, and trying to pray to God, when we are in church,” said Alfred, blushing very deeply.

“Well, that is what I did not do, I am sure,” said Rupert, whose fault was certainly not that of being too particular about his dress; for his clothes were always pitched on any way, although he was old enough to dress himself properly if he would.

Mr. Penrose. “But it is what I knew a little boy do, when he had his new suit of plaid clothes, with brass buttons, on for the first time, and two pockets in them besides. First he looked at himself in the buttons; then he put his hymn-book in his pocket; then he pulled it out.”

Alfred. “O, father! I know I did that; but I was sorry for it, and I have tried not to break the second commandment since.”

Mrs. Penrose. “Yes, father, I think that we must not talk of what is past any more.”

Mr. Penrose. “I spoke of it to show Rupert in how many different ways we can break God’s commandments; and to let him know that I did not consider him the only guilty one. Now, I am afraid you have broken two of the commandments, Rupert. Shall we go on with the others?”

Rupert. “Yes; for I am sure I could not have broken any more by that little sleigh-ride.”

Mr. Penrose. “What is the third commandment, Rupert?”

Rupert. “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain: for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.”

Mr. Penrose. “Your first words after the congregation was dismissed prove that you broke the third commandment. Christ says, ‘Swear not at all: neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne: nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King: neither shalt thou swear by thy head; because thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay; for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.’ Matt. v, 34-37.

“Now, your communication was not Yea, yea, or Nay, nay, when you burst upon us with ‘By jingo,’ before the minister had hardly finished the benediction. That word was wicked, and certainly comes under the head of that ‘foolish talking’ which the apostle condemns.”

Rupert. “Well, I know you will make me out a sabbath-breaker next. I knew I was that myself; but I did not know that I was doing so many other bad things by that sleigh-ride.”

Mr. Penrose. “Since you plead guilty to breaking the fourth commandment, Rupert, we will pass over that, and come to the fifth.”

“I did not break that. My father and mother would not have cared for my riding to-day,” said Rupert, who had got the Bible opened before him, at the twentieth chapter of Exodus, that he might find out what the commandments were.

Mr. Penrose. “But you are now under our care, Rupert. We are as parents to you while you stay with us. You knew that we would not like to have you riding about the town on a Sunday; therefore, in not honoring us, and doing as we wish, I think you broke the fifth commandment.”

By this time Rupert seemed to have got quite interested in the examination of himself; for Mr. Penrose spoke kindly to him, and he knew that it was out of love to him that he thus talked to him of his faults. He ran over the commandments:

“‘Thou shalt not kill.’ I am sure I did not do that.”

Mr. Penrose. “Not if you did not get angry at the horses, or overdrive them.”

Rupert. “We could not get angry at them; they are such noble fellows, and went so free: but they were all in a lather when they got to the stable. I cannot say they are not hurt, but that was not my fault, you know.”

Mr. Penrose. “If they were hurt, I am afraid you will have to bear a little of the blame; as you were probably the cause of the extra ride.”

Rupert. (Looking at the Bible,) “‘Thou shalt not commit adultery.’ That has nothing to do with horses. ‘Thou shalt not steal.’ We did not steal, at any rate! ‘Thou’”——

Mr. Penrose. “Stop, stop! Rupert. Not so fast. Do not skip over the eighth commandment so swiftly. Did Mr. Strong know that John had his horses and sleigh?”

Rupert. “No, sir, I do not think he did. I suppose he expected John would take them directly to the stable, when he left the family at church.”

Mr. Penrose. “Then you were both using what belonged to another, in a way that the owner would not have liked; and in doing this you broke the eighth commandment.”

Rupert. “O dear, uncle! I hope that you won’t make out that I broke any more of the commandments. I know that I did not break the ninth.”

Mr. Penrose. “Read the ninth commandment to me, Rupert.”

Rupert. “‘Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.’ That I did not do.”

Mr. Penrose. “This commandment forbids falsehood. A boy who, like John Strong, would drive his father’s horses on Sunday, without permission, would be likely to tell a falsehood to screen himself from blame.”

Rupert. “He did say that he meant to tell his father he took the horses directly home from the church.”

Mr. Penrose. “Then I very much fear that your company was the temptation to John to take that ride, which ended in his telling a falsehood to his father. When we are, in any way, knowingly the cause of another person’s committing sin, it is the same as if we had committed the sin ourselves. So, my dear Rupert, I fear you are not quite guiltless upon the ninth commandment. But go on with the tenth.”

Rupert. “‘Thou shalt not covet.’ There! Now I know you will bring me up with that too, uncle; because I said I wished I had John’s grays. I do think that I broke that. But just to think that in less than an hour I broke almost all the commandments!”

Mr. Penrose. “You see by this that the breaking of one commandment leads to the breach of many. We rarely ever break one commandment alone. As St. James says, ‘Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.’ James ii, 10.”

Rupert. “Well, I do not believe any person ever kept all the commandments, or ever could keep them either.”