His mother, ever zealous to direct her son in the path of righteousness, talked to him often about his strength and how great it would become and what great and good deeds he could do with it. Those lectures on virtuous crusades had two uses: they helped check any impulses in her son which she felt would be harmful to her and they helped her to become used to the abnormality in little Hugo. In her mind, it was like telling a hunchback that his hump was a blessing disguised. Hugo was always aware of the fact that her words connoted some latent evil in his nature.
The motif grew in Mrs. Danner's thoughts until she sought a definite outlet for it. One day she led her child to a keg filled with sand. "All of us," she said to her son, "have to carry a burden through life. One of your burdens will be your strength. But that might can make right. See that little keg?"
"That keg is temptation. Can you say it?"
"Every day in your life you must bear temptation and throw it from you. Can you bear it?"
He lifted it in his chubby arms. "Now take it to the barn and back," his mother directed. Manfully he walked with the keg to the barn and back. He felt a little silly and resentful. "Now--throw temptation as far away from you as you can."
Mrs. Danner gasped. The distance he threw the keg was frightening.
"You musn't throw it so far, Hugo," she said, forgetting her allegory for an instant.
"You said as far as I can. I can throw it farther, too, if I wanna."
"No. Just throw it a little way. When you throw it far, it doesn't look right. Now--fill it up with sand, and we'll do it over."
Hugo was perplexed. A vague wish to weep occupied him as he filled the keg. The lesson was repeated. Mrs. Danner had excellent Sunday-school instincts, even if she had no real comprehension of ethics. Some days later the burden of temptation was exhibited, in all its dramatic passages, to Mrs. Nolan and another lady. Again Hugo was resentful and again he felt absurd. When he threw the keg, it broke.
"My!" Mrs. Nolan said in a startled tone.
"How awful!" the other woman murmured. "And he's just a child."
That made Hugo suddenly angry and he jumped. The woman screamed. Mrs. Nolan ran to tell whomever she could find. Mrs. Danner whipped her son and he cried softly.