Don't Act A Lie.


WHEN quite young, I once acted a lie,

and my heart is sad whenever I think of it.

One day when mother had company, she

took the china sugar-bowl to the kitchen to

fill it. I stood beside her while she was cutting

up the large pieces. For a moment she

left her work. I knew I ought not to do it,

but I thought I would try to cut a little; but

as I brought down the knife to strike, I hit

the handle of the sugar-bowl, and it fell; and

in a moment I put the handle in its place,

and shoved it against the wall so that it need

not fall off. I had only done so when mother

came in. Oh! If I had only told her the truth

then; but something whispered, 'Don't tell

yet; wait a little."

"Mother went on with her work; but soon

a heavy blow jarred the bowl, and down fell

the handle. If mother had looked into my

face, she would not have said,

"Why, can it be that such a jar should

break the handle? But I see, I was careless

in setting it against the wall."

I was on the point of saying, "No, mother,

it was I that was careless; I did it;"but

something said, "Don't tell at all, now; it

can't be helped;" so I kept still and acted a

lie. I did not say, I did not do it; but by

saying nothing, I made believe I did not,

and let my mother be deceived. I meant a

lie, and it is the thoughts we have in the

heart that God looks at.

Not many months after that, my mother

was taken sick. I was sent away from home

to stay most of the time. When father

came for me, and told me she could never

get well, that she must soon die, that lie

came up before me, and I felt as though my

heart would break. "Now," I thought, "I

will tell her."  But when I reached home, she

was so sick and weak she could only see me

for a few moments, and they hurried me

away before I could tell her. She died that

night." Oh! What bitter tears I shed as I

looked upon that sweet, cold face, and 

remembered how I deceived her.

Many years have passed since then; but

when I go home, and see that sugar-bowl,

still without a handle, my sin comes up before

me. I never think of it but my heart is

heavy. I hope God has forgiven me, though

I can never forgive myself. And when I see

a child trying to deceive, even in sport only

"making believe," I always want to beg him

never to deceive, never to make believe a lie.




Child's Paper.