Grandma's Story.


As ALL, children like stories, I will tell

you one that somebody's grandma told me.

It was more than fifty years ago when she

was a little girl that this happened. I will

give you the story as she told it to me.

I had a very strict teacher that summer.

and as I was a thoughtless, restless child, I

soon disobeyed his rules. It was at recess;

and as some of the scholars threatened to tell

him, I dared not go into school again for

fear of the punishment. So when the bell rang,

away I ran toward home. But it was so

early in the afternoon that I knew my parents

would wonder at my return, so I

thought I would stop and pick strawberries

till school was out, and then go on with the

scholars. I borrowed a dish at a house as I

passed, but when I had filled it, I suddenly

remembered they would wonder at my berries,

and I should have to confess what I

had done. So I shared the fruit with some

of the scholars as I joined them, hid the dish,

and went home as if nothing had happened.

Next morning my first thought was of the

dreaded school and the punishment that was

in store for me there. I rose fully decided

that I would not go to school, and complained

of being sick. A dose of medicine was

given me, and I remained at home all day,

finding it hard work to "play sick" except

as the medicine sickened me for a time. The

next day it was decided I must go to school.

I dared not tell why I feared to go, but

trudged off without a word.

My way led past my grandmother's door.

It was always pleasant there, and grandma

was always glad to see me. So only thinking

of my anxiety to get away from school,

and not considering what a wicked thing I

was doing, I went in and told grandma I

was sick, and wanted to stay there instead

of going to school. She pitied me and put

me on her bed, with soothing words. I

staid there till past school time, and when I

thought the scholars had all passed, I felt

better, and slipping down from the bed I ran

out into the garden to amuse myself. I had

played very happily awhile, and had nearly

forgotten my trouble, when the glimpse

of the teacher coming down the street

brought it all back. In terror I ran to

grandma's bed again, feeling really sick with

fright. I heard the teacher's step outside,

and then he stopped and inquired for me.

How my heart beat. Grandma told him in

answer to his inquiries that I was there and

was sick. He said he thought not, and told

her of my disobedience and leaving school.

Grandma answered indignantly, "I know

she is sick, for she says so, and she would

not tell a lie." Oh! How I felt then that I

had deceived my dear grandmother, who

trusted me so fully. It cut me to the heart.

I could not lie still long, and went into the

garden after he left, but could not make up

my mind to tell the truth about it.

That night my father learned what I had

been doing and I was severely punished at

home. A severe and mortifying punishment

awaited me in school also. Besides this, I

was obliged to confess the lies I had told

during those two long, sad days. The worst

of all was confessing to my kind grandmother

how I had deceived her. The dear

old lady said she was sorry I had done

wrong, but added kindly, "I don't believe

you will tell another lie." And I do not remember

that I did for years afterward.

That lesson did me good. All the way

through I could see that telling one lie to

hide another did no good, and it only grew

harder and harder to do right as I waited

longer, and went farther from the right way.

And how I have hated lying since.

This, children, is grandma's story. Let

me tell you another lesson you may learn

from it. "Be sure your sin will find you out."

When you do wrong, you may be sure you

cannot always hide it. If it is not found

out here, God will show it in the Judgment,

and is it not better to have our sins all put

away before that time? Let us be careful

how we commit sin, but when we have done

wrong, let us confess our wrong, and not try

to hide it. One of the hardest things we

have to do, is to confess our faults. You

know that; don't you, children? But the

blessing of God is upon those who do it.

Now before I close, I want to give you one

of grandma's texts to learn. "He that

covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso

confesseth and forsaketh them shall have

mercy."

 Proverbs 28:13.




E. H. WHITNEY