The Struggle And The Victory



JOHNNY, said a farmer to a little boy, it is

time for you to go to the pasture and drive home

the cattle.

Johnny was playing ball, and the pasture was

a long way off; but he was accustomed to obey

so off he started without a word, as fast as his

legs could carry him.

Being in a great hurry to get back to play, he

only half let down the bars, and then hurried

the cattle through; and one fine cow, in trying

to crowd over, stumbled and fell with her leg

broken.

Johnny stood by the suffering creature, and

thought to himself, Now what shall I do? That

was the finest cow that father had, and it will

have to be killed, and it will be a great loss to

father. What shall I tell him?

"Tell him," whispered the tempter the same

tempter that puts wicked thoughts into all our

hearts "tell him you found the bars half down

and the poor creature lying here." "No, I

can't say that," said Johnny, "for that would be

a lie."

"Tell him," whispered the tempter again,

“that while you were driving the cows, that big

boy of farmer Brown's threw a stone and hurried

that cow so that she fell." "No, no," said Johnny,

"I never told a lie, and I won't begin now.

I'll tell father the truth. It was all my fault. I

was in a hurry, and I frightened the poor

 creature, and she fell and broke her leg."

So, having taken this right and brave resolve,

Johnny ran home as if he was afraid the tempter

would catch him, and he went straight to his

 father and told him the whole truth. And what

did his father do? He laid his hand on Johnny's

head and said, "My son my dear son I would

rather lose every cow I own, than that my boy

should tell me an untruth."

And Johnny, though very sorry for the mischief

he had done, was much happier than if he

had told a lie to screen himself, even if he had

never been found out. 





N. E. Presbyterian.