Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1842-04-21

she glanced hurricslIy around. The
! first step the child had ever pracsised to.
wards deception was taken She won
know i. said Jane, bright scarlet snf
fasing her features. bur moment the
little girl head dropped. .Mamma babe
| me never lie, she said my own deal
mamma: sbuf, she.added, brushing way
1.-The gathering tears, with changed look.
1 she won't care, she bears me when Dc
tell The truth Rapidly opening thesdoor.
EJane now asked The woman in a bold
Imanner, if she woald trust her TIL
the follossing morning, when she
would certainly bring the money to pa Y
lher for the Easter Egg, and having her
Ireqpest granted, she select. q the one she
thought the handsome ard d cps Sspd
For a time Jane derived all the pleas
lure from her purchase which she had am
ltcipated; but as her steps approached
towards home. other feelings predomina-
ted. She bad looked upon its smoorl
ssilace, its bright color, and smiled at
tfe consciousness Of its being her own,
Wondering that she had held so MANY
serupses- about obtaining it; but now
Jane began TO cen trive how she could
conceal It from the eyesnfher GUARDIANS
wife. Perhaps she thought, II had
better eat it at once.' AS the difficulties
|sof her position became more obvious, she
repented the step she had taken; and
looking again at the egg, was surprised
she bad thought it SO very beautiful. /
wish, said little Jane half crying. I had
left it alone. L suppose shall have to
eat the pretty thing, and there will be an
end Of it, Everybody knows there is
net much enjoyment in eating hard
boiled Easter Egg. and when Jane had
finished hers, she again expressed her
sorrow at purchasing it.
Jane passed sleepless night, and the
morning brought norelief to her anxiety.
She began to consider the way she was
to pay for the egg-hoW she was TO avoid
passing the woman's shop she had puf-
lchasedit from; ard many other thoughts
arose to increase the dejecuon Of her spi-
rit.
My young friends may smile at James
suffering, and wonder that so small a
thing as owing a cent should have given
her SO much.uneasiness but let them re
member the little girl had been blessed
with Christian mother, who had instill-
Ed correct principles into the mind Of
Der child, and though young, they were
too deeply rooted to be at once abandon
ed.
Three months passed away in hopeless
despondence--three dreary months to
the suffering child her lessons were
neglected, her childish pursuits ahondon-
ed; and, wasted to shadow, Jane was
pronounced to be in an incmable decline.
Turing the whole Of this period she
had preserved her secret iaviolate.-
There had been times when she had de-
terlnined to acknowledge her delinquency
to her guardians wife, and entreat her
to cancel the debt; but her manner was
SO repellent that the child shruDk from
making the disclosure, and to her NOR
bid imagination, there seemed nothing
left but to die with her sin unatoned for.
Her guardian seeing the child so rap
idly declining, at length summoned med
ical ail. Drugs were administered with
out effect, till the physician. finding all
his remedies prove unavailing, pronopn-
ced the malady beyond his skill to reach.
1t was at this period That one day Mr..
May entered the little chlld's chamber.
Ills countenance expressed sorrow for
her situation; and there was an appear
anee of sympathy IN his manner OF adj
dressing her. to which the child had long
been stranger. jane he said. taking
her emaciated hand, .can do any thing
to render you more comfortable at The
same time bending down and kissing her
pale face. | am sorry to find you thus
ILL., GIVE me penny!' gasped the
child, twinng her arms tightly around
his neck, while hiding her face in his ho.
som ; "a penny to pay for the Easter
Egs.' All was now explained. The
woman was sent for, and the now happy
Jane discharged her debt.
Simple as this little circumstance NAV
appear, it had an influence upon James
whole after life. w hen the pressure
which had weighed down her spirit was
removed, she recovered her health rapid
lY. Circumstances gave her another
home, and under the judicious manage
sment of her new projectors she became
an exemplary and lovely woman. Jane
married man Of extensive property.
whose credit Of course was ample but
she has told me herself, that such was her
horror of debt from the recollection of
the suffering she had endured at owing
for the Easter Egg, that she had never,
through the course Of a long life, incurred
one, and that she had made il an undevi-
ating rule not to purchase the smallest
article without having The money ready
topay for it.
~seees---
{ The mayor ef New York has offered