Fremont weekly freeman. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1850-1853, 1851-12-27
A little Boy Tried, and found guilty.

n lattiG DU9 1EACus anu IOUuu u1.by.
"My mother was of family of The old Pu-
ritans. Over us, her little children, she held
the reins of government lovingly yet most firm
b. She as really punished US in love, as she
kissed us in love. She went to her rod one
day, and found it broken; and broken in such I
a way, that it must have been done with hands.
Some one Of the children. she said, has done
this, we all denied. Mother grew earnest, and
said the one that did it had better own it, for
she shord find it out. We all denied it again
and mother turned away
By and by, one of the children went softly |
up to her and said that did it, and she saw :
me, Mother came to me alone and laid it to my |
charge denied it =; but she produced her evil |
dence. began to be silent, As soon (she
said) as get the baby to sleep, | shall recon
with you. noticed she felt deeply, and could
not sing to the babe as usual; but would once
in while cast her dark aud piercing eyes upon
me. Soon she made all ready. The moment
of trial had arrived. She took me by the hand.
She summoned her witness, and took the Bible
in The other hand, and led-me away to the barn.
And when she had closed the door, she sat
down and placed me before her, She opened
the Bible and read very distinctly the words
"All liars shall have their part in the lake that
burneth with fire and birthstone" Then she
looked to me with anger, being greived !"
She asked me again if | was guilty I plead
ed not guilty. She called up the witness.
Witness testified that l did it. Witness cried,
and l cried. But the court was firm. The
court sent for the very stick that had been
broken. And when | looked at it, and my
sister told the court hol0 I did it, all in a mo-
ment knew l did it. But even now my
head is gray, can say really thought myself
innocent, until saw hoV the stick was broken.
Solemn day, solemn moment! The Judge was
convinced. The criminal was convicted.
told her forgot forgot: but she bade me
not add sin to sin.
Mother told US that it was not the stick that
she cared for; it was the lie. told her l
was sorry, and would never do SO again. 0,
/ she said, yeu are sorry now, because you are
afraid | au going to punish you. She went
on and explained the crime. She rehearsed
the evidence and the aggravations attending
the sin and how God looked down on my wick
ed heart She told us how one little sin would
| lead to a greater, and come 10 this. looked
at her, fell crying as If my heart would
break. She still kept her fingers on the pas
sage about liars, once in while reading is.
/
death warrant. And all the hope had was.
that mother said she vas sorry for me, and
hoped that God for Chrsts sake would forgive
| me.
She asked me il thought it was right
that she should punish me; and | told her
thought it was But she said she wanted time
to talk with father aboutit; so she bound me
over to receive my final trial before him; then
she arose from her seat, and we all left the
court-hous. I knew mother pitied me, and so
did all the children
When father came in, she rehearsed the
whole matter to him, and asked him what she
had better do. He sat down and looked at
me, and went on 10 tell me what wicked
thing it is to tell lie, and how he had hoped
better things Of me. But he told mother that
she must do with me what she thought best.
If she thought it best to punish me he should
not object
Then mother called me to her, and told me
it was the first time she had ever found me in
lie She hoped that would ask God to for
give me and give me grace never to do so a
gain; and with many other such words did
she persuade me to hope that there was mer-
cy for me. / kept close to my mother !
rocked the cradle, and brought her water, and
swept the room. loved her more than ever
But never again did she have occasion to ac-
cuse of that great sin. And never did she. or
any of the family, alludc to that trial. until
became minister and she was on her death
bed. asked her if she remembered it, She
wept, and I wept again. thanked her, and
she said, "Thank God; I have never done
more than my duty" Chdren's Minister.