Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1852-12-29
a. ..'Gl[ad9frss Gldrks!hlitgRrgist
From the YoTuutia's o o8iuipanion. aIIloIl-
THE BROKEN STICK !;
Or, The Young Criminal Convicted.

Or, The Young Criminal Convicted. \
Mymother was of a family of the puri-l
tans. Over US, her little children, she
held the reins of government lovingly, yet
most firmly. She as really punished us
in love. as she kissed us in love. She
went to her rod one day and found it bro
ken in such o way that it must have been
with ahands- Some one of the children
she said had done this. We all denied it.
Mother grew in earnest, and said the one
that did it had better own it, for she should
find it out. We all denied it again, and
undetermined away.
By-and-by, one of the children went
softly up to her and told her did IT. and
she saw me. Mother came to me alone
and laid it to my charge. ldenled 1t, but
she produced her evidence. I began to
be silent. ''As soon," she said, cas- l
get the baby to sleep, shall reckon with
YOU" noticed she felt deeply, and
could not sing to the baby as usual, but
would once in a while cast her black and
piercing eyes upon me. 7st aa
Soon she made all ready. The moment
. of trial had arrived. She took me by the
hand. She summoned her witnesses, and
took the Bible in the other hand, and led
ME away to the barn. And when she had
closed the barn 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 sorrow, be-
ing grieved She asked me again if l was
guilty. I pleaded not guilty, She called
up the witness. Witness testified that l
did it. Witness cried, and | cried. But
the court was firm The court sent for
the very stick that had been broken. And
when L looked at it, and my sister told
the court how it was done, all in mo-
ment knew that did it. But even now
when my head is grey, can say that l
really thought myself innocent. until saw
how the stick was broken. Solemn day,
solemn moment. The Judge was conviu
ced-the culprit was convicted. l told
her l forgot-but she babe me not to add
sin to sin.
Mother told us it was not the stick she
cared for, it was the lie. tod her l was
sorry, and would never do SO again.
''Oh % she said, "you are sorry now be-
cause am going to punish YOU" She
went on and explained the crime. She
rehearsed the evidence and the aggraya-
tons attending the sin, and how God
looked down on my wicked heart. She
told US how one little sin would lead to u
greater, and that to still greater. 'And
now, my son you are come to this" [
looked at her and tears stood in her eyes.
And every time 1 looked at her fell to
crying as if my heart would break. She
still kept her finger on the passage about
liars, once in while reading it. That
,,assage was the law, the verdict, and my
warrant. And all the hope | had was,
that mother said she was sorry for me,
and hoped that God, for Christ's sake
would forgive me.
She asked me if thought it was right
hat she should punish me ? and told
Ter 1 thought it was. But she said she
Ianted time to talk with father about it
md she bound me over to receive nv fl
ial trial before him she then rose from
her feet and we all left the court house.
I knew mother pitied me, and so did all
he children.
When father came home she rehearsed
he whole matter to him, and asked him
That she had better do. He sat down
md looked at me, and went on to tell me
what wicked thing it is to tell IL lie, and
how he had hoped better things of me-
But he told mother that she must do with
me what she thought best. Ii she thought
it best to punish me, lie should not object.
Then mother called me TO her, and told
me it was the first time she had ever
caught me in lie. She hoped l would
ask God to forgive me, and give me grace
never to do so again; and with many
other such words did she persuade me to
hope that there was mercy for me. kept
close to my mother. l rocked the cradle
and brought her water, and swept the
room. l loved her more than ever. But
never again did she have occasion to &C
euse me of that great sin. And never did
she or any of the family allude to that
trial, until I became minister and she
was on her death-bed. l asked her if she
remembered it. She wept and l wept
again. thanked her and she said, thank
God have never done more than my
.'uty %
DEAp SUBscR1BER.-The story below
has been going the rounds of the press
for several years past; and as it can lose
nothing by being often told, we give it for
The benefit of our non-paying patrons, in
the hope that they will save us the trou-
9le of publishing their obituaries by ma
king Immediate payment
A long winded subscriber to news
paper. after repeated Cummings, promised
that the bill should be paid by certain
day, if he were alive. The day passed