Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1853-12-16

plenty oil money.
Just then, Ellen Morris. a little
school.mate who occupied the seat next
to hers. passed the garden, and see
ing Mary, she exclaimed. "Oh. Mary,
| want to show you something. See
what a beautiful slate fatherhas bought |
me. with all these pictures to draw.
and this set Of pencils. Are they not
nice?" "Yes indeed" said Mary, in !
tone as animated as Ellen's; sit is !
transparent slate isn't it? Oh, what
pretty, pretty pictures. and SO easy to
draw, tool Don't you like to draw.
Ellen? l do, almost as well rs to
read;" and the little girls sat down
together upon green bank, and ex-
amined slate, pictures and pencils, IN
every part. with delightful satisfac-
ton.
81 wish | had transparent slate"
said Mary.
"Oh, l'lllend you mine sometimes"
said the generous little Ellen, 81 am
sure you would be as careful of it as |
should be-"
"Thank YOU" returned Mary, "but
| would so much rather have one Of my
own, to use all the time"
ASK your father to buy you one,
I'm sure he will" said Ellen, gather
ing up her treasures carefully. 81
must hurry home, now, to dinner
Come to school early this afternoon,
Mary, and we'lldraw together a little
while"
Mary closed the gate after her friend;
and then. with light skip and jump.
FASTENED into the house. The compa-
ny had not quite finished dinner, and
were busily engaged in conversation.
So Mary stayed in the parlor, and go
ing up TO the table again, began to
amuse herself with the money.
"Ah," thought she, "this money
would buy states enough for all the
little girls | know" and as she han
died over the bright halves and quar-
ters ola dollar, the pretty dimes and
hali-dlmes, she wished more than be-
fore, that part, a small part fit, was
her own-just enough to buy trans
parent slate, like Ellen's and she would
ask no more. "This new, beautiful
quarter" thought she, taking up one
OF the pieces and clasping it tightly in
her hand. ooh, ifnis were only mine,
l have no doubtit would buy me
slate"
All the other pieces she put back
again in the basket, but this she kept
out, to look at, and she turned it over
and over in her hand, until the desire
to possess it became overpowering.
Father will not miss it-just this
one little quarter" thought she; che
doesn't know how much there is in
here, for he told me he had not accounted
il. | am sure there doesn't seem any
less in the basket if l take out just
this one piece. Nobody will know it;
how can they and l shall have a beau
tiful transparent slate of my own
Yes. / do think Imay as well takeit t."
and with tighter grasp she held the
money in her little hand. "But them"
thought she, cit isn't mine, and |
ought not to keep it. 1t is stealing to
take what belongs to others. Oh l
cannot steal;;" and she opened her
hand to take one more look at the
tempting treasure that she held, inten-
ding toreturn it directly to the basket.
Yet still she gazed-unsatisfying, un-
certain, hesitating.
All Mary, Mary, we tremble for herl
She is endangering her dearest inter-
ests to trihe thus; the temptation is so
strongl Oh. will she yield? Where
is now the voice whose warning she
has ever before been ready to hear?
Is it still and silent within her?
No, it does speak. 1t is that same
faithful voice which now tells her IL
take that money would be stealing; and
while she needed it, she felt strong to
withstand, and said, Icannot steal -
But the sight of the money again, and
the desire To possess the slate, over
powered the voice Of conscience, and
once more she seized that shining coir
with quick, resolute motion, pushed
the basket farther upon the table, anC
said. "Why need l be so afraid?-
Surelyno one can ever know it,"
And does she indeed commit this
deed? Is little Mary Edwards aMief:
OH it cannot, must not be.
Mary had put the money into hel
pocket, and thought she would buy III,
slate on her way to school. Ifshe haC
been practised in arts of deception, she
{ would have questioned how she should
. manage to keep her slate out Of sigh
all the time, that no one of the family
. might know she had il; but Mary hac
I never committed an act Of this kline
before, and had never wished to con
! ceal anything, so she did not, now
consider the consequences of her dis
honesty.
For several minutes she sat by tn,
window, thinking intently of the pleas
ure OF possessing the beautiful slat'
upon which her heart was set; ye
with all the pleasure, there was min
gled feeling Of such uneasiness, sucl
: a consciousness..of guilt. and such
fear of discovery, that she tremble,
violently. Again the hidden monitor
e arose within her. and now its tone,
> were louder, and its words more i'm
p, pressive than before. "Yes, | hav,
taken this piece of money for my own.
thought she, striving. though in vain
TO Justify herself, "but in doing this
what have become? A thief? Yes
a thief. 4, Sabbath-school scholar
studying the Holy Bible, wherein Coo
D says, Thou shalt not steal;' Iwho hav,
, been taught the sin of taking wha
belongs to others, ever since can re
l member. What wonld my father sa,
, il he knew what had done? VIVA
would my dear, kind mother say,
! she could see all that is in my heart
Ol,l hon, ,sbor,oI 4 .k..,ll l.. .f IL.