Plymouth advertiser. [volume] (Plymouth, Ohio) 1853-1988, 1854-01-14
'Gead Us Not Into Temptation"

bA"-'hougu iTaneu lor Inc protection
of society, for the individual benefit of
its members-often admits of consruc.
lion adverse to the designs of its legisla.
ors; and in its application, frequently de.
ieals the object which it was intended to
sustain. We have however, numerous
Instances wherein honestjuries have given
their verdicts, conformable to the promp.
tugs of justice; and, happily, when such
decisions have not been too widely differ.
ens from the expressed rule, they have
escaped from the appel.
We take pleasure in relating on in.
cident which greatly enlisted our sympa.
thies. held US spell.bound by its interest
and finally made our hear, leap with 10y
at its happy termination.
In the spring of 1884, We CHANGED to be
spending few days in beautiful inland
country town in Pennsylvania. 1t was
court week. and to relieve ia from the
somewhat monotonous indictments OF vii
'age life, we stepped into the room where
the court had convened.
Among the prisoners in the box, we saw
a lad bu. ten years Of age, whose sad and
pensive countenance, his young, and in.
nocent appearance, caused him to look
sadly out of place among the hardened
criminals by whom he was surrounded.
Close by the box, and manifesting the
greatest interest in the proceedings, sa. a
fearful woman. whose anxiuus glance from
the judge to the boy, left US no room to
doubt that ii was his mother. We turned
with sadness from the scene to inquire of
the offence of the prisoner, and learned
he was accused of stealing money.
The case was soon commenced, and
BY the interest manifested by the large
crowd, we found that our heart was no,
the only ons in which sympathy for the
lad existed. How we pitied him The
bright smile had vanished from t'e face,
and now it more expressed the cares Of
the aged. His syoung sister--a brigh, g led
girl--had gained admission to his side,
and cheered him with the whisperinps
Of hope. Bit that sweet voice, which
before caused his heart to bound with hap.
piness, added only to the grief Ills shame
had brought upon him.
The progress Of the case acquainted US
with the circumstances Of the loss, the
extent of which was but dime--no more /!
The lad s employer, wealthy, miserly
and unprincipled manufacturer, had made
use oft, for the purpose Of what he called
"tssting the boys honesty" 1t was
placed, where from its very position the
lad would of,enest see it, and least sus.
pect the trap. A day passed, and the
master, TO his modification, not pleasure,
found the coin untouched. Another day
passed, and yet his object was no, gained.
He was, however, determined that the
boy should take II, and so let it remain.
1he. continued temptation was too
much for the lads resistance. The dime
was taken. A simple present for that lit:
lie sister was purchased with it. But
while returning home to gladden. her
heart, his own was made heavy by being
arrested for theft! A crime, The nature
of which he knew little. These circum.
stances were sustained by several Of his
employers workmen, who were also par.
" TO the plot. an attorney urged upon
the jury the necessity Of making the little
rouge an example to others, by punish
men,. His address had great effect upon
all who heard it. Before, I could see
many tears Of sympathy for the lad, his
widowed mother and faishful sister. Rut
their eyes were all dry now, and none
looked Jas If they cared for, or expected
ought else but . conviction. The accuser
sat in a conspicuous place, smiling as il
in fiend-like cxultation over the misery
he had brought upon that once happy
trio. We felt that there was but lille
hope for the boy; and the youthful appear
ance Of the attorney who had volunteered
his defence, gave no encouraS cement Is
we learned that il was the ycthg tnaa's
maiden plea--his first address. Ue an.