Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1858-07-15
Wheat Or Tarcs.

QCtiI, III Vi blllS lAleiO iCi
low?' said Uncle Lincoln to his niece, Mrs
Howard, and he lifted child, not beyond
his fourth summer, upon his knee, and laid
one of his hands amid the golden curls
: that fell about his neck, clustered about
his snowy temples.
: "Wheat, l trust Uncle Lincoln" replied
J Mrs. Howard, smiling, yet serious. sit is
the enemy who sows tares-and | am his
mother.
There was glow of proud feeling in
the countenance of Mrs. Howard, as she
} said, 81 am his mother"
Il 1t was Mr.. Lincoln's first visit to his
niece since her marriage and removal to a
city some hundred miles away from her old
home.
"Even a mothers hand may sow tares, u
said the old gentleman. 81 have seen it
done many times. Not of design but in
thoughtless inattention to the quality of
seed she held in her hand. The enemy
mikes tares with the wheat quite as often
as he scatters evil seed. The husbandman
must not only watch his fields by night
and day, but also the repositories of his
ground, lest the enemy cause him to sow
tares as well as wheat, upon his own fruit
full ground"
"Willie," said Mrs. Howard, speaking to
her little boy, about ten minutes afterwards,
"don't upset my work-basket stop!-l say,
you little rougel"
| Seeing that the wayward child did not
mean to heed her words, the mother start
ed forward, but not in time to prevent the
spools of cotton, scissors, emery cushion,
&C., from being scattered about the floor.
Willie laughed in great glee at this ex-
plot, while Mrs. Howard gathered up the
contents of the work basket, which she now
placed on the shelf above the reach of her
mischievous boy. Then she shook her fin
ger at him in mock resentment, saying:
"You little sinner Ifyou do that again,
I'll send you off with the milkman."
"Wheat or tares, Fanny?" Uncle Lin
coin looked soberly at his niece.
Neither" replied Mrs. Howard, smiling
gayIy. , ,
ly.
| "Nonsence, Uncle"
"The tares of disobedience, Fanny
You have planted the seed, and it has al
ready taken root. Nothing will choke out
the wheat sooner. The tares of falsehood
you also throw in upon the newly broken
soil. What are you thinking about, my
child 2"
"The tares of falsehood, Uncle Lincoln !!
What are you thinking about!" said Mrs.
Howard, in real surprise.
add you not say that you would send
him off with the milkman if he did that
again? wonder if he believed you?"
"Of course he did not"
| :sThen," said Uncle Lincoln, he has al
ready discovered that his mother makes but
| light account oftruth. Will his mother be
surprised if he should grow up to set small
value on his word :"
"You treat this matter too seriously,
Uncle, He knows that l am only playing
with him."
ale knows that you are telling him what
is not true" replied Mr.. Lincoln.
at was only in sport" said Fanny, per
sistently.
'But in sport with sharp-edged instru-
ments-playing with deadly poisons.
The old gentleman looked and spoke with
the seriousness that oppressed his feelings.
"Fanny! Fanny! Truth and obedience
are good seeds; falsehood and disobedi-
ence are tares from the Evil One. What
ever you plant in the garden of your child
will grow, and the harvest will be wheat or
tares, Just as you have sown."
Mrs. Howard did not reply, but her
countenance took on sober cast.
"Wille," said she, few minutes after
wards, 'go down to Jane, and tell her TO
bring me a glass of WATER"
Willie, who was amusing himself with
some pictures, looked up on hearing his
name. But as he did not feel like going
off to the kitchen, he made no response,
and let his eyes turn to the pictures in which
be had become interested.
"Williew Mrs. Howard spoke with de-
cision, "did you hear me?
81 don't want to go," answered Willie.
"Go this minutew
81 am afraid"
"Afraid of what ?" Inquired the mother.
'Afraid of the cat"
"No, you are not. The cat never hurt
you or anybody else."
81 am afraid of the milkmaD. You said
he would carry me off,
"The milkman is not down stairs" said
Mrs. Howard, her face beginning to GRIM
son; 'he only comes in the morning."
ayes, he is. l heard his wagon a little
while ago, and he's talking with Jane now.
Don't you hear him?" said the little fel-
low with remarkable skill, having all the
resemblance of truth in his tone and ex-
preston.
Mrs. Howard did not look up, towards
her Uncle; she was afraid to do that.
"Willie," the mother spoke very serious
ly, 'you know the milkman is not down
stairs, and you know that you are not
afraid of the cat. What you said, there
fore, is not true; and it is wicked to utter
a falsehood."
"Hol ho!" laughed out the bright eyed
little fellow, evidently amused at his own
sharpness, "then you are wicked, for you
say that which is not true every day."
"Williew
"The milkman has not carried me off
yet"
There was word of meaning in Willie's
face and voice.
"You haven't whipped me for throwing
my cap out Of the window" II
"Willie!" calculated the astonisbed ,