Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1858-1859, 1858-10-23
WHEAT OR TARES.


"Wheat or tares-which are you sowing,
Fanny dear, in the mind of this little fellow ?'
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 mid the golden curls that fell about his
neck, and clustered about his snowy tenn
pies.
"Wheat, trust, Uncle Lincoln" replied
Mrs. Howard, smiling, yet serious, ut is the
enemy who sows tares-and l am his moth
err"
There was glow of proud feeling in the
countenance of Mrs. Howard, as she said, 81
am his mother"
1t was Mr.. Lincoln's first visit to his niece
since her marriage and removal to city some
hundred miles away from her old home.
| Even mothers hand may SOW tares,"
said the old gentleman. 81 have seen it done
many times Not of design, but in thought
less inattention to the quality of seed she held
in her hand. The enemy mixes tares with
wheat quite as often as he scatters evil seed.
The husbandman must not only watch his
| fields by night and by day, but also the re-
pOsitOries of his seed, lest the enemy cause
him to SOW tares as well as wheat, upon his
own fruitful ground"
"Willie," said Mrs Howard, speaking to
her little body, about ten minutes afterwards,
don't upset my work basket, stop l say,
you little rogue y
Seeing that the wayward child did not mean
to her hear words, the mother started for
ward, but not in time to prevent the spools OF
cotton, scissors, emery cushion, ETC., from be-
Ing scattered about the floor
Willie laughed in great glee at this exploit,
while Mrs. Howard gathered up the contents of
the work basket, which she now placed on
the shelf above the reach of her mischevous
boy. Then she shook her finger at him in
mock resentment, saying
You little sinner. If you do that again,
III send you off with the milkman."
Wheat or tares, Fanny ~ Uncle Lin
coin looked soberly at his niece.
Neither" replied Mrs. Howard, smiling
gayly; ;,
| "Nonsense, Uncle! !"
| "The tares of disobedience, Fanny You
have planted the seed, and it has already tax
en- 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 ?"
"The tares of falsehood, Uncle Lincoln -
What are you thinking about - said Mrs.
| howard, In real surprise
Did you not say that you would send him
off with the milkman if he did that again p
| wonder if he believed you ~
"Of course he did not"
" Then" said Uncle Lincoln, che has al
ready discovered that his mother makes but
light account of truth. Will his mother be
value on his word r'
| Vo,, troot fbi- u,offor too co,.oucIx Tn
Gle He knows that am only playing with
him."
He knows that you are telling him what
is not true" replied Mr.. Lincoln.
" 1t 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 scri-
BUSINESS that oppressed his feelings. Fanny
Fanny Truth and obedience are tares from
the Evil One. Whatever you plant in the
garden of your child will grow and the harry
! est will be yvheat taros, just ynn havo
sown."
Mrs. Howard did not reply, but her counte-
nance took on a sober cast.
" Willie" said she a few minutes after
wards, ego down to Jane and tell her to bring
me glass of water"
Willie, who was amusing himselfwith 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 he had become
interested.
"Willie," Mrs. Howard spoke with decis-
ion, 'did you hear me!'
:" don't want to 60" answered Willie.
" Go this minute ~
" Pm afraid"
"Of whatr
'Of the cat"
" No, you are not. The cat never hurt you
or anybody else"
' am afraid of the milknan. You said
he would carry me off,
"The milkman is not down stairs" said
Mrs. Howard, her face beginning to crimson
che only comes in the morning.
4" Yes he is. l heard his wagon little
while ago, and he's talking with Jane now
Don't you hear him ?" said the little fellow
with remarkable skill, having all the resem
sion.
Mrs Howard did not look toward her Uncle
she was afraid to do that.
!, Willie," the mother spoke very seriously
"you know the milk,nan is not down stairs
dIiu Ou kliON IiIiI y va diN hoI dIi diu VI eii'
, cat What you have said therefore is not
true and it is wicked to utter a falsehood"
) 81 IIo no :" laughed out the bright eyet
little fellow, evidently amused at his owl
sharpness, " then you are wicked, for you say
that which is not true every day."
Willier y
, "The milkman has not carried me of
yet"
/ There was a world Of meaning in Willie
face and voice.
Willie ~ calculated the astOnished moth
. er as he took from his apron pocket fin
: mosaic breast-pin, which he had positivel,
been forbidden to touch, and held it up with
mingled look of triumph and defiance.
| You little wretch ~ exclaimed Mrs How
ard, 'this is going too far" and springing tc
e wards her boy, she grappled him in her arm
e and fled with her struggling burden from tn
room.
Y 1t was quarter of an hour before she re
e turned, alone, to the apartment where she ha
left her uncle. Her face was sober, and he
r eyes betrayed recent tears.
"Wheat or tares Fanny" said the old ger
h tleman, in kind but earnest tones, as his nice
Y came back
=! Tares," was the half mourning res
h ponse
t Wheat were better, Fanny"
c I" see it, Uncle"
y 4" And you will look well in future to tt
seed in your hand, ere you scatter it upon tt
e heart of your child ~
t "God helping, will, dear Uncle"
: Remember, Fanny" said Mr.. Lincoll
d "that truth and obedience are good seed Plal
5, them, and the harvest will come in BILE
|; sings"
e Cool RAsCALITY.-InC Cincinnati, a few day
e since, two sharpers accosted a countryma
It stopping at one of the hotels, and stating tn;
they were detectives" declared that he W;
suspected of dealing in counterfeit none.
r, The ruralist asserted his entirs innocence
1t but they said that they would seach him, an
}. took him into private room, when they foun
e, sos in good money. One went out to col
d suit a Detector concerning the bank notes, ar