Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1858-11-06
family Grtle.
WHEAT OR TARES.
BY t. s. ARTHUR.

and laid one of his hands amid the gold
en- curls that fell about his neck and clus.
tered on his snow-white shoulders.
g What a question, Uncle Lincoln ~
replied Mrs. Howard. cit is the enemy
that sows the tares, and | am his mother =
There was a glow of proud feeling in
the countenance of Mrs. Howard, as she
said, |. am his mother"
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,"
said the old gentleman. Il 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
mixes tares with wheat quite as often as
he scatters evil seed. The h~usbandmen
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
fruitful ground"
Willie" said Mrs Howard, speaking
to her little boy about ten minutes after
WdIuS uOHl upoCt NY W~OlhudShCb +,
stop, l say, you little rogue"
Seeing that the hayward child did not
mean to heed her words, the mother
started forward, but not in time to pre-
vent the spools of cotton, scissors, emery,
cushion, etc., from being scattered about
the floor.
Willie laughed in great glee at this
exploit, while Mrs. Howard gathered up
the contents of the workbasket which she
now placed on the shelf above the reach
of her mischievous boy. Then she shook
her finger at him in mock resentment,
saying
"You little sinner if you do that
again, I'll send you off with the milk.
man.
Wheat or tares, Fanny 2" Uncle Lin
coin Inquired as he looked soberly at his
niece.
Neither" replied Mrs. Howard, smil
ing gayly.,
"Tares," said Uncle Lincoln, emphat
ically.
Nonsense, Uncle!"
The tares of disobedience, Fanny.
You have planted the seed, and it has
already 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 think
ing about, my child Z"
1.-The tares of falsehood, Uncle Lin
coin 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? l wonder if he believed you 2"
OF course he did not"
"Then," said Mr.. Lincoln, she has
already discovered that his mother makes
but light accoun of truth. Will his
mother be surprised if he should grow up
to set small value on his word 2"
You treat this matter too seriously.
Uncle. He knows that I am only play
ing with him."
He knows that you are telling him
what is not true" replied Mr.. Lincoln.
Il was only in SPORT" said Fanny,
persistently. 0F4
But in sport with sharp-edged instru-
ments is playing with deadly ~poisons."
The old gentleman looked and spoke
with the seriousness that oppressed his
feeling. Fanny truth and obedience
are good seed. Falsehood and disobe-
dience are tares from the Evil One.
Whatever 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 a sober cast.
Willie" said she, q few moments
afterward, 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
of to the kitchen he made no response,
and let his eyestturn to the pictures in
which he had become interested.
"Williep Mrs. Howard spoke with
decision, did you hear me p"
don't want to CO., answered Willie.
Go this minute !"
81 am afraid"
Afraid of what p inquired the mo-
Their.
Afraid of the cat"
mo, you are not. The cat never hurt
you or anybody else"
Il I'm afraid of the milkman. You
said he would carry me off,
The milkman is not down stairs"
said Mrs. Howard, her face beginning to
crimson ; he only comes in the morn
Ing"
/" Yes he is. | heard his wagon a little
while ago, and he is talking with Jane.
now. Don't you hear him n said. the
little fellow, with remarkable skill, hay
ing all the semblance of truth 10 his tone
and expression.
Mrs. Howard did not look toward her.
uncle, she was afraid to do that.
I" Willie" the mother spoke very se-
riously, you know that the milkman is
not down stairs, and you know that you
are not afraid Of the cat. What you
have said therefore is not true, and it is
wicked to utter a falsehood."
"Ho! no |" 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."
Willie /"
THE milkman has not carried me off
yet"
There was a world Of meaning in Will
lies face and voice.
:" You haven't whipped me for throw
ing my cap out of the window"
WllheW calculated the astoaished