Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1858-02-25
''Can you tell me what the Bible is in
quired the Judge.
s'It is the word of the great God," she

!
quired the Judge.
cit is the word of the great God," she
answered.
''Well, place your hand upon this Bible,
and listen to what I have to say" and he
repeated slowly and solemnly the oath usu-
ally administered to witnesses. ''Now,"
said the Judge, "you have been sworn as
witness; will you tell me what will befall
you if you do not tell the truth p
II shall be shut up in the State Prison, .
answered the child.
:sAnything else ?" asked the Judge
81 shall not 60 to Heaven" she replied.
"How do you know this 2" said the Judge
again. ~ ;,
The child took the Bible, and turning
rapidly to the chapter containing the Com
mandments, pointed to the injunction, "Thou
shalt not bear false witness against thy
neighbor."
II learned that" she said "before could
1read.."
..Has any one talked to you about being
witness in court against this man p in
quired the Judge.
eyes sir. she replied, sMy mother heard
they wanted me to be a witness, and last
night she called me to her room, and asked
me to tell her the Ten Commandments, and
then we kneeled down together, and she
prayed thatI might understand how wicked
it was bear false witness against my neigh
Dor and that God would help me, a little
child, to tell the truth as it was before him.
And when came up here with father she
kissed me and told me to remember the
ninth commandment, and that God would
hear every word [ said. /"
s.Do you believe this p asked the Judge,
while tear glistened in his eyes and his
| lips quievered with emotion.
| s.Yes, sir" said the child, with voice
and manner that showed her conviction of
the truth was perfect.
.'''God bless you my child" said the
Judge, ''you have good mother. This
witness, is competent" he continued. -
"Were I on trial for my life, and innocent
of the charge against me, [ would pray God
for such witnesses as this. Let her be ex-
Ianined."
Skc tglal harsss5sry with zIi lin 0f
aschild, as she was, but there was direct
ness about it which carried conviction of its
truth to every heart. She was rigidly cross
examined. The counsel piled her with in
finite and ingenious questionings, but she
varied from her frststatcment in nothing.
The truth, as spoken by that little child, was
sublime. Falsehood and perjury had pre-
ceded her testimony. The prisoner had in
trenched himself in lies. until he deemed
himself impregnable. Witnesses had falsi-
fed fact in his favor, and villainy had man
ufactured for him sham defence But be-
fore her testimony falsebood was scattered
like chaff. The little child for whom mo-
ther had prayed for strength to be given
her to speak the truth as it was before God,
broke the devices of matured villainy to
Ipieces like potter's vessel. The strength
that her mother had prayed for was given
her, and the sublime and terrible simplici-
/ ty terrible, [ mean, to the prisoner and his
perjured associates) with which she spoke,
was like a revelation from God himself.
WoMAN's HEART. There is period in
the early life of every true woman when
moral and intellectual growth seems, for
the time to cease The vacant heart seeks
for an occupant. The intellect, having ap-
propriated such aliment as was requisite to
the growth of the uncrowncd feminine ma
ture, feels the necessity of more intimate
companionship with the masculine mind to
start it upon it's second period Of develop
ment, Here, at this point, some stand for
years without making a,step in advance
Others marry, and astonish, in few brief
years, by their sweet temper, their noble
twomanhood, those whose blindness led them
to suppose they were among the incurably
heartless and frivolous.-Bay Path.
ERRoRs. The little I have seen Of the
world and known of.the history of mankind,
teaches Inc to look upon the errors of others
in sorrows not in anger. When take the
history of one poor heart that has sim ed
and suffered, and represent to myself the
struggles and temptations it has passed
through; the brief pulsation of joy; the fe-
verish lnquietude Of hope and fear the tears
of regret; the feebleness of purpose; the
pressure of want; the desertion Of. friends !;
the scorn of the world, that has little chari-
ty health gone would fein have the err
ring soul of my fellow man with Him from
whose hand it came.-Lon.gtelloa0.. -
! E@An old man remarkable for his in
tegrity,l wore the same hat so long that it
became a proverb with his neighbors. At
last one day he was seen with new hat on.
The next morning all the fencesin the neigh
borhood bore the inscription; ''''sJohn Green
has got a new hat!''' A compassionate
friend went to the old man and informed him
of this ridicule, and offered to have the in
scription erased, ere he would make his ap-
pearance in the street again. NO. said
the honest economist, Ego and add-AND
LIT is PAID FOR.