Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1858-10-12
WHEAT OR TARES.

Wheat or tares-which are you sowing.
Fanny dear, in the mind of this little fellow q
said Uncle Lincoln to his niece, Mrs Howard,
and he lifted a 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
temples.
"Wheat, I trust, Uncle Lincoln" replied
Mrs. Howard, smiling, yet serious. " 1t is the
enemy who sOws taTes-and l am his mother -
There was a glow of proud feeling in the
eountenance of Mrs. Howard, as she said,
am his mother"
twas Mr. LincOln's first visit to his niece since
her marriage and removal to a city some hun
dred miles away from her old home
" Even a mothers hand may SOW tares," said
the old gentleman. " ] have seen It done many
times. Not of design, but in thoughtless mat
tentiOn to the quality of seed she held in her
hand. The enemy mixes taTes with the 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 repositories 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 boy, about ten minutes afterwards, +" don't
upset my work basket, stop say, you little
rogue :"
Seeing that the waywarl child did uot mean
to heed her words the mother started forward.
but not in time to prevent the spools OF cotton,
scissors, emery cushion etc, from being scat
tered about the floor
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 finger at him in mock re-
sentiment, saying
"You little sinner If you do that again
III send you off with the milkman"
wheat or tares, Fanny!" Uncle Lincoln
\ looked sOberly at his niece.
"Neither," replied Mrs. Howard. smiling gay
ly.
"Tares," said Uncle Lincoln emphatiealIy.
"Nonsense, Uncle :"
1.-The tares of disObedience, Fanny. You
have planted the seed, and it has already taken
root Nothing will choke out the wheat soon
er. The tares of falsehood you also throw in
upoa the newly broken soil What are YOU
thinking about, my child -
The tares of falsehoOd, Uncle Lincoln =
What are you thinking about z" said Mrs
Howard, in real surprise.
'Did you not say that YOU would send him
off with the milkman if he did that again ]
wonder if he believed youl''
"0f course he did not"
Then, said Uncle Lincoln, "he has already
discovered that his mother makes but light &C.
count of truth. Will his mother be surprised
if he should grow up to set small value on hi.
wordi -
"You treat this matter too seriously, Uncle
He knows that 1 am only playing with him.
"He knows that you are telling him what i
not true" replied Mr.. Lincoln.
| tGT4 tuaz onlv IN - eai1
tently.
But in sport with sharp edged instrument
playing with deadly pOisons." The old gen
tleman looked and spoke with the seriousness
that oppressed his feelings. Fanny Fanny
Truth and obedience are good seeds; falsehOo,
and disobedienee are tares trom the Evil One
! Whatever you plant in the garden Of your chill
will grow, and the harvest will be wheat o
tares, Just as you have sown-"
r Mrs. Howard did not reply, but her eOunte
nance took on sober cast
"Willie," said she a few minutes afterwards
"go down to Jane and tell her TO bring me
| glass Of water"
Willie, who was amusing himself with som
pictures, looked up on hearing his name Bu
as he did not feel like going off to the kitehel
he made no response, and let his eyes turn +
the pictures in which he had become interested
|
; "did you hear mel"
Il don't want to go, answered Willie.
go this minute ."
81 am afraid"
"Afraid of what" inquired the mother.
"Afraid Of the cat"
"No, you are not. The cat never hurt you o
anybody else"
81 am afraid of the milkman. You said h
: would carry me of
! ''The milkman is not down stairs," said Mrs
Howard, her face beginning to crimson "h
only comes in the morning"
ayes, heis / heard his wagon little Will
; ago, and he's talking with Jane now. Don't yo
hear him - said the little fellow with remark
able skill, having all the resemblance Of truth il
= his tone and expression.
, Mrs. Howard did not look toward her Uncle
she was afraid TO do that.
"Wilie," )" the mother spoke very seriously,-
"you know the milkman is not down stairs, an
you know that you are not afraid Of the cat
What you have said therefore is not true; an,
it Is wicked 70 utter falsehOod."
''Ho! no ;" laughed out the bright eyed littl
fellow, evidently amused at his own sharpness
'then you are wicked, for you say that which i
not true every day"
"WiIIie :"
'sThe miIkman has not carried me of vet" >"
There was a world of meaning IN Willie's fac
and voice
"You haven't whipped me for throwing m,
! cap out Of the window"
, willie :" calculated the ast0nished mother
"D'ye see that ?" and the young rebel drew
from his apron pocket fine mosaic breastpin
which he had positively been forbidden to touch
and held it up with mingled look OF triumph
and defiance.
: "You little wretch 20 exclaimed Mrs. How
ard, "this is going too far" and sPringing to