The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1859-05-07

faint voice.
Where p
down here in the passage
Come up 10 me, John.
John orspt slowly up the stairs. what
has the eat been doing motheTF said be-
How hia conscience smole him for this du-
plicity and how his trouble increased with
the thought that he was widening the gulf
which was already between him and an hon
orable confession Of his fault lie hAd ever
been truthful hoy, he loved The truth but
iu dread of his father's anger hd hA1 arIed
lasehood To reeede involved noW, dnub-
le consequences, II would expose his duplIe-
iti--lo hlm most painful and mortibing-as
we'll hs meet the dreaded anger Of his father,
Al, II that father-uOt a hard, harsh, delib-
eratey cruel and unjust man--eould have
looked into the poor boys heart AZ thih mo-
ment he would not only have been affected
With lhe tenderest pity Tor him, but been ap.
palled at the danger 10 which HE own want
of self control was exposing HE son,
What has the cat been doing, mother p re'
peated John, Worse and worse To was
widening tho gulf still further,
'hhe has been into your fathers room, and
knocked down and broken his beautiful vase,
He'll be drendlully angry about IL
IL came instantly 10 the lip Of Jshn 10 say,
IL wasn't the cat, mother, broke tho vase
liutthr ,isago of his angry father NAs too
papnhly before him and he could not utter
the words, and 40 he stood beside his moth
er, ghEing upon the fragments OF the vase, IN
a Kind Of stupid dismay. IL was in hit
thought 10 screen himself by saying harsh
things of the cat but he checked their utter
ancc, To do 40 seemed dastardlY as we'll a.
wicked.
An hour went by-how full Of suffering -
aud then, aiier a long aud painful stugglr
with himself John came TO where his mother
sat sewing IN the nursery, and sitting down
on q low chair beside her. leaned his arms
upon her lap, and looked up With sad, fearful
eyes Into her face.
why John, what ail' you p said his moth
~, n surprise.
u broke the vase, mother
How mourniul we're the poor boys tones.
You, JohnH
lie said not q word more. but hid his face
on hiS mothers lap. aud cried bitterly
How came you To do H. John p asked biz
malheE aller he had gFnWn eRimcr.
1t was oil an accident, indeed IL WA,, but
O, what will father sayP
lie will be grirved and angry. You
should not have gone to hs room.
i went for book. and intended 10 have /
come right nut, but something Interested me, [
aud forgot myself Oh dear, what shall | I
do"
You muI, tell your father about II a' soon
ns he comes home
'lu, he'll not forgive me. lie thought 30
much Of the vase Il WAS 80 beautiful. But
ho needn't give mU the gold watch for birth
DAY present, Couldn't he buy another vase 1
for the money that would cost? don't care /.
anything about the watch. Oh, Id rather T.
never have watch or ANYTHING else, than I
10 n,a hen l'm IL fault, and il seems ms IL !
au always doing wrong. Won't YOU tell him
about the vase, mother' wish you would.
Tel him didn't do il on purpose, that am
20 sorry, that I'll try never again IN my life
to do any thing to offend him That mother
saw deeper into her boys heart than she had
ever seen before. Il have been 40 tempted
to conceal IT, he said. Fathers anger seem.
ed 40 dreadful TO me, that thought | could
not bear H.
Nothing /, 80 hard TO bear, my son, as
tile burden Of a troubled conscience, said the
mother. oh, never forge, this"
You'll speak to father nbou, il, won't YOU ?
John asked, entruattngiy.
Perhaps had better do So
TEL him how sorry am, that II was all
an accident, that he needn't buy me the
watch
The mothers heart was deeply touched al
the distress of her boy, and she felt it 10 be
her duty to stand lovingly between him and
the quick anger Of an impulsive, yet not cru
father.
E,cniug came, and with it the fathers
dreaded return. As soon aS the mother was
alone with him, she said, your agate vase Ia
broken
What" His face grew instantly crimson,
Broken? Who did itP
John
JohnP Where is he p
The father was already on his fee,, resolv-
ed under the blind impulse Of the moment
to punish his son with extreme severity. lie
had asked no explanations everything
agaiust-the poor boy was taken for grant
ed.
1T was an accident said the mother.
But what business had he TO touch the
vnSeP was nngriy responded.
lie was getting book from the shelf when
il fell from his hand upon the vase.
That's his story
lie is a truthful boy" urged the mother.
He's 4 meddlesome fellow, always intcrfer-
ing with matters in which he has no concern.
I'll punish him for this. and severely, too.
I'll teach him n lesson tha, he'll not soon for
get And he moved towards the doori but
the mother laid her hand upon his arm.
ne mas oeen punlsncu enough hIeou!i
said she.
who punished him? You?'
III YOU had seen him as | bave seen him,
YOU would feel pity, instead of wrath. Don't
speak harsh word to him. He is nearly
sick now, from dread OF meeting your anger
lie says you needn't buy him the gold watch
for birthday present, but keep the money
for n new vase lie was strongly tempted
to conceal his fault, and he might easily have
done so. for found the cat in your room,
and thought that she had done the mis-
chief
Did he know that you thought SOP
The fathers voice wPs much softened.
Yes, and he saw that he could escape
without suspicious but truth and honesty
prevailed over fear. He came TO me Of his
own accord, and confessed ALL
For some time tho father remained silent,
steadily repressing his excited feelings until
IL =