, 1864-02-27
A Lesson to Parents.

preserved us from want and We had learned
that " contentment without wealth is better
than wealth without contentmcnt."
IT was my custom, when returning home
at night, to drop into one of the many shops
that are constantly open in the business
streets of the metropolis, and purchase
some trifing dainties, such as fruit or con-
fectiOnery, to present to mother and the
children. / need not say how delighted
the little ones were at this slight expires.
sion Of paternal consideration. On one oc-
casion l had purchased some remarkably
fine apples. After the repast, half dozen
were left untouched, and my thrifty com.
panion forthwith removed them to the
place of deposit, where it was her custom
to preserve the nick-nacks. A day or two
after, when l had seated myself at the ta-
bic to dine, she said to me smilingly:
"So, father has found the way to my
safety-box, has he ?" r
] was at loss to understand the mean
ing, and desired her to explain. .. a..
"IIave you not been in my drawer?"
.a "What drawery' oel I.eHrI
"The upper drawer in my chamber bu-
reau. Did you not take thcrcfrom the lar
sest Of the pippins ! had put away for the
girls"
"No-I did mott
"You did not Z" .... HrT co..
"Not |! have not seen an apple since
the evening purchased them"
A slight cloud passed over the countc-
nance OF my wife. She was troubled. The
loss of the apple was in itself nothing; but
we had carefully instructed our children
not to appropriate to their use any article
whatever Of family consumption, without
permission; and as permission, when the
demand was at all reasonable, had never
been denied them, she was 10th to suspect
any one of them Of the ofensc. We had
servant girl in the family, but as she was
supposed to know nothing of the apples,
my wife hesitatcd to charge it upon her.
She at length broke the silence by saying:
ave must examine the affair. / can
hardly think one of the children would SO
act. If We find them guilty, we must re-
prove them. viii please look into it !!
The girls were separately called into my
presence; the eldest first. '-h.
! 'Eliza, did you take from your mothers
drawer an npple| '@
+" No, sir" '. .' ',I' -!a..'t
Maria, did you take from your moth
cr's drawer an apple y el .. ".st
+" No, SIR 'tI..u "I ..n.N "iH' ..
a" Mary, did you take from your mothers
drawer IN apple n 81 "ai1aj Dr.
"No, sir. .H.ls 7" r.H ir"'
"lt must have been taken by the SER
want; call her to me- said l, addressing
my wife. ~ - Ia ri. 81 y. %
:" Nell, how came you to take from the
drawer Of your mistress, without permis-
sion, the largest Of the apples she had
placed there Z"
Wot apples I"
"Did you take no apple from the drawer
of your mistress :" s
"NO sa.'
Now, it was evident that falschood OK
listed somewhere. Could il be that one of
my children had told me lie! The
thought harassed me. l was not able to
attend to business. Invent to the store, but
soon returned again. Meanwhile the ser
want had communicated to her mistress that
she had seen our youngest 20 into the gar
ret with large apple the morning before.
On examination, the core, and several pieces
of the rind were found upon the floor. l
again called Mary to me, and said to her
affectionately ... ,a
g Mary, my daughter, did you not go into
the garret yesterday " f e.
'H {" Yes, SIR"
ibid you go there with an apple"
I" No, SIR"
add you notice anything on the foor!"
"No, sir"
I was unwilling to believe my sweet
child capable of telling me falsehood; ;
but appearances were against her. Tho
iault lay between her and the servant, and
while ] was dcsirous to acquit my child, i
did not wish to accuse unjustly tho negro.
| therefore took Mary into room alone, l
spoke to her Of the enormity Of lying--of
the necessity Of telling the truth--of the
severe punishment should be compelled
to inaict upon her, if she did not confess
the whole TO me, and with tears in my
eyes urged her to say that she had done it,
il indeed she had. Gradually, | became
convinced of her guilt; and now felt de-
termined she should confess il. My threat.
enings were not without effect. After
weeping and protesting her innocence, and
weeping and again protesting, my threaten
ings seemed to alarm her, aud falling upon
her knees, she said:
AZ H.4ln. \ I..l A.lo a. .,..loO