The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-11-25
Sunday Reading
A discourse from Bit Of puttv

Many years ago, when was little boy five
Or six years old, my father employed Dea. w,
to come to our house to repair some broken
windows. Having somewhat of mechanical
turn was very much interested in seeing the
work done, and watched the various details of
the job .closely-the taking out the broken
glass, digging off the old putty, putting in the
new glass, tacking it in with little three cor
nered pieces of tin and then putting on the
new putty. 9 llIfI4tf #EA NVG Y
Never having seen like operation before,
IL was very interesting, and the soft, smooth
and pliable putty was especially attractive
Alter the Deacon had put in the glass requir-
ed IN one sash, and had gone for another,
was strongly tempted to take a piece of the
tempting article for my own use, but fearing
TO steal only ventured to feel of it little and
thus parley with temptation. When he came
back asked him for a piece, which he gave
me, and amused myself with it for some time
but soon wanted to do something with it for
which it was not enough; not having resisted
the Devil, when tempted before, he had not
fed from me, but tempted me again, and the
next time theDeacon went out took "a piece
of his putty without leave, pressed it, with
mine, but Immediately began to feel very un-
easy, and like Judas after yielding to tempta-
tion went out"-not wishing to see the
good Deacon again. But the putty had lost
all lis amusing propertiesl 1t wouldn't be
moulded to my liking at all, and soon began
to stick to my fingers and plague me in various
ways, until finally it began to smell SO bad
that really it made me feel very sick!
Iscraped it off my hands and put it out of
sight, washed my hands, but still kept smell
ing putty, went and soaked and scrubbed
them again in soap-suds for long time, till
they looked almost as though they were spar
boiled" but couldn't wash off the plitty odor
Now it was dinner time, and sat at the ta-
ble with the rest of the family, but could not
eat, and was in constant fear that somebody
would smell putty, and thus lead to the ex-
posure of my guilt. After dinner. had an
other time, off In the back-kitchen all alone,
scrubbing, soaking, and rubbing, but it was no
use, the peculiar scent of the putty. would
not leave; and / think for three years or more
it was ever present to nose and heart. aBa 81
1t is now almost forty years since the oc-
currence, and yet, while writing this, nv rec
collection oft is SO vivid it really seems as
though the putty itself was sticking to nv
hands! and although mechanic now myself,
and having frequent occasion to use putty, it
always reminds me of that time when stole
a piece as big as a chestnut.
But although, like Franklin, @paid dear for
the whistle" it has proved good lesson, and
worth more to me than a hundred of the SER
mons have heard. Neither the good Dea-
con, my kind and faithful parents, nor my
brothers or sisters, detected my fault but nv
sin surely and efectually '.found me out" and
God by His Spirit has been preaching me a
sermon from that text till this day.-ILett
in Bostoh Recorder. f7s t l3.,sar