Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1867-10-03
for the Mp,te GirtIe.s

5ot the Mo,ae GirtIe
ANoTHER CRooKED PATH,
What is it? You willsee. One day Ar
chie's father sent him on an errand, and as
lit was some miles of, he let him have the
horse. 1t was fine sunshiny morning,
and, Archie enjoyed his@ride. He made
the horse go fast or, slow, just as he had a
mind to, and the spring birds were singing
on every tree he passed. His father told
him not to stop BY the way, So he went
and did his errand, and was trotting home
with merry heart, when he caught sight
(of some boys in q farm.yard. 7'zF'i Eezs' ~
And what should be do, but ride into the
yard, just to say ssgood morning'-that was
all., The boys were playing marbles.
Archie watched them from his horses back,
until he got so interested that he slipped
off his. saddle and took his turn. in the
game; and he played, and played, until
two hours were gone. ~ =. AZ .sg.g @ :
Archie was quite frightened when he
found how the time went: He jumped on
Charles back, and away he went. But
nothing looked as pleasantly as before. The
fields were as green, and the sky as blue,
and the sun as bright, apdthe birds as gay;
but Archie, was not happy. he was in.
[nocent when he rode along in the morn
ing, and now he felt guilty. He had done
exactly what his father told him not to.
He had stopped by the way, altthe while
knowing his father was waiting for the er-
rand, :. zs.g, y-.ssss 80, ..gy + ~
"Oh, dear, what excuse can I make ?"
thought Archie. Excuse 2? why, none.
There was no excuse to make. Speak the
truth, like an honest fellow: Pretty soon
Archie spied his father coming, down the
road to meet him. His father was afraid
lest some accident had happened. 81 am
glad you have reached home safely, my son.
What has Detained you 2 asked his father.
81 lost my way" said Archie, sand it
took me some time to get right again.
His father, Of course, believed him. He
had never caught Archie in a ie.before.
He went home and said the same. thing to
/ his mother. oyou think he felt any hap
pier for it? No, no, no. He was in a
crooked path, and you will never find peace
there. He tried to appear easy and happy
but he was uneasy and miserable, and he
really did not look his parents in the face.
He did not sleep well that hight. No
body sleeps well on a lie. He did not wake
lup bright. Nobody wakes up bright on a
lie. He was not comfortable all day. No
body is comfortable with lie for bosom
companion. Do you think they are?
So it went on for several weeks, and Ar
chic was almost forgetting it; almost, I
said, for there was still sore spot on his
memory he would never get over. By-and-
|by, the gentleman in whose yard he stop
ped came to see his father. As soon as
Archie set his eyes on him, his heart beat
violently and he turned pale. s-a
In a. few minutes the man turned to Ar
chic and asked, "How did you get home
the other day, my boy? Our boys had a
very pleasant visit from you." How do
you think Archie felt =? Mr. Mann then
turned to his father, and said, sY ou must
let Archie come again. When he was there
few weeks ago, he only stayed about two
hours. We had hoped, he had come to
spend the whole day., 49,
There, it was all out. His father and
mother had caught him in direct lie. Ar
chic felt SO ashamed, so sorry; and yet he
had rather have it out than in. 1t was a
relief to have his parents know it, and to
have their forgiveness. Nor was that all.
Archie felt that he had grieyed his heaven
lily Parent. He knew that "lying lips are
an abomination to the Lord" An abomi-
nation! Think how God must hate liars.
Archie felt troubled and humbled, and pray
ed God to forgive him this great sin, for
Jesus sake.
Not great while after, his mother sent
him to buy her something at the shop. Ar
chic did SO, but did not bring home the right
change. s'Is this all the money, Archie p
asked his mother, looking him right in the
eye. eyes, mother" II hope, my dear
son, you are not deceiving me again" she
said, Archie was honest this time, and it
almost broke his heart to be thus suspect
ed; vet he felt it was just, and went away
sorrowfully. These are the consequences
of falsehood. It is crooked path, and
hard to get out of. A liar cannot be i'm
mediately believed. 1t takes time to re-
store confidence in his word, even when he
speaks the truth.-ChilTs Paper.
WE CANNOT GO BACK.
It is q solemn thought that we cannot
90 back, but we can only 60 forward. We