Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1869-12-29
SOWING AND REAPING.
BY MRS. JENNIE HAzEN.



" Come to the barn with me, sir I'll learn
you to lie to me I'll tan your jacket for
you, sir e.
These words were spoken in my hearing
by an angry father to boy, james Thorne,
who had told him a lie.
The boy followed his father, who stopped
on the way and cut a whip, the size Of an OK
goad, and soon the sound of singing blows
was heard mingled with shrieks and cries
which pierced me like arrows but which the
mother Of the child did not heed, nor did
she, indeed, seem to hear
" food Heavens :" Icried, " Nancy Thorne,
how can you hear such blows and such cries,
and not stop them or 90 mad ?"
He must learn not to lie to his father"
she replied. He has got to be such liar
that we can place no dependence on word
he says. Ithas got to be whipped out of
him"
Now, readers, don't hold up your hands
aud say " Horrible what cruel, unnatural
parents they were!"
Thoy werv nv suvh thing; they were pleas
ant, agreeable people enough, honest and
upright enough, as the world goes, and meant
to bring up their children right and would
have been angry indeed had any one said they
we're harsh or unjust in the treatment of their
children, or that they taught them to lie.
When the beating was tinished-when Dea-
con Thorne had demonstrated his power
when he, as an earthly father, had done to-
ward his child as he imagined his Heavenly
Father would do toward him, the law of re-
yenge was satisfied, and he threw down the
rod and heut his stems hOuseWard
felt thatif | met him there must be coll
lision and fed to my chamber, and threw
myself into chair at the window that over
looked the porch where Jimmy's mother was
at work
watched the father as he walked down
the path. There was no sign Of pity and sor-
row on his flushed face, but instead, an ex-
preston Of satisfaction with having done
good thing, vindicated his authority pun
shed the boy for sin, and set his feet in the
path of rectitude.
As he came to his wife he said, I" | guess
I've given him trouncing that he will re-
member one spell. What il the world makes
the boy lie so? Pm sure | don't know"
| listened with strained ear for some
words of condemnation from the mother, but
listened vainly. She only worked over her
butter busily.
l. too, wondered what made the boy tell
lies he came of good, honest stock as far
back as could be remembered none of his
family had been imprisoned or even hanged
none of them had been remarkable as liars
yet Jim would ie there was no question of
that, and | resolved to know why.
Deacon Thorne shaved, washed aud com1ed
himself, and | heard him ask his wife for
clean shirt 1t was Saturday, and wondered
where he could be going, aud, Yankee like,
set myself to guessing, aud Yankee like too,
guessed it out He belonged to a Baptist
church, and to-day was " Covenant meeting"
day. Pretty soon heard him come out upon
the stoop, and say to his wife, " Nancy, it
seems to me you might get your work done
up, so as to 90 to covenant meeting sometimes.
1t isn't well for you and it plaques me to
have the brothers and sisters ask where sis
ter Thorne is. What shall | tell 'em, Nancy7"
Z" You can tell en-" replied Nancy, in a
tart tone, that | have no help about my
work, and it's as much as | can do to get
ready for Sunday"
Br. Thorne got flea in his ear. lie had
told his wife that he thought she could get
along without girl, now that the summers
work was done and the weather cool. Mrs
Thorne had reluctantly consented to try it,
for She too, was-as Peggoty observed of
Barkis, "pretty near" and had an eye to
the main chance"
When | saw the old piebald horse htched
to the old green wagon, and the deacon seated
therein, and all together moving through the
gate, | hurried down stairs and went to the
barn. Pushing the door open and following
the sound Of suppressed sobs, found Jim
crouching in the corner, with his head half
hidden in tuit of hay, quivering with excite.
ment and pain. When put my hand upon
him, he shrunk from the touch when spoke
his name he looked up with the look Of dog
that had been beaten when | lifted his head
and pilowed it on my lap, floods of tears
gushed forth. let him have good cry,
soothing him by passing my hand lightly over
his damp hair. When he grew calmer |
loosened his shirt band and looked at his back
and, as | did 50, bit my lips 10 suppress a
scream 1t was literally covered with liyid
wets, and in some places the blood came
through the skin
Drawing his shirt band up, fastening il
around his neck, and commanding as well as
| could my trembling voice, | proposed to
him to 20 with me to his room, and rest
awhile. lie rose slowly to his feet, and put
ting his hand in mine, we proceeded towards
his house, and gained the chambers in the
same way left them, unseen by Mrs.
Thorne.
l persuaded him to undress and lie upon
the bed while bathed his aching head and
bruised back. He told me what the offence !