Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1869-10-21
A CHILD IN RT.
The Power of Truth.

A CHILD COURT.
The Power of Truth.
The following beautiful illustration of
the simplicity and power of truth is from
the pen of S. H. Hammond, formerly of
the Albany State Register, He was an
eyewitness of the scene in one of the
higher courts:
A little girl, nine years of age, was
offered as witness against prisoner
who was on trial for a felony committed
in her fathers house
CHOW, Emily" said the counsel for
the prisoner, upon her being offered as a
witness" I desire to know if you under
stand the nature of an OATH"
II don't know what you mean was
the simple answer.
"There, your honor" said the counsel.
addressing the court, sis anything fur
Their necessary to demonstrate the validity
Of my objection ? This witness should be
rejected. -"She does not comprehend the
nature of an oath"
'Let us see," said the judge. "Come
here, my daughter" Assured by the
kind tone and manner of the judge, the
child stepped toward him. and looked
confidently up in his face, with clear
eye, and in manner so artless and frank
that it went straight to the heart.
"Did you ever take an oath ?" inquired
the judge. The little girl stepped back
with look of horror, and the red blood
mantled in blush all over her face and
neck as she answered:
''No, SIR
She thought he intended to inquire il
she ever blasphemed.
Il do not mean that said the judge,
who saw her mistake. "Imean were you
ever a witness before p
'No, sir, never was in court before :?
was the answer.
He handed her an open Bible.
''Do you know that book, my daughter?
She looked at it and answered, Eyes,
sir, it is the Bible"
do you ever read it? p he asked.
eyes. sir, every evening""
Odu tOu IClA BudS tuC DlULC ID
inquired the judge.
''It is the word Of the Great God," she
answered
''Well, place your hand upon this
Bible and listen to what say" and he
repeated slowly and solemnly the oath usu
ally administered to witnesses.
CHOW, said the judge, "you have
sworn as a witness, will you tell me what
will befal you if you do not tell the truth =
II shall be shut up in the State prison,
answered the child.
Anything else ?" asked the judge.
II shall never 60 to heaven" she re-
piled.
"How do you know this ?" asked the
judge again.
The child took the Bible and turning
rapidly to the chapter containing the COM
mandments, pointed to the injunction,
Thou shalt not bear false witness
against thy neighbor." II learned that
before l could read.'
HAS any one talked with you about
your being witness in court here against
this man 2" inquired the judge.
Eyes, sir" she replied my mother
heard they wanted me to be witness,
and last night she called me to tell her
the ten commandments and then we
kneeled down together and she prayed
that I might understand how wicked it
was to bear false witness against my
neighbor, and that God would help me,
little child, to tell the truth as it was
before Him. And when I came up here
with my father, she kissed me and told
me to remember the ninth commandment,
and that God would hear every word that
| said"
'Do you believe this ?" asked the judge,
while tear glistened in his eye, and his
lips quivered with emotion.
eyes, sir" said the child, with voice
and manner that showed her conviction
of truth was perfect.
God bless you, my child, "said the
Judge, "you have good mother. This
witness is competent" he continued.
"Were 1 on trial for my life, and in
nocent of the the charge against me,
would pray to God for such witness as
this. Let her be examined"
She told her story with the simplicity
of child, as she was, but there was a
directness about it which carried conviction
of the truth to every heart. She was rig
idly cross-examincd. The counsel piled
her with infinite and ingenious questions.
but she varied from her first statement in
nothing. The truth as spoken by the child
was sublime. Falsehood and perjury had
proceeded her testimony. The prisoner
had intrenched himself in lies, until he
deemed himself impregnable. Witnesses
had falsifed fact in his favor, and villainy
had manufactured for him sham defense.
But before her testimony falsehoods were
scattered like chat. The little. child, for
whom mother had prayed for strength
to be gwen her to speek the truth as it
was before God, broke the cunning devices
of matured villiany to pieces like pottcr's
vessel. The strength that her mother
had prayed for was given her, and tho
sublime and terrible simplicity terrible,
| mean. to the prisoner aud his associates,
with which she spoke, was like a rev.
eIation from God himself