Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1869-09-02
Sclf.Er0 1lisfrllantI.
MY FIRST LIE.

MY FIRST LIE.
mover intended telling lie, for had
always zen taught that it was wicked and
di>l. onorahc to speak falsely. My moth
er and father had often s,il that to me ut
l,ou,r heard the same thing at my Sum
DIV !,,horl, and from MY teacher at day
school. wien he found out TINT any of his
scholars had been guilty of telling things
t!.t were untrue, I had seen the picture
ul George Washington standing 10y the
ci,,.y tree with his little Ratchet, i'll his
l.,iA. and knew by heart this story of tho
.~,, and good man. who said, Father l
t.,'.l,rt tel he
How cas-, that was to do, I had often
thought. and wondered Why people said so
:,.~ !, ulou: the nueciote OF the cherry tree
l,.s,l..s. read my Bible, and came across
u Y, at many texts about tho sin Of lying
ia the punishment of liars, so i'll my
2,.,-t had lcarnedto have more contempt
:,,r I've bly,, who WIS pointed out to me as
t',, !, lew that told lies" than I had
lt,,.i TOR tie sin. 1 felt myself entirely
t,.r",l t. associate with such contempti-
1T, low, fellows until we'll. after told my
first lie. / will tell you how it was done,
tl."u,l something like blush comes even
,ow /, ,nv Nrinkled cheeks when l recall
10 nY nnQry. for have never forgotten it,
tin$.in If II little fair-haired. smooth skin
n,,i boy.
O,u' r,l Winter night, after l had put
ont my light and WAS Just about getting in
!, hi II, soft feather bed, my father came
near my door and said, "Charles did you
pot away the wood from the kitchen stoveT
| lu~sitatru as stood shvering by my
},,,i.i,!.. II moment before l replied.
III yon lid not .yol must go down now
aud attends. a. said my father. Your
,..nher says il can not DO left there all
,n,ht.
Every second it seemed growing colder;
tn. light in the kitchen WAS ont, and the
FIRE. too, l presumed by that time. l would
l:,r to 90 down alone those cold black
stAi.. They were always as cold rs Green
l.,rl Thought and my bed seemed so
Vain and tempting. What difference could
II ,,uke ut,ral ? This all flashed thrC ugh
nv maud before father asked again, "dave
You forgotten it. Charles.
NO, Iathtrr," called in loud voice.
It's all right then good night"
=. .AU right / repeated, and shivereCl
more tlan over before.
plunged in my feather bed, and drew
tn. clothes Over my head, thinking would
soon be asleep, had hscl SO sleepy only
afew minutes before, Int l turned and
tossed about for q long time, and was very
RESTLESS,
"p,haw," exclaimed, ''what possible
difference can it make.
l;ut felt mean, was contemplate, and
+ ,clt too, that had lost or parted with
something that had been very dear to me
something that would have made mo hap
per if had kept it. was very cross
with myself. not ut all sorrowiul that had
committed " sin, and | could not get to
sleep until made some kind OF n compro
mise with my conscience, and resolved to
.;n to mother carly i'll tho morning and tell
her that .lll not put the wood away rs
s:.., had ordered before she discovered this
herself.
went to sleep after that, bnt was still
very uncomfortable, for after had fallen
as, ep bad dreams camo to annoy me, and
among other disagrceable ones l dreamed
that the house was on Fire and the smoke
WIS choking me. / coughed and started
,ly, and as did SO a loud and fearful cry
from the street rang in my ears "Fire
fire ! fire " shouted voice directly under
my window.
could not move for moments, seconds
should say, but ut such times seconds
seemed moments and moments like hours
Then felt certain that our house was i'll
.I-c'l OH fire and my dream WAS u true one
for the smoke in my room WAS 80 thick
almost stllleu me.
ran to the front window and then to thu
l',ck, and, though could not sec thu
iltnn's, smoke Wits pouring in dense clouds
ont of tho kitchen window, and l coult
lear the flames rising. My father was ~
Il
over to neighbors house for safety an(
protection; while my father remained be
ll,ld with q few friends who had beer
rn'l...,l by the cry of fire. and were assisting
him in trying to extinguish the flames.
There was little hope oidoing this, they
s,iI, the house was built of wood. it wal
very old and dry, and our cistern was fro
xr,. so hard no water could be procured
until the ice was broken with an Ak. Th,
snow was half foot deep OH the ground
could see where we watched in breathles
anxiety the bright red reflection Of the crue
tunes through the cracked and broker
.,.r5 Of our kitchen window.
There is no hope, believe, :" said moth
q s;,,tiy,;''lpr the house is like finder. Ev
81. ih,n;; will be lost, am afraid"
O, I cs.luot describe my feelings. 1t was
;"rnT to hear one say to another, ''Hov
Gll il take fire?' And heard one or two
IT,, whispers; about carclessncss. Wher
...'i. ~ s",l IN a sad voice, without look
IN; * nc "!'rerc was some wood left toe
II. .,r the stove" 1 knew OF what sho wal
thinking, though she said nothing to me-
r'nlt have stood that better, but there
WIS nothing for me to do but stand there
lhr consciousness that / did it all it was
nEi my fault. I saw tho fire. seeming te
creep higher and higher, and then feeling
in. ,lLl,r io!pl,..snc*s, and thinking this
US. punishment for my sin, turned away
ll.;,rt sick, aud prayed as earnestly as
!..:n ever i'll my life for forgiveness from
On. who hollis The elements III his hand
apI lnt mercy.
could not believe it when, haitian hou1
after, some one came running III and ex
"ti,itrl, "Thc worst is over, We will Sool
,ut ont tho fire." trembled, and then
v:,l,t to mother, and putting my arms
around her, l whispered, 'Torsive MI
mother, forgive me !"
When father came to rs he looked very
tired and pale. He had been working will
desperation, and said lie did not suppose
he could save anything when the fire wat
fl y! discovered, but the cistcrn WAS very
ln,.sr tn" house, it was still, quiet night
ana hi; H"i-, hbnrs had worked with might
and main.
''tIow much worse it might have been,
sud mother. GLOW thankful we should
hc that we have made such a narrow escape.
YES, lltlne1," said father, 80 very mar.
70" "c.r", Int tnut is not the worst par,
OF it. ] did not know until to night that my
ri''1 wax = Has.
My moti."r caught s. A,na '.nl led him
into nnutl.r rf'H'u, Father did not once
look at luc not once u! the liar
have never forgotten that night Fa.
thrr rurnavn me, he said, but l knew that
Ne mist t,htth Inc tor !. long, time aftcrwaro
nud Ito not wonder, for we'll deserved it,
and, though it vas very nIortlliying and
hard tn bear, it nmule mo humber, anC
Taught me TO have less confidence in my
nwn ability to keep in tho steady, narrow
r.th unaidcd by heavenly strength, ani
assisted NC in looking upward for Guidance
t., On,, who piirs our weakness ant
tr nuthcns orr hearts in the hour oftemp
,;.,mn. am an old man now, and cal
nrT,r forget my first lie.
A proposition to change tho divorce
Laws il being freely discussed III Washing
ton Az the law now stands, conjngal mi
Il, Iity is the ou;y c.u,eo for which the court:
Of tie District arc authorized to dissolve 1
matrimonial contract f., ely made WlthOn
fraud. The law proposed authorizes iii
y,,rce.;, in the discretion Of the Chancellor,
f,. other causes This; law was introduced,
il, Congress last winter, but it met will
strong op,usltion, and its PASSAGE at the
next session il considered doubtful.