Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1870-04-08

the Judge, the q Id slePPo" 'o""' NM
aud Io,le cd cons emily up in his face, with
n calm eleayeye, and in manner so art
1o,, All gank, that it went straight to the
heart. "a n,
Dlu SG The little girl stepped back
the ,gIook of horror, and the red blood
Waited in blush all over her face and
neck as she answered.
"No, sir"
She thought he intended to inouire If sba
ever blasphemed.
~ do not mean that" said the Judge,
who saw her mistake. "I mean were Won
ever .sgitness beforeYn
"No, sir, l never was in court before" "
was the answer
He handed her an open Biblo.
"Do you know that book, my daughter?r
"she looked at it and answered, Eyes
sir, 1t Is the Bible"
DO you ever read it?" he asked.
''Ne, sir, every evening""
"Cas you tell me what the Bible ?" in
- Judge. s5sS ., r.. o..,, 60, ;, d..
answepd.
"Wdl, place your hand upon this Bible,
and listn to what say" and he repeated
slowly And solemnly the oath usually adj
ninisered to witnesses.
"Ntw. said the Judge, "you have been
sworn as witness, will you tell me what
will become of you, if you do not tell the
truth p
81 shall be shut up in the State Prison."
answered the child.
Anything else ?" asked the Judge.
81 shall never go to Heaven" she repli-
ed.
Glow do you know this?" asked the
Judge.
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 noighbor.'
81 learned that before l could read.'
Has any one talked with you about
your being a witness in the court here
against this MANI" inquired the Judge.
Yes, 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 1 might un-
derstand how wicked it was to bear false
witness against my neighbor, and that God
would help mo, a little child, to tell the
truth as it was before Him. And when l
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 1 said"
do you believe this ?" asked the Judge,
while a tear glistened in his eye and his
lips quvered with emotion.
e9, sir" said the child, with voice
an manner that showed her conviction of
trl.l was perfect.
God bless you, my child" said the
Judge "you have a good mother.-This
Wines is competent he continued.
Were an, trial for my life, and innocent
| OF the thr4e against me, would pray to
God to give me such a witness as this Let
her be exspined."
S was, but there was a direct
= II il which carried conviction to
everI heart. She was rigidly cross exam
inod: Tbe counsel piled her with infinite
and ,ogehous questions, but she varied
from Sor first statement in nothing. The
truths as spoken by the child was sublime.
False iood and perjury had preceded her
testimony. The prisoner had entrenched
himsif in lies until he deemed him
self inpregnable. Witnesses had falsified
facts in his favor, and villainy had manu-
featured for him a sham defence. But be-
fore her testimony falsehoods were scatter
ed like chafI. The little child, for whom a
mother had prayed for strength to be CIV
en- her to speak the truth as it was before
God broke the cunning devices of matur-
ed villainy to pieces like potter's vessel.
The strength that her mother prayed for
was given her, and the sublime and terri
BILE slmplicity-terrible 1 mean, to the
prisoner and his associates-with which
she spoke, was like a revelation from God
himself.