Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1870-01-15
Sowing and Reaping.

ct for you, sir"
These words were spoken in my hearing
by an angry father to his boy, Jim Thoruc,
who had told him lie. .s
The boy followed his father, who stopped
on the way and cut whip the size Of an
ox-goad, and soon the sound of stinging
blows was heard. mingled with shrieks
and cries which pierced me like arrows,
but which the mother of the child did not
heed. nor, indeed, seem to hear. .-,..
"Good Hcavens!" l cried, "Nancy
Thorne, how can you hear such blows
and such cries, and not stop. them, or go
nadW
"IIe must learn not to lie to his father"
she replied; he has got to DO such liar
that we can place no dependence on word
he says. 1t has got to whipped out of
him"
Now, rea6cr, don't hold up your hands
and say, Horrible what cruel, unnatural
parents they were ?"
They were no such thing; they were
pleasant agreeable people cnough--hon-
est, 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 were harsh and unjust
in the treatment Of their children, or that
they taught them to lie.
When the beating was fnished-whcn
Deacon Thorne had demonstrated his pow.
er-when he, as an earthly father, had
done toward his child as he imagined his
Heavenly Father would do toward him.
the law of revenge was satisfied, and he
threw down his rod and bent his steps
homeward.
felt that if I met him, there must sure
ly be a collision, and l fed to my chamber,
aud threw myself into a chair at windoY
that overlooked the porch, where Jmmy's
mother was ut work. =.
l watched the father as he walked rap
idly down the path. There was no sign
of pity or sorrow on his flushed face, but.
instead, an expression of satisfaction with
having done good thing, vindicated his
authority, punished the boy for a sin, and
set his wayward feet in the path of rccti-
tude. AS he came near to his wife, he
said ,..l
II guess I've given him trouncing that
he will remember, one spell. What in tho
world makes the boy lie so? I'm sure !
don't know"
I'listencd with strained car for some
words of condemnation from the mother.
but listened vainly. She only worked
over her butter the more 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 race had ever been imprisoned or
hanged, none of them had been remarka-
bic liars, yet Jimmy would lie, there was
no question Of that, and l resolved to
know why.
Deacon Thorne shaved, washed and
combed himself, and l heard him ask his
wife for clean shirt. 1t was Saturday.
and | wondered where he could be going,
and Yankeelike set myself to guessing,
and Yankec-like too, guessed it out. He
belonged to the Baptist Church, and to-
day was Covenant meeting" day. Pret.
ty soon l heard him come out upon the
stoop and say to his wife .'|'
"Nancy, it seems to me that you might
get your work done up, go as to 60 to cove
nant meeting sometimes. 1t don't look
we'll for you, and it plaques me to have the
brothers and sisters ask where sister Thorne
is. What shall tell 'em, Nancy"
"You can tell 'em," replied Nancy, in
rather tart tone, &" that I've no help about
my work, and its as much as can do to
get ready for Sunday" ''"' , '.', ) ..''. .f'-
Deacon Thorne got flea in his ear.
He hadtold his wife that he thought she
could get along without a girl that the
summers work was done and the weather
cool. Mrs Thorne had reluctantly con-
scnted to try it, for she, too, was-as Peg
gotty observed Of Barkis, "pretty near"
and had an eye to the main chance"
When ! saw the old piebald horse was
hitchcd to the old green wagon, and the
deacon seated therein, and altogether mov-
ing out. of the gate, I hurried down stairs,
through the woodshed, and took my way
to the barn. Pushing open the door, and
following the sound Of suppressed sobs, l
found Jimmy crouching in corner, with
his head half-hidden in a tuft of hay, quiv-
ering with excitement and pain. When l
put my hand on him, he shrank from the
touch; when l spoke his name, he looked
up with the look Of dog that had been
beaten; when l lifted his head and pill
lowed it on my lap, floods oftears gushed
forth. l let him have good cry, sooth-
ing him by passing my hand lightly over
his damp hair. When he grew calmer
loosaned his shirt band and looked at his
back; and, as I did so, bit my lips to sup
press scream. 1t was literally covered
with livid wots, and in some places the
blood came through the skin. .,. -
Drawing the shirt band up, fastening it
round his mock, and commanding as well
as I could, my trembling voice, proposed
to him to 60 with me to his room and rest
awhile. He rose lowly to his feet, and
putting his hand into mine, we proceeded
toward the house, and gained thcchambers
in tho same way left them, unseen by
Mrs. Thorpe.