Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-06-09
Adde'S LAME FOOT.

"OH! I've got such pain In my knee!
cried Addie Jacobs, as she came limping
back into the house few minutes after
she had started for school.
ain your knee" said Mrs. Jacobs, q
look Of anxiety in her face. What kind
of pains'
ooh, it's such sharp pain" And Adj
die limped about, and made terribly wry
face.
Mrs. Jacobs was alarmed. She had
heard only the day before of little girl
who had once been taken suddenly with
a pain in her knee, and was now q
So she took off Adde'S hat and coat,
felt the knee all over, the child shrinking
when she touched certain spot, saying
that it hurt her.
There. was NO going to school that day.
Addie was placed on a lounge, with her
leg on pillow. But as all this trouble
about her knee was, am sorry to say,
only a pretence that she might stay at
home, she got tired Of keeping still, and
after it was too late to go TO school, got
off the lounge, and was able to 60 about
as well as usual.
Now, if Addie had never deceived her
mother before, Mrs. Jacobs would have
felt glad when she saw her playing about
the room But now it flashed through
her mind that her little girl, who was not,
regret to say, truthful child, had both
told and acted a lie; and she was very
sorry and much displeased. So she
watched Addic closely, and became salts
fed that she had deceived her.
About week afterward, on being got
ready for school, Addie said that her shoe
hurt her foot. Her mother had not for
gotten the pretended pain in her knee,
and replied, impstiently,
ats all make believe run along"
But Addie imped badly, and began to
cry, saying her foot hurt her dreadfully.
Mrs Jacobs, to make sure, took her on
her knee, and felt the boot all over.
"Its right there!" Addie cried out, as
her mother pressed certain part of tn
foot.
So Mrs Jacobs took of the boot, and
then the stocking, but could find no hurt
| or bruise. Putting them on again, sh
gave her scolding, and sent her off to
school. Addie left the house limping and
cryine
At noon she returned, so lame that one
of her school mates had to help her along.
Her foot was now badly swollen and very
red, and she was in SO much pain from
walking home that che could scarcely help
screaming aloud in the street.
| 81 told you it hurt met" she said to her
mother as she came in, the tears running
down her face. But you would make
me go to school"
That was because you told an un-
truth about your knee" replied Mrs.
Jacobs, with some severity, hiding her
alarm. "If my little girls word had al
ways been true word, would have be.
lieved her this morning. But liar-that
is a hard word TO say, but it is the right
word-we can never trust"
| Addie hid her face with her hands In
shame the doctor was sent for, who, on
examining the foot, found 1t badly in
famed, and said she was threatened with
erysipelas A whole week passed before
she could rest her foot on the ground,
and during . part Of that time she suf.
fered great deal of pain.
Much of this was caused by Adde'S
walking 30 far after her foot was ewollen
end Unframed. IT she had never deceived
her mother, she would not have been sent
TO school when she said her foot hurt her
90 badly. hope she never forgot the
lesson.
We cannot do wrong in word or act
without bringing upon US pain of some
kind-pain of mind, or pain of body. 1t
is as sure to follow as pain from wound
or blow. Think, little girl or boy, now
reading this: "Did You ever tell an un.
truth, or do wrong act without its caus.
ing you to suffer in some wayy l am
sure you never did.
Speak the truth always-do the right
always; it is the only way to be happy as
cmIdren, and happy a. men and women.
I-Cnldren's Hour.