The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1871-08-23

spared YOU this. Have I ever
been so harsh as to drive You to
deceive me? You have been false
to God and yourself, and for what?
Because You were not brave and
strong enough to acknowledge at
home that You were kept in for 4
neglected lesson: DO you not see
this?"-big tears in the eyes, deter
miucd look on the face and doggcd
SiIence-"Io ohnnic, ! feel sure that
You DO see this and are sorry, but
yon arc not bravo enough to Say
so I woald be too proud not to
acknowledge a fault or to remain
with forgiveness unEasked ; ask!
God to forgive you and give You
better spirit : go now and come
to me at noon" Before an hour
had passed. when passing his desk.
l saw he had scribbled 4 half doz-
en- times Il am sorry!'' as lie had
not the courage to hand it to me
| made no comment-aftcr school
he came to me and told me he
was sorry, so sorry. | told him ]
would trust him-that I would
keep the note, and when | felt
that he had tried TO be r0rthy Of
my trust 7 would give it to him:
that the affair had ever happened
should be kept secret. I had nc
need TO show Him the childreu's
dislike to what was false, he was
TOO sensitive Us to what they would
think.
Another time requested acbild
to hand me my pencil from off his
desk Ithe pencil, by the by. was 4
rather peculiar one, aud the child
had not Il sacred regard for truth):
he said aloud: 1T is mine" |
heard 4 half suppressed "Oh !" !
said, Excuse ne. Jimmie, bnt it
is so like mine: | thought it was"
An impuIsivc seat-matc exclaimed
1t is yours"' "No. l got it
from i boy that goes to the school.
"What is bis name?" Johnnie
Smith," well, Jimmie, I think
il vii! be best to send for Johnnie
Smith, and then if you are inno-
cent, as l hope you are ([ could
say Delicre) it vii! simply prove
it." sent, and found it was q
ia!schood. | told him l had
rather given him y dozen such
pencils than to have him prove
unworthy Of trust; drew forth
from his companions an express
sion OF the mcaDDcSs of a lie but
when I saw the little head droop
lower over the desk with shame,
| told the children TO remember
that they too had their faults, and
therefore they too had need Of
forgiveness: if they had strength
to keep from tins they shonld be
grateful and kindly help Jimmie
to be true to truth.
n dealing with another case
Of falSchood and theft, Of whi:h |
mad unques;orablc proof, | felt
ths: !. w&s better to screen the
fault from the school and tell only
the parents, for If ever the child
was TO become . good true woman
there WAS need OF their care. |
did not send bcr away from
school. Education is to prevent
crime, and here was one who stood
soreIy in need of its saving ben
Gifts. Before the end Of the year
l knew she was changed child.
| do not think corporal punish
mcnt ever does any good in such
cases. Ponce tried it, aud found
ont, as my poor little specimen Of
erflny humanity stood rubbing his
eyes witlr his knuckle<, he was
tcstifying his sorrow not fer the
.f;tuIt but the whipping. There is
no oratorv 50 powerful us kind
worGs. We are so constituted
that hope h@s more influence over
Us than tca:.
Kind words, like the breath q
spring, melt the icy heart harsh
rcp:oof, like 1-lc blasts of winter,
binds it with Il chain Of adamant.
Harsh words ard hard blows
are seldom forgotten, they have
often rendered desperate, seldom
softcncd 4 stubborn disposition
never made a child abhor Il lie
Often our talk and reasoning
with children seem Of little use,
but words do not die; they fail
upon the heart when all is calm.
and sink down into its lowest
depths. y child may throw con-
tempt upon your advice ua&y
treat With disda;a your prcccpts.
bnt IN after years. when some un-
looked for circumstance brings
back his youth, your words vii.
come back with pa!hos and per-
suasiveness: as though the years
they had slnmbcrcl had given
them a dccpncss and richness Of