The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1871-05-04

nance, that; plainly impaired guilt te
SOME extent. His mother suspected
tRath was hinging upon technics, and
she put the probing question, well
what did you say2 -: q ,ifig1li
Il said I'd be tte,totly 'od urn.
1.Apd that's just as bad. Mr. Butler
you positively will have to take this
boy in hand. He evinces a strong pro.
pensity to profane swearing, which il
not correotod,s will become ungoverua'
BILE. ~, do. n :..E4o- ;.
| whenever you, can't manage him
said Butler, as before, Just turn hin
over 20 me, aud 1 reckon l can cure
him. ,t-'7-, loss. .....-
. 1t is due to Butler here to state, that
it was mutually understood between
him and his, wife, that her credit was
not sstaked upon these general drafts
andthere he did not feel himself bound
to honor:them; but whenever she val
ued ON him (es the merchants say) fol
q specific amount, or special purpose
| her bills were were never dishonored.
y When did he say it? inquired the
mother, returning to Abraham.
tYou know that time you sent oil us
chillen to tho new ground to pick
peas?
,a4WKy, that's been three months ago,
Fat least, and you have just thought now
of tellingit. Oh, you malicious toad,
you; where do you learn to bear malice
so long? I abhor that, trait Of charaleFi, \ !
ter in child. -
ma, said Bill, fAbe haint said pray:
ers 10 three nights.
Abe and Bill now exactly swapt
places and countenanccs. e;....%;
.Yes,said the mother, and sup
pose I should never heard that, if Abe
had not told of your profanity.
Il know better, dragged out Abra-
ham, in reply to William. n
Abraham, said the mother, so!emnly,
did you ,kneel down when you said your
prayers last night2 -
yes ma, said abraham, frightening
a little. . ~ 4.
sYes, ma, continued Bill, 'he kneels
down, and fore l can say .Now lay
me Gown to sleep, he jumps up, every
night and hops in bed and says, be is
done his prayers, and he haint Ind time
to say half a prayer. a ;a =
Daring this narrative my namesake
kept covering under the steadfast
.frown of his mother, until he transforms
ed himself into the perfect personi6ca>
ton Of idiocy. ~.
'How many prayers did you say last
night, Abraham pursued the mother,
in an awfully potentious tone.
II said one, and,-(here Abraham
paused.) =
'Gne, and what?
sOne, and piece of another.
sWhy, ma, he could not have said it
to save his life, for he did not have the
time. -
sHush, sir, I dent ask for your as
sistance.
Il did, muttered Abraham, 4 said
the other piece after I got in bed.
Abraham, said his mother 4 de-
clare do not know what to say to you. /
am so mortified, SO shocked atthis con"
duct, that I am completely at loss
how to express myself about it. Sup.
pose you had died last night after tri>
fling with your prayers as you did, who
can say what would have become of,
you? Is it possible that you cannot
spend few minutes in prayer to your
Heavenly Father, who feeds you, who
clothes you, and who gives you every
good thing you have in the wolld! You
poor sinful child, l could weep over
you.' .,g =
Poor Abraham evinced such deep
contrition under this lecture (for he
sobbed as if his heart would break that
his mother deemed it prudent to con.
clude with s1osives, which she did In
the happiest manner. r.
Having thus restored Abraham's
equa Unity in measure, With gently
encouraging smile rs she continued:
'And now, Abraham, tell your moth
er how you came to say part OF the
second prayer
Il couldn't 60 to sleep until said it,
ma'am.' '.'.. ."'.
well, that is a good sign, at least.
And what part was 1t!
God bless my Jataer andmy MOTHER
Mrs. Butler felt quickly for her hand
kerchief. 1t had fallen from her lap,
and she was glad Of it. She depressed
her head below the table in search OF
it, dismissed the children before she
raised it, aud then rose with counte'
nance suflused with smiles and tears.
,sPoor babes,' said she, what COM
pound of good and bad they are.'
The grandmother returned just at
this time, discovering some uncaslness
at Mrs. Buffers tears, the latter ex.
blamed. As she concluded-'The Lord
bless the poor dear boy, exclaimed the
venerable matron, raising her apron
to her eyes, that shows he's got good
heart. No danger Of the child that
can't sleep till he prays for his father
and mother.s!@.".. r2l =. i".'t' "a
l,,.l,.s ;....s A: B. LoNGsrREET.
A.: %. .i--:--7 : = u - -
The troubles of life are like the sticks