The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-03-15

Who loved and praised the right!
Yet from the silken bonds of soth
Thev vanly strove to fly,
Which held them gently prisoned in
The street of By-and-By.
Then shun the spot my youthful friends
Work while yet you may;
Let not old age oertake you
You slothfully delay,
Lest you should gaze around you. and
Discover, with q sigh,
You've reached the house Of Never" by
The street Of By.and-By.
LITTLE MARY's TEMPTATION,
"Shall II shall Z" whispered little
Mary sh to sands foded behind her,
the polished table that her blue eyes just
peeped over, laid a bright round sixpence,
q new sixpence, that Mary longed to see
transferred to her little red silk bag. Her
mother had left the coin there and forgot
ten it, Mary knew, because she had heard
her say that there was not bit of small
change in the house.
Long and eagerly Mary contemplated
the treasure. What variety of beautiful
things took shape and floated over the
table, crowding round the new sixpence,
it would buy such an endless variety of
pretty toys; and if she could get two sugar
birds for one penny, what number she
could buy for six whole pence She would
have sugar-plums and sticks of twisted
candy she would have peppermint drops
and little new doll--no, she wouldn't
buy q doll, on second thought, for she had
two already she would keep some of her
money to carry to school, or perhaps, all
of it, and show it to her playmates, who
seldom had SO much.
"shall 1 shall II" Oh, how the wicked
tempter urged the fair haired little girl
What golden visions he placed in array
before her !! How he kept whispering.
"Mamma will never know it," Never,
never, never, for she has forgotten all
about it." Aud how stealthily at
last he caught her little hand, and
fingers touched the very rim of the shining
sixpence. But, thank God, there are also
good angels, whose delight it is to over
throw the wicked tempter, that assails
not only little Mary, hut men and women:
to her, "Ob, little Mary, little Mary don't
you know that is stealing 7 Don't you.
know it's az wicked to take that bit of
money as for the great thief to rob your
fathers money-drawer, OF steal your
mothers gold ring 7"
"But father and mother would frd it out
then; they would know that somebody
had taken their treasures. This little six
pence I'm sure nobody remembers, and l
want it badly" Almost insensible the
fingers closed over the money.
"But, little Mary" said the good angel
in a solemn voice that quite awed the child,
"there's great God, whose eyes can see
away into your heart, and He knows the
thoughts you're thinking He has found
out the dark corners where those wicked
thoughts hide, not daring to come into the
light. Oh, little Mary, remember the in
structions you have received from the good
Sisters, Gay after day, in your school how
often they have talked to you about sin,
and taught you to abhor it and although
your mother might not know that you had
stolen the money, God would /; and all the
time you would keep feeling, I'm thief;
I'm thief! / stole siXpence, and l shall
never be happy again =! No, little Mary,
though YOU are ever SO sorry, you can
never be happy again"
s.Shall 1 z" shall 7" the wicked tempter
had spoken for the last time; little Mary
took the sixpence with heightened color
and heavily beating heart, but she ran as
fast as she could run, never stopping to take
breath till she found her mother, and Gag
erly holding out the money, she cried, "lt
was on the table in your room, dear mother"
Her mother smiled, took the sixpence,
and kissing Mary's forehead, she said:
"What dear little daughter have got :!
Some little daughters would have kept
the money. and never have told of it: How
can 1 be thankful enough to God, who has
given me such an honest little girl !"
Mary held down her head: the tears were
gathering thickly in her eyes, but she
looked up bravely and said, almost sob.
bling. ooh, mamma, don't know, as
am honest am honest if 1 wanted to
take it ever SO much, and almost did take
it"
"Bless you, my child" said the happy
mother, catching her treasure in her arms,
'you have safely passed the ordeal; you
have been tried, and not found wanting.
Yes, dear, you are still my honest daugh-
ter, and have no fear that after to day
you will ever take anything that does not
belong to you" And in the excess of her
joy, the good mother could not help weep
ing.
"But what then are you crying for 2"
said little Mary, wiping away the tears
with her pretty fingers.
"For pleasure that my Mary has resisted
temptation-for pleasure that she did not
wickedly take the sixpence, when abe
knew her mother would never find it out
And now, my darling, You shall have mo-
ney of your own you shall keep it, and 1
will add to it till you have enough to buy
nnnr LndH,s girl q nice warm frock for the