Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1884-07-14
sllouths' Column.
.srHOU SHALT NOT STEAL

They did not look a bit like thieves
Five bright, rosy-cheeked little girls,
with their Bibles and Catechisms in
their hands and their missionary mon
ely safely slowed away in their peck
cts, TO be given to their teachers as
soon as the time for collection should |
come
don't think they knew they were
thieves, either They didn't stop to
think about it, when they recited the
Commandments to their teacher as
usual after the other lessons were fin
ished.
ssThou shalt not steal,'' recited
Nellie Glenn, glibly.
ssThou shalt not
"Wait a minute, dear" interposed |
the teacher, as Alice Grant was
about to repeat the next one.
"Wait moment / want to have
a little talk with you about the Eighth
Commandment. Jennie, can you tell
me what stealing ls?"
"Why of course | can Miss Davis.
1t is taking anything that don't be-
long to you
,,Yes, that is a good definition,
Jennie,' answered the teacher.
"Girls. do you know that you have
all broken that commandment since
you have been in the Sunday-school
room this afternoon?'
"Why, Miss Davis, what do you
mean?' they all exclaimed, in aston
ishment. s'We are not thieves
added Jennie, an indignant flush on
her face as she heard her teachers
words.
sWon't you tell us what we have
taken that did not belong to us?'
asked Alice.
"What do we always do after the
opening hymn" asked Miss Davis.
Pray" answered Alice.
''To whom does that time belong,
then?" asked the teacher.
"To God," answered the girls, in
bewilderment, not understanding
what these questions had to with the
Eighth Commandment.
eyes, that time belongs to God,"
answered Miss Davis. .'Now, this
afternoon while our superintendent
was leading us in prayer, l heard two
little girls carrying on a whispered
conversation, another one was turn
ing over the leaves of her library
book, and two more were counting
their missionary money" Five little
faces grew very red; they began to
j. see what Miss DAVIS meant now
, Snow, whose time were they TAX
ing for these things?' asked their
teacher.
Goods time,'' said Alice, family.
eyes, dear, these little girls were
taking Gods time-the time which
l should be spent in prayer to Him-to
talk about other things. Don't you
! think that those little girls were
breaking the Eighth Commandment.
just as surely as though they had
I taken money or anything else thai
belonged to another"
"We never thought of that before
s Miss Davis, said Jennie.
It Il don't think you did, dear girls
o for l am sure none of you would take
1t from God what belongs to Him if yol
), thought about it. Won't you relnem
: Ell after this that Gods time is sa
cred to Himself, and not use it 70
II anything else?"
+ Eyes, Miss Davis, we will remem
J. Der, promised the girls.
is Just then the superintendent bel
w rang as a signal to put away book
IS and prepare for the closing exercises
~ and there was no time for any NOR
conversation on this subject but tn
reverent attention with which tn
lf girls listened to the last prayer show
l., ed that their teachers words ha
w sunk deep into their hearts.
! After this, whenever they wer
o. tempted to look around Or whispe
20 during the prayer, they remembers
4 whose time they were taking, an
~ tried to join in the prayer with a
or their heart, that they might not agai
90 be guilty of taking from God tt
time that belonged to Him.