The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1884-10-01
VIifsDtCT l1Ots DEFENDANT.
The Only Correct Version OF Il His
tori~al Dialogue.

toriral Dialogue.
"GcorSc,' said his father, with a
trnnncc more in sorrow than in anger.
"Gcorgc, some one has cut down nv IA
vorite cherry tree. DO you know any
thing about it2'
Young Washington did not quail be-
fore his fathers accusing glance. He
looked him straight in the eye, and an
expression OF honest resolution cleaned
IN the clear eyes and frank countcnancc.
MY fathcr,' he said, 81 will not de-
cclvc you. do know something about
It, but that is not the issue ut all. You
have, in effect, charged me with being
privy to the destruction of your Eavoritc
tree. Now. the question is, since you
have fled Information and laid this
charge against nc, what do you know
about it?"
81 know that you have IL hatchct," re-
piled his father stcrnly. 81 know what
u boy with Il Ratchet is liable to do. I
know that some one has cut down NV
lavoritc cherry tree"
Stop right there interrupted the
future father of his country. You say
this was your trec?'
81 do"
"llow came it yours?"
81 planted it,"
Now, sir, arc you certain it was not
on TINS farm before you came hcrc?,
NO, sir, it was not"
"Ihen why did you say SOP"
"Why did | say what?"
that's right; cvadc, bubble, crawl
out Of it somehow. All right. If Won
don't want to answer Il fair, plain, simple
question you don't have to-"
But ! didn't say it was OH tie farm
when | came here"
"Oh. very well, deny it; is there any
other rctraction you would like to
makc?"
II don't rctract anything. merely
declare that never said that tree was
on the farm when l came here"
'Oh, well, father, don't get excited
and talk loud. You may 20 back on
your entire statement If YOU wish.
Perhaps you will next try 10 make us
believe that this farm wasn't here. either.
when you came
why, of course, it was here. |
DON'T
didn't you say q moment ago that it
waSn't?"
"rhat was the trce!!'
"Ah, yes; you turn it off on the tree
now. You've been talking about the
tree all this time. them"
why, certainly | have"
"Thcn you just admitted that it was
here when you came?'
NO, my son; that was the farm,
tRn mt I,lT , 1n,
you admitted that. You said i'm these
very words, why, Of course it was here,
did you. not?'.
IL said those words, but l was speak
ing Of the farm"
And yet you sud but this very mo-
ment that all this time you had been
talking about the tree. 1t is useless to |
continue his examination. N.Y. ruthcr. |
OF all human vices lying is the common
est, and | doubt not it is the worst. II
blunts our moral sensibiiitics !; it leads
us TO distort md eXaggeratc simple state
mcnts. OF facts; it blurs our powers Of
intelligent observation, until even a man |
OF ordinary scholarship md intellectual |!
development is unable to tell whether
he Is talking about q farm or a cherry
tree. The complaint is dismissed. !
u very much if you can ever cstab-
llsh the fact that you ever owned a tree.
Go to the nursery, md if you intend
planting a tree in the place of the one
you 'm"ginc you have lost, You had bet
ter take q man with You to show Won
the ground, lest you might plant the
tree in your hat. You nay co.
Sadly the old man turned away, but
he old the man who helped him plant
the new tree that if he had a hundred
boys he wouldn't let another enc of
them study law.-HoGert II. Bur4iettc.