The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1885-06-06

R. ]. BURDETTE.


George, said his father, with coun-
tenance more in sorrow than in anger.
George, some one has cut down my
favorite cherry tree. Do you know
anything about it7'
Young Washington did not quail be-
fore his fathers accusing glance. He
looked him straight in the eye, and an
expression of honest resolution gleam-
ed in the clear eyes and frank counte-
nance.
my father, he said, 4 will not de-
ceive you. | do know something
about it, but that is not the issue at all.
You have in effect, charged me with
being privy to the destruction of your
favorite tree. Now, the question is,
since you have filed information and
laid this charge against me, what do
you know about it
Il know that you have hatchet, re-
piled his father sternly. | know what
a boy with hatchet is liable to do. l
know that some one has cut down my
favorite cherry tree
stop right there, interrupted the
future father of his country. You say
this was your tree9'
Il do
'How came it yours1'
Il planted it
Now, sir, are you certain it was not
on this farm before you came here1'
No, sir; it was not.
Then why did you say SOP
'Why did say what1'
That's right, evade, quibble, crawl
out of it somehow. All right. If you
don't want to answer fair, simple
question you don't have to-.
But l didn't say it was on the farm
when | came here.
'Oh, very we'll; deny it. Is there
any other retraction you would like to
make1'
4 don't retract anything. l merely
declare that never said that tree was
on the farm when | came here.
'Oh, well, father, don't get excited
and talk loud. You may go back on
your entire statement if you wish.
Perhaps you will next try to make US
believe that this farm wasn't here either
when you came.
why, of course it was here l
don't
Didn't you say moment ago that
it wasn't2'
THAT was the tree /
San, yes; you turn it off on the tree
now. You've been talking about the
tree all this time, then?'
'Why, certainly have
Then you just admitted that it was
here when you came hereF
NO, my son that was the farm
But not half dozen questions ago
you admitted that You said in these
very words, why, of course it was
here did you not ?
Il said those words, but was speak
ing of the farm
'And yet you said but this very mo-
ment that all this time you had been
talking about the tree. Its useless to
continue this examination. My father,
of all human vices lying is the common
A.>A I d~--h. not it is the worst. 1t
blunts our moral sensiDIIIrIes !, is-4--l-
us to distort and exaggerate simple
statements of fact; it blurs our powers
of intelligent observation, until even
man of ordinary scholarship and intel
lectual developement is unable to tell
whether he is talking about farm or a
cherry tree. The complaint is dismiss
ed. | doubt very mucn if you can
even establish the fact that you ever
owned tree. Go to the nursery, and
if you intend planting a tree in the
place of the one you imagine you have
lost, you had better take man with
you to show you the ground, lest you
might plant the tree in your hat. You
may CO.
Sadly the old man turned away, but
he told the man who helped him plant
the new tree that if he had hundred
boys he wouldn't let another one of
them study law.