The Monitor., 1888-05-25
JUDGE NOT.


| ishing town in one of our Western States,
when an incident occurred that showed me
how wrongfully we sometimes judge those
whom We consider beneat th us socially.
My school, with one exception, was com
posed of children from the best families in
the place-well-behaved little girls and
boys, who never gave me any trouble with
their lessons or their play. The exception
| spoke of was a half-clad, half-starved or
phan boy about ten years old, that friend
of mine had persuaded me to take into my
school. had expected some of my pa
irons to object, but they did not, and
things moved ON smoothly for month or
more. Some of my scholars lived in the
suburbs, and as it was quite a walk to the
school-house, they usually brought their
dinners. One day at noon, two of the
children came to me, and said some one
had taken most of their dinner,
sit is that little starved Moore boy; |
know it is, said one of them spitefully.
NO" said |, s'you do not know that
Jack Moore did il; you only think he did.
You must say nothing to anyone but me
about this, and we will watch and see if we
can catch the thief. | am going home now
to my dinner and when come back | will
bring Won something to eat.
The nner-baskets were always left in
the hall on shelf that had been placed
there for that purpose. watched Jack
Moore constantly, never allowing him to
get out of my sight until noon, but |
watched in vain. Before the week was gone
every basket had been robbed of its con-
tents. Some days one only would be dis
| turbed, sometimes two, sometimes little
would be taken from them all. | felt sure
| Jack was the thief, for he was the only
| child there that did not have plenty at
home Of the very best food the land afford
! ed, but when he did the stealing was
mystery to me. The story of tho theft was
soon known by every scholar in school,
| and it was very evident from their actions
that they all thought they knew who the
thief was Some of the larger ones even
suggested that it would be best to send
| him away from school. | concluded to
| give the whole school lecture on the sin
| of stealing, and then If that did no good,
| after this decision, | delivered my lecture.
| grew excited, forgot the school, forgot
everything except the miserable little sin
ner in his tattered garments sitting all
| oil at AacE hu tn xyind II II Oh
mean to be so personal, and felt mortified
when found l had delivered my lecture
to Jack Moore, and not to the school. The
child's face was crimson, and he looked
the very picture of guilt as he twisted his
little, dirty fingers in and out of one an
other. felt like hiding my face in my
hands and taking good cry; felt SO an
CRY with myself, and so sorry for the DESC
late little child. But l controlled myself.
and began to hear the lessons. Jack opened
his book, but seemed to have no heart to
study, and turned the leaves listlessly.
| His face lost its crimson glow, and settled
into a kind of sullen despair that puzzled
me.
''Daisy Davis" l said, glancing at my
watch, sit is time you were going to your
music lesson"
My voice softened, and smiled when |
spoke to her. Everyone, old and young,
spoke in caressing way when they ad-
dressed Daisy. She was such sweet del
icate little child; she looked just like
fragile flower A short time after Daisy
quilted the room, | saw Jack lean out of
the window by his desk, and then sit down
again with such an expression of amaze
! ment and joy on his face. When he saw
that had seen him, he motiened to the
window back of my chair. looked to see
il any of the scholars had noticed him, but
no one seemed to have seen him. went to
the window and leaned out as had seen
Jack do, aud there close to the wall sat
Daisy devouring cake, pickles and cheese
most ravenously. | don't know how | fin
ished my mornings work, but noon came
at last; and when the scholars had all left
the school room | called Jack and told him
how sorry was that had misjudged him.
''You needn't be sorry nothing about it, -
he said kindly; Il knew yon could not
help thinking it was me; and then, as if
talking more to himself than to me- he ad-
ded; ''but l am glad you found out it
wasn't :" then still more softly, Il am sor-
ry for that little girl; she is such a pretty
little thing"
II am sorry for her, too, said l. ''Sup-
pose We never tell. :"
''All right, " said he; ''I'l never tell y
and he never did.
That evening | told the scholars that
Jack Moore was innocent; that foHnd the
thief but would give no name, and that in
future their baskets would be safe. When
| asked Daisy about it, she bnrst oat cry
ing /:
''Oh, Miss Morris,' she said, II was so
fearfully.hungry. The doctor says must
not eat. anything but oatmeal, graham
bread and milk, and can't cat that The
very sight of it makes me sick. But will
try, if you will promise never to tell mann
ma that am thief ''0h," she sobbed,
"I'Il never steal again, if starve."
And she never did, but tried to follow