The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-08-08
The following beautiful illustration

mond. formerly editor Of the Albany
State Register. He was an eye-wit-
ness of the scene in one of the higher
courts:
A little girl, nine years of age, was
offered as witness against prisoner
who was on trial for felony commit
ted in her fathers house.
Now Emily" said the counsel for s
the prisoner, upon he being offered
as witness, II desire to know If you !,
understand the nature of an oath?n
II don't know what you mean,"
was the simple answer.
"There your honor" said the coun-
sci, addressing the court, ''is anything
further necessary to demonstrate the
validity of my objection? This wit
ness should be rejected. She does not
understand the nature of an OATH"
"Let us see," said the judge, "come
here my daughter"
Assured by the kind tone and man.
ner of the judge, the child stepped to-
wards him, and looked confidingly up
in his face, with calm, clear eye, and
in manner so artless and frank, that
it went straight to the heart.
Ibid you ever take an oath ?n In
quired the Judge. The little girl step
ped back with look of horror, and
the red blood mantled in blush all :
over her face and neck as she answer
ed:
"No sir.n
She ethought he intended to inquire If :.
she had ever blasphemed.
~ do not mean that" said the Judge
who saw her mistake. II mean were
you ever witness before?"
mo, sir; I never was in court be-
FORE" was the answer.
He handed her the Bible open.
"Do you know that book, my daugh-
terw
She looked at it and answered, eyes
sir; it is the Bible"
| "Do you ever read?" he asked.
Eyes, sir; every evening""
"Can you tell me what the Bible is?"
inquired the judge.
ut is the Word of the great God, }"
she answered.
"Well place your hand upon this
Bible. and listen to what say" and
he repeated slowly and solemnly the
oath usually administered to witness.
"Now," said the judge, "you have
sworn as a witness, will you tell me
what will befall you if you do not tell
the truth ?"
II shall be shut up in the State pri-
son." answered the child.
"Anything else?" asked the judge.
II shall never 60 to heaven, she
replied. @
"How do you know this %' asked
the judge.
"Yes, sir" she replied. "My moth
er heard they wanted me to be wit
ness, and last night she called me to
her room, and asked me to tell her the
Ten Commandments and then we
kneeled down together, and she pray
ed that I might understand how wick :
ed it was to bear false witness against
my neighber, and that God would
help me, little child, to tell the truth
as it was, before Him. And when L
came here with father, she kissed me,
and told me to remember the Ninth
Commandment, and that God would
hear every word that I said"
"Do you believe this ?" asked the
Judge, while a tear glistend in his eye,
and his lip quivered with emotion.
eyes, sir" said the child with a
voice and manner that showed her
conviction of its truth was perfect
"God bless you, my child! !" said the
judge; "you have good mother.
This witness is competent" he con-
tinued. "Were 1 OH trial for my life,
and innocent of the charge against
me, I would pray God for such wit
nesses. Let her be examined.
She told her story with the simpli-
city of child as she was, but there
was directness about it which car
ried conviction of its truth to every
heart. She was rigidly cross-exam-
ined. The counsel piled her with in
finite and ingenious questioning, but
she varied from her first statement in
nothing. The truth, as spoken by
that little child. was sublime. False
hood and perjury had preceded her
testimony. prisoner had intreneh-
ed himself in lies, which he deemed
impregnable. Witnesses had falsi-
fled facts in his favor, and villainy
had manufactured for him sham de-
fence. But before her testimony,
falsehood was scattered like chaff.
The little child for whom mother
had prayed for strength to be given
her to speak the truth as it was before
God, broke the cunning devices of
matured villainy to pieces like pot
ter's vessel. The strength that her
mother prayed for was given her, and
the sublime and terrible simplicity
terrible mean to the prisoner and bis