Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1888-07-11
Judge Not.

a
fiourishing town in one of the West
ern States, when an incident occurred
that showed me how wrongfully we
sometimes Judge those whom we con-
slider beneath US socially.
My school, with one exception, was
composed 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 I spoke of
was half-clad. .half-starved orphan
boy about ten years old, that a friend
of mine had persuaded me to take into
my school. l had expected some of my
patrons to object, but they did not, and
things moved on smoothly for a 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.
L know it Is" said one OF them spite
fully.
NO" said I, ''you do not know
that Jack Moore did it; you only think
he did. You must say nothing to any
one but me about this, and we will
watch and see if we can catch the
thief. 1 am going home now to my
dinner and when 1 come back L will
bring you something to eat.''
The dinner-baskets were always left
in the hall on shelf that had been
placed there for that purpose. l
watched Jack Moore constantly, never
allowing him to get out of my sight
until noon, but l watched in vain.
Before the week was gone every basket
had been robbed of its contents. Some
days one only would be disturbed.
sometimes two, sometimes a 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 afforded, but when he did the
stealing was a mystery TO me. The
story OF the 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. l concluded to
give the whole school a lecture on the
sin of stealing, and then if that did no
good, to SEND Jack away. So the next
morning after this decision, L delivered
my lecture. 1 grew excited, forgot the
school, forgot everything except the
miserable little sinner in his tattered
garments sitting all alone at desk by
| the window. L did not mean to be so
personal, and felt mortified when l
| 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 another. L felt like hiding
my face In my hands and taking a good
cry; 1 felt so angry with myself, and
so sorry for the desolate little child.
! But l controlled myself, aud 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 It's crimson glow, and set
! tied into kind OF sullen despair that
puzzled ME.
daisy Davis" 1 said, glancing al
my watch, sit is time you were going
| to your music lessons"
Ny voice sofUened, and smiled when
1 spoke to her. Everyone, old and
young, spoke in a caressing way when
they addressed Daisy. She was such
a sweet delicate little child; she looked
| q
| 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 amazement and
| Joy on his face. When he saw that !
had seen him, he motioned to the win
dow back of my chair. L looked to
see If any OF the scholars had noticed
him, but no one seemed to have seen
| him. went to the window and leaned
| out as l had seen Jack do, and there
| close to the wall sat Daisy devouring
cake, pickles and cheese most raven.
ously. l don't know how L finished
my mornings work, but noon came al
| last; and when the scholars had all left
the school-room L called Jack and told
him how sorry was that l had mis-
judged him.
''You needn't be sorry nothing about
it," he said kindly; 81 knew you could
not help thinking it was me; and then,
as If talking more to himself than 10
me, he added: "but Pm glad you found
out it wasn't;'' then still more softly,
81 am sorry for that little girl, she is
such a pretty little thing"
81 am sorry for her, too," said l.
Suppose we never tell"
"All right" said he, ''I'u never
tell, ,! and he never did.
That evening 1 told the scholars that
Jack Moore waS innocent, that L found
the thief, but would give no name, and
that IN future their baskets would be
safe. When L asked Daisy about 1t,
she burst out crying:
"Oh, Miss MOTIFS" she said, ''I was
so fearfully hungry. The doctor say:
L must not eat anything but oatmeal,
graham bread and milk, and l can't
eat that. The very sight of it makes
me sick. But L will try, If you will
never tell mamma that L am thief.
Oh" she sobbed, "I'll never stea
again, il 1 starye."
And she never did, but tried to fol-
low the DOCTORS directions as best she
could, and it was not long until she
was able to eat anything she wantee
without it hurting her. Judge not,
that ye be not judged"