The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1889-09-28
THE SOUL OF HONOR.
Would You Have Done as Catherine Die
Had You Been in Her Place?

Had You Been in lAer race
She was only little girl. You
would scarcely have thought she knew
much about honor unless you knew
her.
She was tucked in her little bed for
the night, and not far away her aunt
and mamma were talking of some mat
ter in a low tone If she had not been
an honorable little girl she would have
heard all they had to say; but Cath
crime WAS very honorable. She no.
ticed that the voices were low, and not
intended for her ears. She tried to
sing little to herself, and tried to
think of something else; tried not to
hear, but the words kept coming to
her ears.
Many little girls would have said to
themselves: II can not help it; they
should not talk so loud;" and then they
would have contentcd themselves and
mammals wish would have been disre-
garded.
How would you have done were you
in GATHERINGS place.
Catherine was not like many little
girls. She loved her mamma and her
auntie so much that she was most
pleased when their wish was granted;
she loved God so much that she could
not be contented with real, true honor.
Catherine suddenly stood beside NAM
ma.
''What is it, little daughter?" in
quired mamma, stopping Il minute
with the talk. Catherine hesitated
q minute and then whispered:
Dear mamma, can not help hear
ing. and l think you do not want me to
hear"
Catherine was not large, but you see
she had the honor of real, true
woman. She was richer than many
queens; she was more to be respected
than thousands of people who are tall
and called great, and who like to be
honored.
will tell you one way by which
Catherine manages to keep down the
faults which many little girls indulge
in: she made it rule never to have a
secret apart from mamma. If any
body told her any thing to be kept a
secret, as little girls will tell each
other she never would promise to
keep it from mamma. Whatever hap
pened, or whatever she did was relat-
ed to mamma.
1t came to be quite understood be-
tween mamma and Catherine that
Catherine would hide nothing or keep
nothing back from mammals knowl-
edge, and IL little girl who always ac-
knowledged and explained to her
mamma about the hard places of every
day could not get very far astray. Yet
Catherine did sometimes fall into err
rors. She wished to do right. She
forgot. She was tempted.
One day Catherine committed q
gross error. She had no more than
done the act than she was heartily
shocked and ashamed, and would not
have had u soul on earth know of it for
any thing. She was uncomfortable all
day. Tho twilight found her restless
and unhappy. Sleepy time was COM
ing, but Catherine was not sleepy.
She had not intended confessing this
fault to mamma; it really seemed too
dreadful.
But Catherine was too used to sitting
the evil from the good and weighing
them, and seeing them just as they
were, not to know that by covering
her fault she was adding to it. She
looked at the fault. 1t was q dreadful
thing to tell in words to mamma as
something which she had done. She
considered. Mamma understood that
Catherine told her every thing. Cath
crime had promised and professed to
tell her every thing. If Catherine
kept this back she was acting lie
Mamma trusted and believed in her;
how could she ever again receive
mammals trustful kiss if she deceived
her; mamma could never have known
of the fault; it was hidden from her.
How would you have done had you
been in GATHERINGS place? Would you
have decided that just for once it made
no matter? That such thing you
could not, really could not tell, and
beside, if you did it would only trouble
mamma; that you really must cover
this sin and break the promise. and
deceive mamma for this timer This
is how Catherine did:
Mamma was busy. Catherine came
and stood by mamma, rather pale in
the face, and with heart humping
harder and harder the nearer the in
slant came when she would speak the
words.
Mamma thought she was i'll, but
Catherine whispered in her ear; the
words almost choked her; she was too
excited and over-wrought even to cry.
Mamma was grieved, yet thankful for
GATHERINGS honor.
Need l tell you that Catherine never
had such words to whisper again in
man mas ear? Need l tell you that
Catherine abhors the error which had