The Monitor., 1889-10-11
A COMPETENT WITNESS.

Let me see, said the judge. Come
here my daughter
Assured by the kind manner and tone
of the judge, the child stepped forward
toward him, and looking confdingly up
in his face with calm, clear eye, and in
straight to the heart
Did you ever take an oath?' inquired
the judge.
The little girl stepped back with a look
Of horror, and the red blood mantled all
over her face ard neck as size answered:
No, sir.
She thought he intended to inquire if
she had ever blasphemed.
I do not mean that, said the judge,
who saw her mistake; 1 mean were you
| ever witness before?'
No, sir; | never was in court before,
was the answer.
| He handed her the Bible open.
DO you know that book, my daughter
| She looked at it and then answered:
Yes sir; it is the Bible
DO you ever read it,? he asked.
Yes sir, every evening.
Can you tell me what the Bible is?' in
quired the judge.
1t 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 adj
| ministered to witnesses.
Now, said the judge, you have sworn
| as witness; will you tell me what will
befall you if you do not tell the truth9'
I shall be shut up in State Prison.:
answered the child
Anything else9' asked the judge.
i shall never go to heaven, she re-
piled.
How do you know this?' asked the
judge.
The child took the bible, and turning
| rapidly to the chapter containing the
Commandments, pointed to the injunction,
Thou shalt not bear false witness against
thy neighbor, saying:I learned that be-
fore | could read
Has any one talked to you about your
becoming witness in court here against
this man9' inquired the judge.
Yes, SIR she replied. My mother
heard they wanted me to be a witness. and
| last night she called me to her room and
asked me 60 tell her the Ten Command
ments, and then we kneeled down togeth-
er, and she prayed that might htunderstand
how wicked it was to bear false witness
against my neighbor, and that God would
hep me, little child, to tell the truth as
| it was before him. And as | came up here
with my 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
| willie tear glistened in his eye, and his
| lip quivered with emotion.
Yes, sir, said the child. with voice
! and manner that showed her conviction OF
truth was perfect.
God bless you, my child,' said the
Judge. You have good mother. This
witness is competent, he continued.
'Were l on trial for my life, and innocent
of the charges against me, l wonld pray
God for such witness as this. Let her
be examined.
She told the story with the simplicity ol
child, as she was, but there was direct
ness about it that carried conviction of its
truth TO the heart. She was rigidly cross
examined. The counsel piled her with in
finite and ingenious questioning, but she
varied in her first statement in nothing,
The truth as spoken by that little child
was sublime. Falsehood and perjury had
preceded her testimony. The prisoner had
entrenched himself in lies till he deemed
himself impregnable.
The strength that her mother prayed fol
was given her, and the sublime and terri
BILE simplicity | mean to the
prisoner and his associates-with which
she spoke, was like revelation from God
himself.
Our local politicians are making active
arrangements for the next campaign. They