Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1889-05-11

please them ne made use of avivid inn
agmatlon for his stories. Once or twice,
am sorry to say, he drew on this inn
ag1nat1on to cover up acts which he
thought it best the twins should not
Know; He must have felt it was NOT
Just the thing to lie, but boy who had
been Kicked around the way Hank had,
comes to agree with him, that @eyery
1euer must look out for himself, and
WHAT'S tongue for, if it isn't to use
when you need it ?"
meanwhile, great trouble came up
on Mother Long. Her hens began 10
stop laying. For q week Mabel had
not found half-dozen eggs. Although
the plymouth Rock cackled Justify and
1eanle's White Leghorns were seen
every morning going toward the mows,
. most diligent search failed to disclose
any new eggs. The mystery would
have Remained Ersolved had not Mabel
one day noticed a yellow stain on the
pocket OF Hanks coat. 1his sat al
the detective powers in her at work.
You haven't found any eggs, Hank,
have your" she asked in a careless
manner, after another fruitless search.
Nom; hain't seen none since the last
you brought in"
The next day the stain on the coat
had suddenly disappeared.
what shall we do. mother? I'm
almost certain he takes them; but Jean
watched in the barn all the morning,
and have all this afternoon, and no
one came near"
I'VE can't catch him, that's sure, :"
said Jeanne. Il say, let's give him a
lesson"
Hanks moral training had, be-
fore this, been attended to by a
Bible lesson every Sunday evening.
The next Sunday the story of Ananias
and Sapphire was studied, and Mr..
Long made some pointed remarks on
the subject. Hank showed not trace
of emotion, but answered his questions
as calmly as the others. He even
asked some himself.
Monday morning, however, he came
in white as sheet, and trembled from
head to foot. In his hat he carried q
dozen or more of eggs. His voice was
50 full of tears that he could hardly
speak.
"Mis' Long, here they are, what's
left. It's me that's been sucking your
eggs and lying about it. I'm sorry,
but I'm done for now. Look at that.
See what the hens laid!" And he held
up the topmost egg of the basket.
Mrs. Long started back as she took
it, and saw plainly marked on the shell
these words: "All liars shall have
their part in the lake which burneth
with fire and birthstone"
What could it mean? She looked
from the egg to Hank, who, with his
face in his hands, sat sobbing in terror.
The lesson thus forced upon him was
evidently needed, and yet she must say
something to comfort the boy.
Il don't know, Hank, how this hap
pened. The hen couldn't have laid it,
BUTTS true, Just the same. All liars
will, sooner or later, be punished for
their sin. That is what the verse
means"
And then, out of her motherly heart,
she told him how God wants all His
children to be true and honest, and
how He watches over and helps us.
Hank rushed from the room still Sob
bling.
Five minutes later Jeanie and Mabel
come in.
"Well, has he learned the lesson
mother?"
what do you mean?"
"Why, just this: Mabel and I read
in the paper that if you cover an egg
with wax, and then scratch word
through the wax and boil in vinegar,
the word will be eaten into the shell. !"
"Say, mother, must we tell him the
hen didn't lay it-that way, I mean :?
We never thought he'd feel quite so
bad," said Mabel, moved by the sue
cess of the experiment more than her
sister.
II told him it couldn't have been the
hen, but that it was true, just the
same. I think we had better not say
any more"
That night Hank came to Mrs. Long
when she was alone, and told her he
intended to turn over a new leaf, and
he was true to his word. So well did
he do that Mr.. Long kept him through
the winter and following summer.
Hank is now prosperous farmer, and
an egg-shel, which he carefully cher
ishes, reminds him of an old but sue
cessful way in which two girls started
him to success in Gfe.-Co1sgrega.
tiO1ldlist.