The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-12-14
A LECTURE ON A SPOON.
Th, Hired Man Got 1t. but He Failed {
Comprehend a Word of 1t.

Ths Hired Man Got 1t. but He Failed to
Comprehend a Word of 1t.
az remember" said the reconteur of
the party, "a dispensation of what might
be called Spartan justice. 1t happened
when was boy and made a lasting
| impression, as incidents of the kind do
on you kful mind.
''Our folks at home had some old sill
yer spoons that had been in constant
service for generations, and were small
and thin. and carried in their shallow
bowls the marks of every tooth in the
family. Each spoon had history and
an association, as spoons did have il
those days, and they were looked after
with the greatest care. Ny mother
placed them under her pillow every
night, and the whole family would bt
regularly awakened by midnight ciat
ter of rafting spoons, as they had rest
less habit of falling out of bed, SO their
value was enhanced by the many sleep
less nights they cost
"Well, one of those precious spoons
was missing, and there was great to do
over it. The servants were all CUES
toned, but no one had seen the missing
spoon. That night a colored girl, who
had been taken in some months before
by my mother, and who was bright and
rather precocious character, told of see
ing a new hired man on the premises
hiding something IN his jacket She even
essayed to find the jacket, and, sure
enough, between the lining and the out
side was found the lost spoon.
my mother was so happy in recover
ing her property that she wanted the
man t. go scot free. Not so my father
who was solemn church goer. / W
give him lecture on the sin Of stealinc
he said, and keep him, as he is usei..
man. am very sure ne viii never stea
from rs again
Il accompanied nv father 10 the
kitchen, where the man was raking
ashes over the Goals Of a hot fire and pre-
pairing to go to bed. He sat submissively
still as my father appeared, carrying a
large Bible, and he listened TO the lect-
ure that was delivered with an unmoved
countenance. slept and awakened sew
eral times before il was finished. Ny
fathers solemn, monotonous voice af
fected me ike soporific and ! did not
try 70 fathom the language he used.
The culprit was a German, and
have since learned that be did not under
stand one word my father said TO him.
nor even the nature Of the accusation
against him. thought then. as / lis
tened 70 my fathers bass tones IN that
grim nonologue. that the punishment
was adequate TO the sin. had been
lectured myself, and would have con-
fessed 10 almost anything 70 have e.
capped the consequences.
The lecture was supplemented by q
prayer, IN which my fater implored
divine forgiveness for the offender. The
German took il all in good part and re-
manned in his situation, but wAs no
doubt carefully watched. Some years
after the cosore1 girl acknowledged IT,;
SIZE had put the spoon IN his JACKET "a
order 70 get nd Of tim and grssty he-
love OF uaischief. As ne never sllE1e1
to II IN zry way We cSzid 70. tha VIA.
he thoughS OF thesr-vi1ez Of tba< Es~s.. o.
how much Of she loEg T7c-2l kct1re hz3
been conpreheBded- Bot az c~-ai-
he never understood the criEESEzI nzs1r
II t1e occk<;oE. -Ds-C.t Tree Pres /