Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1891-01-31
A FRUITLEss DISCOURSE.
A Sermon About a Stolen Spoon That Wa.
Never Talked of Afteryyards

A sermon About Stolen Spoon That Was
Never Talked of Afterwards.
II remember" said the raconteur OF
the party, ga dispensation of what may
be called Spartan justice. 1t happened
when was boy and made a lasting
impression, as incidents of the kind DO
on the youthful mind.
Our folks had some old silver spoons
that had been in constant service fol-
generations, and were small and thin,
and carried in their shallow bowls the
marks of many teeth. Each spoon hac
history, as spoons did have in those
days, and they were looked after with
the greatest care. My mother placed
them under her pillow every night, and
the whole family would be regularly
awakened by midnight clatter of rat:
Ting spoons, as they had restless habit
of falling out of bed, so their value was
enhanced by the many sleep1ess nights
they cost.
'Well, one of those precious spoons
was missing, and there was a great to
do over it. The servants were all ques,
toned, but no one had seen the missing
spoon. That night colored girl, who
had been taken in some months before
by my mother, and who was a bright,
and rather precocious character, told OF
seeing new hired man on the premises
hiding something in his jacket. She
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 lost property that she wanted
the man to go scot free. Not so my
father, who was a solemn churchgoer.
1 will give him lecture on the sin of
stealing he said, and keep him, as he
is useful man. 1 am very sure he will
never steal from us again
II accompanied my father to the
kitchen, where the man was rakine
ashes over the Goals of a hot fire and
preparing to go to bed. He sat submis-
sively still as my father appeared carry
ing large Bible, and he listened to tho
lecture that was delivered with an I'M
moved countenance. slept and awal1
ened several times before it was fin
ished. My fathers solemn, monotonous
voice affected me like a soporiiic, and
did not try to fathom the language he
used.
"The culprit was a German, and !
have since learned that he did not un.
derstand one word my father said to
hlm-not even the nature of the accusa-
ton against him. thought then, as
listened to my fathers bass tones in
that grim monologue, that the punish
ment was adequate to the sin. 1 had
been lectured myself, and I would have
confessed to almost any thing to have
escaped the consequences.
''The lecture was supplemented by a
prayer, in which my father implored di-
vine forgiveness for the offender The
German took it all in good part, and re-
manned in his situation, but was no
doubt carefully watched. Some years
ago the colored girl acknowledged that
she had put the spoon in his jacket in
order to get rid of him and crafty her
love of mischief AS he never alluded
to it in any way, we could not tell what
he thought of the services on that night,
or how much of the moral lecture had
been comprehended. But I am certain
he never understood the criminal char
acteristics of the occasion. "-Detroit
Free Press.