The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1891-01-07

WIN MS DeauVlIul present!
Passing the home of Dick Ray,
the boy who had the mate of his
sled, he saw it safely housed On a
side porch:
"Dick's sled isn't broke. l might
IA had that one. It's stronger'n
mine, l know"
And then the spirit of all evil.
who is always on the watch to make
his way into hearts young and old,
whispered an ugly suggestion to
Jimmy:
"No one would know if I changed.
L guess this sled could be merded.
Dicks father can get it mended;
can't get it mended. Dicks father
could buy him another sled; l can't
never have another sled"
Three minutes later the broken
sled was inside the porch and the
sound one being drawn along the
road by small boy and the small
boys heart was ten times heavier
than when he had drawn the other
one.
The moon had by this time risen
so high as to be looking straight
down upon him. 1t almost seemed
as if it must have taken a Jump up
on purpose. Jimmy had always
been on friendly terms with the
moon. Many a time when he had
been carrying his milk through
cold and storm (for his mother sup
piled several families and it took
him some time to get around), it
had beamed down upon him with a
jolly smile of good fellowship, as if
to say, "Keep on, my boy You and
L know that pail is heavy and the
nights cold, don't we? And we
know that boy that can't stand a
little cold and hard work doesn't
amount to much, don't we? And
we know how good it is to 90 home
feeling that we have done our best,
don't we?"
But tonight there was no smile
as Jimmy cast a half-frightened
look upward-only cold, hard look
on the shining face. If it could be
supposed to be saying anything, it
could only be something like ::
"Well we'll I've been mistaken in
you, young man. 1 guess you and
l can't keep company any longer"
And by the time Jimmy was
nearly home a thought filled his
heart which drove out all considera-
ton of the moon. There was One
besides who was looking down upon
him-One in whose eyes every sin
went by its true name. Jimmy
stopped short in the road:
cts stealing; it amt anything
else. Pm thief. I've stole Dick s
sled. And Mr.. Carter said | was a
faithful, honest boy. Perhaps
can get it back before anybody
knows"
"Jimmyl" called a voice as he
was about to turn back. 1t was his
mothers voice, and he knew that he
was going to be very late with his
work.
"Tll do it the first minute I can, -
he said, putting the sled away.
In all his life Jimmy will never
forget the WEAKNESS of the hours in
which he bore on his heart the
weight or unconfessed sin. He had
never before know a time when he
could not look into his mothers eyes
or found it hard to play with his
brothers and sisters. As the moon
peeped into his room when he tried
to 90 to sleep, he turned from its
bright rays and could scarcely dare
topray for forgiveness until he had
set his wrong right.
"HelloW Dick came toward him
with a merry shout the following
afternoon as Jimmy ran toward his
house with the perfect sled.
But Dick was drawing a sled toe
"a sled exactly like the one Jimmy
had. 1t was not broken, either
| The swans head held itself up will
the same graceful curve and the
cross-piece which held the rope wal
firmly in place.
Going coasting?" asked Dick.
81 guess so, said Jimmy, sorel,
perplexed at the sight of Dicks sled
"The funniest thing" said Dicl
as they hurried on together. "Whel
/ l looked at my sled this morning
some of the screws had come loose
Father frightened 'em up with hi
screwdriver. It's scratched little
but that couldn't be q lped. Queer
wasn't it? Do you s'pose it coulc
"a been the frost last night?"
Jimmy haze been thinking that a
it was all right with the sled, Their