Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-06-25


I think it was the first time, or along
about there. 1t was, it was, must have
been, about 1S4S, when I was 13 or
IA years old. l remember that wa
ternelon well. 1 can almost taste it
now.
"Yes, I stole it. Yet why use so
harsh a word? 1t was the biggest Of
the load on a farmers wagon stand
ing in the gutter in the old town Of
Hannibal, Mo. While the farmer was
busy with OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
mer. I withdrew this melon. Yes.
| stole Is too strong. 1 extracted 1t.
I retired it from circulation. And
myself retired with it.
"The place to which the watermel-
on and I retired was a lumber yard.
I knew a nice quiet alley between the
sweet smelling planks, and to that
sequestered spot 1 carried the melon.
Indulging a few moments contem-
plation of it's freckled rind, I broke
it open with a stone, rock, dor
nick, in boys language.
1T was green! Impossibly, hope
lessly green! 1 do not know why this
circumstance should have affected
me, but it did. 1t affected me deeply.
It altered for me the moral values OF
the universe. It wrought in me a
moral revolution. 1 began to reflect.
Now. recollection is the beginning Of
reform. There can be no reform
without reflection.
"I asked myself what course OF
conduct 1 should pursue. What would
conscience dictate? What should
high-minded young man do after re-
tiring a. green watermelon? What
would George Washington do? Now
was the time for all the lessons in
culcated at Sunday school to act.
"And they did act. The word that
came to me was restitution OBJ
viously there lay the path OF duty. l
reasoned with mlself. labored. At last
I was fully resolved. I'll do it." said l.
I'll take him back his old melon Not
many boys would have been so he
roic. would so clearly have seen the
right thing and so sternly have re-
solved to do it. The moment 1 reach
ed that resolution I felt strange up
lift. One always feels an uplift when
he turns from the wrong to righteous
ness. I arose, spiritually strengthen
ed renewed and refreshed, and in the
strength of that refreshment carried
back the watermelon-that is' car
ried back what was left of it-and
made him give me ripe one.
"But I had a duty toward that far
mer, as. well as to myself. 1 was as
severe on him as the circumstance de-
served. 1 did not spare him. l told
him he ought to be ashamed OF him.
self giving his-his customers green
melons. And he was ashamed. He
said he was. He said he felt as badly
about It as I did. In this he was mis-
taken. He hadn't eaten any OF the
melon. I told him that the one In
stance was bad enough, but asked
him to consider what would become
of him If this should become a habit
with him. 1 pictured his future. Ana
7 saved him. He wept and thanked
me and promised TO do better.
I'VE should always labor thus WIN
those who have taken the wrong road.
| Very likely this was the farmers nrst
false step. He had not gone far, but
he had put his foot on the downward
incline. Happily, at this moment d
friend appeared-a friend VINO
stretched out helping hand and held
him back. others might have hesi-
tated, have shrunk from speaking 10
him of his error. L did not hesitate
nor shrink. And it is one OF the graf
iflcations of my life that 1 can look
back on what 1 did for that man IN
his hour of need.
1.-The blessing came. He went home
with a bright face to his rejoicing
wife, and II got ripe melon. trust
II was with him as it was with me.
Reform with me was no transient
emotion, no passing episode, no Phil-
adelphia uprising. 1t was permanent.
Since that day have never stolen
water-never stolen a green water
melon"