Year: 1874

Under the above head | noticed q
short article IN your Wednesday mornings
Extra. The story in briei was, that two
young men were building a brick wall,
Ben" was demonstrated with by his CO.
worker Tor putting in a brick that was
thicker on one edge than on the other,
who also quoted proverb that he had
learned from his mother, truth is truth"
4 etc., by way Of clinching his argument.
Ben was perverse dog, (who ever knew
a Ben that was'nt,) upon whom the
proverb had no effect and so ho put In the
unequal brick, and the brick laying went
on till quitting time.


Next morning behold the wall lay pros.
trate before the motto OF truth is truth,
like Dsgon before the Ark Of the Cove
nant; and all on account Of that thick
and thin brick. We have no doubt the
CONSCIENTIOUS young man fresh from his
mothers apron string looked at his wick
ed partner "Ben," and like the old scotch
woman wher her husband told her that
the COW had eaten the grindstone, said, ~
told you 60" while It is altogether likely
that the needless and wicked Ben quietly
remarked, WeR ri DO darned. No doubt
too he realized that il he and his partner
hadn't got into a religious controversy
but had just attended TO their work the
wall would have been standing as straight
as q plumb line.


Seriously, ! opine that this little story
was gotten up by the author with the
laudable intent to impress on the minds
Of the young, a love OF truth-truth not
only in word but in act. 1t reads very
much like Sunday School story. But
why should the author in pointing so
fine moral, adorn 1t with tale not
only improbable, but absolutely false.
The commonest observation of man
shows him that In tho walls OF every
brick house there are hundreds, II not
thousands Of such brick as the wicked
Ben was urged to throw away, and vet
the walls are as plumb and as firm as
the rock Of ages (provided said rock was
made Of briCkl, Children as they ad-
vance in years are very prone TO com
pare the theoretical teaching impressed
on their plastic minds with the stubborn
Iacts evolved from experience and widen.
ing observation. Suppose then q boy
impressed by the above story, to believe
that the slightest deviation from truth in
act is sure to work harm and ruin, as
per instance Of the brick wall Bye and
bye he observes many houses and sees in
them bricks without number OF uneven
thickness, but he does not sec them fall
down, nor docs he wake up In the morn.
ing and find that they have fallen down
in the stiffness ol the night, IN order that
the deceit Of that wicked Ben may be
suddenly exposed by the light OF the
morning sun.


AS logical sequence, he compares the
story told him with tho observed facts;
gradually the truth steals into his mind
that the fine illustration by which he
was taught to beware of the slightest de.
Walton from the even path OF rectitude
10 humbug, lie, Consequent upon
this discovery doubt arises In his mind as
to the imperative necessity for always
acting "lhe exact truth" Tho house
with It's numerous deceil(ully laid brick
(the work OF that unscrupulous Benz
stands. Il Is even sought alter, and
high premium paid for the privilege Of
dwelling within It's unsafe walls. How
different the house story under considera.
tion from the two samples OF house build.
Ing given by Him who said ~ am tho
7ruh," viz: the rock and the sand foun-
dations


II would seem almost supercrltlcal to
thus dwell upon the imperiection Of this
little story; but 1t Is so much Of piece
with the literature gotten up for children
that It Is well 10 call attention TO II, Why
is It that mature age looks back to bis
Sunday school days and smiles at tho de.
lusions in the shape of angelic little boys
and girls, too pure for this sin.cursed
earth, borne away by the seraphim to
Abraham's bosomS It's simply because,
as he grew up to years Of understanding,
he never saw any such, It Is because he
sees that those who denounce fiction,
themselves resort 10 fiction with the stu
pidest Of foundations. What wonder is
Il that children, particularly boys, whose
minds have been filled with such unsub-