THE STOLEN UMBRELLA by Mary A. Barr

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Jul 21, 1881

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 7, No. 27.

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THE STOLEN UMBRELLA.

By Mary A. Barr

"JESSIE, do you know a child named Lawson in your school?" asked Mrs. Evans of her daughter.

"What, Kitty Lawson?" said Jessie. "Oh, yes, she's in my class."

"What sort of a girl is she?" asked her mother.

"Well, she's about as old as Georgie, with a very rosy face, and she's always laughing."

"I was not thinking of her appearance, dear," said Mrs. Evans, smiling. "I meant, what sort of a child is she in her behavior?"

"Oh," said Jessie, "she don't get on with her lessons; she's too fond of fun for that. She likes playing tricks on the girls, and they don't like her for it; but I don't believe she means harm by it. And I like her myself."

"Oh! Kitty Lawson," cried Lucy, Jessie's sister, "the deceitful little thing! She was always at something or other when I was at school! I knew she would be found out one of these days!"

"But if she has not been found out before, how do you know anything against her?" asked Mrs. Evans, quietly.

"Why, look at when Mary Brown lost her dinner!" cried Lucy. "Everybody knew she took it; though it was never brought home to her!"

"Everybody did not know she took it!" cried Jessie, vehemently. "And it's a wicked shame for you to say so. Everybody said she took it; but that was only because they did not like her, for nobody ever knew anything about it."

"Well," said Lucy, "you always take her part; you never could see anything wrong in her."

Now, Jessie, strong in her faith of Kitty's innocence, was sorely perplexed about the affair. She had certainly seen Kitty with an umbrella, and what made this trouble her so was that Kitty never carried an umbrella herself. She spoke to her mother about it again before she went to school next morning.

"There can be no doubt," said Mrs. Evans, "that the girl who accused her saw her with an umbrella as you did, but whether she made sure that it was Miss Addison's or not, we cannot tell."

"I shan't say that I saw her with an umbrella," said Jessie; "would you, mother? Because it might not have been Miss Addison's after all."

"Well, I should do this, my dear. I should go at once to her house, and tell her what I saw. If she is innocent, it may help her to explain the matter."

Jessie went off to her school-fellow's at once. "Look here, Kitty," said Jessie. "Whose umbrella was it you were carrying that day when I saw you along with another girl? Not that I believe you took Miss Addison's," she exclaimed; "I don't believe a word of it! But somebody else may have seen you as well, and thought it was Miss Addison's umbrella you had."

"Why, of course!" cried Kitty. "It was Jane Watts' mother's, I met her going to her grandmother's, and she asked me to carry her umbrella, because she had a large parcel to carry."

"Why didn't you say so before, child?" said Mrs. Lawson.

"I never thought of it, mother."

"I'll go to Jane at once," said Mrs. Lawson, "and I'll find out who the girl is who accused you, and why she did so. I'm so glad you came, my dear," she said, turning to Jessie; "we shall see."

And so it proved; for when the child who had spoken so positively about Kitty having taken the article was questioned, it turned out that she had merely seen her as Jessie had, going along with her friend, and carrying an umbrella. And the explanation which Mrs. Lawson was now able to give entirely disposed of the suspicion against Kitty.

But Miss Addison, the school-mistress, was much to blame; for a day or two afterward it was discovered the umbrella was not stolen at all, but had merely fallen down between the wall and a desk, against which she herself had placed it. If she had made a proper search for it before she began to think evil of her scholars, it would no doubt have been found. How needful is the divine injunction, "Judge not, that ye be not judged!"—Sel.