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JUDGE NOT

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Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Apr 10, 1901

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 27, No. 15.

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JUDGE NOT.

HOW MANY are there who can not find in the following colloquy between Jack and his mother a lesson for themselves? Jack charges his brother with sin, and is surprised to find that he himself is the sinner instead of his brother.
“O mama!” cried Jack, running into the sitting-room where his mother was sewing, “Sidney is breaking a commandment, he is—‘Thou shalt not steal,’—and I should think he would be ashamed of himself.”
“Why, Jack,” said his mother in surprise, “what can you mean?”
“He is, truly, mama,” said Jack, hopping about on one foot, and seeming rather to enjoy the fact. “I saw him getting sugar out of the sugar-bowl, and you know you told us not to.”
“O—h,” said mama, in a tone of relief, “that’s it, is it? Come here, Jack,” and taking her little boy’s hand she drew him to her side. “Do you think it such a dreadful thing to break a commandment, dear?”
“Why, yes, mama, of course,” answered Jack, astonished that his mother should ask such a question.
“You would not do it?”
“No, indeed, mama.”
“Then you think you are very much better than Sidney?”
Jack hung his head at that question, but did not say so.
“Now, Jack, I want you to see how mistaken you are. You think you would not break a commandment; but because you are so able to believe evil of your brother, you are really breaking the command which says, ‘Thou shalt not bear false witness.’ Do you know what that means, Jack?”
“Yes, mama, you said it meant saying what was not true about any one; but Sidney was stealing, for I saw him.”
“He was taking sugar, Jack, but are you sure he was stealing?”
“Yes,” answered Jack, “and now I s’pose he’s going away to eat it.”
At that moment the door opened, and Sidney came into the room, his bright, manly little face not looking at all as tho he were ashamed of himself.
“Here is the sugar for Dickie, mama,” he said, slipping the lump between the wires of the cage, “and here is a letter for you. I saw the postman coming and waited a minute for him.”
“Thank you, dear,” said mama, smiling at him, and then she turned and looked at Jack.—Sunbeam.