p. 14 | HOME TRAINING

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Mar 22, 1905

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 31, No. 12.

HOME TRAINING.

"I DECLARE, Burton has gone and cheated himself," said Mrs. Drake to her sister, as she unrolled and measured a piece of ribbon she had purchased during that morning. "I thought it looked long for three yards, and I only paid him for three yards, but he has cut four, that's certain."

"Well, you can pay him for the extra yard when you are that way," said her sister Mary, who lived with her.

"Not I. I shall keep it. He makes plenty out of me in the course of a year," replied Mrs. Drake, as she rolled the ribbon about her fingers and passed out of the room.

It was a surprise to her five-year-old little boy, Charley, who, tho playing unobserved with his toys in the corner of the room, heard every word as distinctly as if his mother had spoken to him. It did not seem to correspond with what she had taught him about truth and honesty. But his faith in his mother was such that for the time he felt she would be sure to do the right thing. Had his aunt uttered any further reproof of her sister's conduct, she might have helped him to feel the wisdom of being honest in trifles. But she was one of those who are more ready to go with the stream than incur any trouble in opposing public opinion, and so she had unconsciously helped to bias the boy's mind in the wrong direction without suspecting it.

A few days after, Charley heard his mother say, "I did not give up my railway ticket this morning. It will do again."

"How was that?" asked her sister.

"The collector was too busy to notice me, perhaps."

"But why did you not stop him and give it him, mama?" asked Charley.

"Because it was his duty to look after it himself," replied Mrs. Drake, who felt rather uncomfortable at such a question from her little boy, so she added, to cover her annoyance, "It will teach him to be more careful in the future."

Charley was silent for a moment, and then said, "But he won't know anything about it, mama."

"O, you are too sharp!" exclaimed his mother with a laugh. "I was not talking to you about it at all."

"But little pigs have great ears," said Aunt Mary, as she also tried to laugh the impression away.

So the subject was pushed aside, neither the mother nor aunt thinking for a moment that the bright and truthful boy they loved so tenderly had received another lesson in dishonesty, never to be forgotten. But so it was.

Not long after, while Charley was again building his house of bricks, he heard the remark, while his mother was counting the money in her hand, "Let me see, one, two, three, four. I gave him a half-sovereign, and the things came to six and sixpence. He has given me sixpence too much change." Then, in a tone of satisfaction, she added, "I am sixpence richer than I thought I was."

Aunt Mary smiled, but said nothing; but Charley took it all in, and thought the more when he heard his mother add:

"I think we will have a cake for tea at—at Brown's expense."

"That's too bad," said Aunt Mary, as she shook her head, and pointed to Charley.

But the words had gone deep down into his nature, and again his perceptions of right and wrong were obscured and dimmed.

This was seen a short time after, when he came running into the house with an orange in his hand, saying, "Look what I've found."

"Where, my dear?" asked his mother.

"A woman let it fall from her basket. She didn't see it, but I did, and picked it up."

"But why didn't you run after her, and give it to her?" asked Aunt Mary.

"Because I wanted it myself. She dropped it and I picked it up."

"But you ought to have given it to her."

"I don't know where to find her now," said Charley, evasively.

"Then mind and not do it again," added his mother, not feeling satisfied with his conduct, and yet being a little amused at his cuteness, as she called it to her sister.

In this way his education in crime was begun. His mother's motto, "He cheated himself," became his maxim as he grew older and understood its application more clearly. True, his mother never meant to train him to be mean, selfish, or dishonest, but she sowed the seed by her own conduct. Evil seed must produce evil fruit. "As the twig is bent, the tree is inclined." The real quality of an act lies in the intention. She never realized, however, that the fine lady who keeps the ribbon she is not entitled to, or the change which does not belong to her, tho given in error, is as criminal as the thief who steals a coat, or anything else he can, when he has the chance.

She found it out in time, to her sorrow, when she stood, almost broken-hearted, in the police court, and heard her son, when just budding into manhood, sent to prison for robbing his employer. And while he was thrust into the van and conveyed to the gaol, she was taken fainting to her home, to mourn too late her folly and sin in training up her child in the way he should not go. Mothers and fathers, ever remember, example is more powerful than precept; and if you want your children to be saved from ruin, let your prayer be, "May the words of my mouth and the acts of my life ever be governed by a desire to do what is right and good and true."—John W. Kirton, LL.D.