CHAPTER IV.
"Just look, Miss Layton, how Ella Clinton has torn my book," saidSallie Barnes, displaying her arithmetic, several leaves of which weremissing.
"How do you know that it was Ella that did it?" asked Miss Layton.
"Why, because she hates me; and I heard her say, the other day, thatshe'd tear my books or do something to spite me, and when I came toschool this morning, she was standing right beside my desk, and AbbyReed says she saw her turning my things over before I came, so I'm_sure_ she must have done it."
"It does look like it, certainly," said Miss Layton, "but still I canhardly believe Ella would do such a thing. Come here, Ella. Did youtear this? or do you know how it came to be torn."
"No, ma'am," said Ella, indignantly, "I didn't touch it, and I don'tknow anything about it."
"Did you go to Sallie's desk, and turn over her things, this morningbefore school commenced?"
"I didn't turn over the things, Miss Layton. I went to her desk, andlooked in her pencil box to see if my slate-pencil was there, but Ididn't touch anything else."
"What made you think of looking for your pencil in Sallie's box?"
Ella coloured, and remained silent.
"I want an answer, Ella," said Miss Layton. "You must have had somereason for supposing your pencil was there; what was it?"
"I thought may-be she had hidden it; because the other day I told hersomething she said was a lie, and she was very angry, and said shewould pay me for it," replied Ella.
"And were your suspicions correct? did you find your pencil there?"
"Yes, ma'am," said Ella.
"If she did, she must have put it there first, for I never touched it,"said Sallie.
"Hush, Sallie," said Miss Layton. "Ella, are you sure it was _your_pencil? slate pencils are very much alike, you may have been mistaken."
"No, ma'am, I know it was mine, because I had cut some letters on it,"replied Ella.
"I wish you'd look in _her_ desk, Miss Layton," said Sallie, "and seeif she hasn't got the leaves of my arithmetic hid there."
Miss Layton rose and went to Ella's desk, raised the lid and examinedthe contents, while the two girls stood looking on. Presently movinga pile of books, she found several leaves, which had been tucked awaybehind them, and which, on being compared with Sallie's book, proved tobe evidently the missing portion; though one of them had been torn inhalf, and, from the stains of ink upon it, seemed to have been used forwiping a pen. "I told you so! I knew she'd done it!" exclaimed Sallie,exultingly; while Ella gazed at the leaves in her teacher's hand withan expression of unfeigned astonishment that did not escape MissLayton's quick eye.
"And she's been using this leaf for a pen-wiper," continued Sallie,"she's always wanting a piece of paper to wipe her pen, because she'sso careless she can never keep a pen-wiper."
"How do you account for this strong circumstantial evidence againstyou, Ella?" asked her teacher.
"I don't know, Miss Layton, I don't know at _all_ how they got there,"said Ella, with a bewildered look. "I've been in the school-room eversince it was opened this morning, and I didn't see any body put themthere."
"I believe you, Ella," said Miss Layton, "for whatever other faults youmay have, I know you to be a perfectly truthful child."
"Oh yes, it's a fine thing to be the teacher's _pet_!" said Sallie,tossing her head. "You'd be ready enough to believe that _I_ had donesuch a thing, because you don't like _me_."
"I _should_ be more ready to believe it of you, than of Ella, Sallie;because, and _only_ because, you have not established the samecharacter for truth. I have more than once had great reason to doubt_your_ word, but _never_ Ella's. A teacher soon discovers whose wordshe can trust and whose she cannot."
"It's just because she's your favourite," said Sallie, angrily.
"Go to your seat," said Miss Layton, "I will not allow suchimpertinence, and shall mark you for it in your weekly report. Can anyof the rest of you throw any light upon this subject?" she inquired,turning to the other scholars.
"Miss Layton," said the girl who sat next to Sallie, "I think, perhapsSallie tore her book herself, for I heard her say yesterday, that shewould tear out those leaves because she couldn't do the sums."
The girl who kept the key and attended to the room, now came up, andtold Miss Layton that Sallie had come to her to borrow the key on theprevious evening, saying that she had forgotten her books, and must getthem, or she should not know her lessons. "Yes, and I was going afterthe cows," said Charley Owen, "and I saw the school door open, and Ithought may-be somebody was breaking in, so I ran and looked in at thedoor, and I saw Sallie sitting by Ellie's desk a writing, and she torea leaf out of a book, and wiped her pen on it, and then she lookedat the book awhile, and then tore out some more leaves, and then sheraised up the lid and put the ink in the desk, and I guess she put theleaves in too."
"It's all a lie," exclaimed Sallie; "there was nobody here when I wasgetting my books."
"I just peeped in at the door, and then I ran off, and she didn't seeme," said Charley.
"The proof of your guilt is too plain to admit of a doubt," said MissLayton, turning to the now abashed and confused Sallie. "You will ofcourse remain with me after the rest are dismissed."
"Oh, how shall I talk to that hardened girl!" was the thought whichmany times presented itself to Miss Layton's mind, while engaged in theduties of the day; and many a silent petition for assistance went upto Him who hath promised wisdom to them that ask it.
At length the hour had arrived, school was dismissed, and the children,always glad to be released from study and confinement, were not longin leaving the teacher alone with her refractory pupil. "Sallie," saidMiss Layton, "you know that borrowing is against the rules, how thendo you account for the fact of Ella's pencil having been found in yourbox?"
"What's the use of my answering? you won't believe me, if I do," saidSallie, angrily.
"You must speak more respectfully, Sallie," said Miss Layton, "or Ishall feel obliged to inform your parents of your very bad behaviour.I wish you now to answer my question, and tell me the truth, the wholetruth, and nothing but the truth."
"I don't know anything about it," replied Sallie, "I didn't put itthere, and if Ella Clinton found it in my box, she must have put itthere herself."
"Well, Sallie, _I_ cannot tell whether you are speaking the truth ornot, but I want you to remember that God knows all about it; for theBible tells us that 'all things are naked and open unto the eyes ofhim with whom we have to do;' and the Psalmist says, 'O Lord, thouhast searched me and known me. Thou knowest my down sitting, and mineuprising; thou understandest my _thought_ afar off. Thou compassestmy path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways, forthere is not a word in my tongue, but lo! O Lord, thou knowest italtogether.' God, who is the searcher of the heart, knows all yourmotives, has seen all your actions, and heard all your words, and inhis book of remembrance all these things are written, and for them all,he will call you to account in the day of judgment. Sallie, do you everread the Bible?"
"I read it sometimes of a Sunday, when I can't find anything I likebetter."
"I am sorry, Sallie, to hear you speak so slightingly of God's word,which is the Book of books and the one which we should value above allothers. But it seems you do read it occasionally--have you ever readthe story of Ananias and Sapphira?"
"I don't remember," said Sallie, sulkily.
Miss Layton opened her Bible, and read aloud the story of that wickedman and woman whom God struck dead for telling a lie. As I suppose mylittle readers have all read this sad story, I shall not repeat ithere; but if they have not read it, they will find it in the fifthchapter of Acts, and I hope they will get their Testaments, and read itnow, and that they will take warning by the awful punishment of Ananiasand Sapphira, and never, never _dare_ to tell a lie.
When Miss Layton had finished reading, she proceeded to talk to Sallieof the great wickedness of her conduct, the dreadful sin of lying,quoting
a number of texts to show God's hatred of that sin, such as,"Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord," "The lip of truth shallbe established for ever; but a lying tongue is but for a moment," "Afalse witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shallperish," "All liars shall have their part in the lake that burneth withfire and brimstone," and many others.
"Sallie," said she, "I do not think there is any sin which is mentionedmore frequently in the Holy Scriptures, as being exceedingly hateful toGod, than that of lying; and we are expressly told that no liar shallbe allowed to enter the holy city, the New Jerusalem. 'For,' says theapostle John, 'without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, andmurderers, and idolaters, and whosoever _loveth_ and _maketh_ a lie.'You would look with abhorrence upon a murderer--one who had dipped hishands in the blood of his fellow-man--and yet you see that liars areput in the same catalogue, as being no better than they. But have younot really been a murderer in _heart_ this day, Sallie? Have you notfelt hatred to Ella, and a desire to do her harm? and is not that thevery spirit of murder? 'Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer;'and was not that the very feeling that led Cain to kill his brother?You have to-day broken several of God's commandments; the sixth, whichis: 'Thou shalt not kill,' for the Bible tells us that anger is abreach of that command; and the ninth, which is: 'Thou shalt not bearfalse witness against thy neighbour.'
"Sallie, I should not be doing my duty, if I did not speak to you ofthe great wickedness of which you have been guilty; if I did not warnyou of the necessity of repentance. 'The soul that sinneth, it shalldie,' says God. 'He that, being often reproved, hardeneth his neck,shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.' 'Because Ihave called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no manregarded; but ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none ofmy reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity: I will mock when yourfear cometh.' But again, he tells us, 'I have no pleasure in the deathof him that dieth, but rather that he turn from his evil way and live.Turn ye, turn ye, for why will ye die, O house of Israel!' O Sallie,can you refuse to listen to these awful threatenings, or to accept ofthese gracious invitations? Would that I could persuade you to turnfrom your evil ways _now_--now while you are young, and while you havehealth and strength and reason--for '_now_ is the accepted time, and_now_ is the day of salvation,' and you can be sure of no time but thepresent."
Much more Miss Layton said to Sallie, but she went home that night witha sad heart, for she could not perceive that her words had made anyimpression.
When Miss Layton entered her school-room next morning, she found herpupils in quite a state of excitement. "O Miss Layton, Miss Layton!"they exclaimed on seeing her, "Sallie Barnes and her mother have beenhere getting Sallie's books, and they took them all away, and Mrs.Barnes says, Sallie shan't come to school to you another day, becauseyou talked to her just as if she was the greatest sinner in the world,and she's just as good as other folks. And she's not going to haveher abused; she won't let her stay where she's called a liar and amurderer. And Mrs. Barnes says, Sallie never told a lie in all herlife, for she knows she'd get half killed if she did; her children areall brought up to speak the truth; and we all know that that's not so,for nobody believes a word that either Sallie or her mother says. Oh,she was _very_ mad, Miss Layton, and scolded away ever so long, andswore too; and she says she's going to give you a piece of her mindwhen she sees you."
"I am very sorry indeed to hear that any one would behave so wickedly,"said Miss Layton, "but if Sallie is such a very bad girl, I am gladshe is gone, for the Bible says, 'Evil communications corrupt goodmanners,' and I fear she might have made some of the rest of you asbad as herself. But if Sallie has such a wicked mother, there is greatallowance to be made for her, poor girl! and you should feel verythankful that you have been blest with good mothers, who, instead ofencouraging you in wickedness, try to teach you to do right."