also charged with receiving the same, knowing it to have been stolen. The younger prisoner had been in Mr. Harvey's service for two years and a half, and the prosecutor had repeatedly found that his cash returns were smaller than they ought to be. Mr. Harvey gave evidence in support of the charges, and handed in two papers which he had received from the boy, in which the lad explains how he was led on by his mother. In these documents he says: When I commenced taking money I took a penny and spent it, and then I took 3d. and spent that, then I took 6d., and then I kept taking more, till I got up to 4s. and 5s., and then I gave that to my mother, who has said to me, why, I want so and so, and could you get it for me, and then I have said yes-and I will send Jane or Ann down, and I have said yes. And my father and mother said to me, why, we have not got no bread in the house, and I have said well, send them down at such a time, and they have come down. I have given them some flour and other things; that has been when the have had no money. Then when I have gone home at nights. You must not send down, for I am afraid lested I should be seen. Well then they have not sent down again, the have not sent down again sometimes a week, and when I have gone home at nights my mother has said to me, what must we do, we have nothing to eat well, I have said, you will have to send down again, and I have told them to wait in some place till I call them in, when the have gone in to dinner or tea, or any time when the have gone out. Sometimes I hav been sent out, and then I have told them to come down, and then they have gone home again, and some times they have waited beside the post office, sometimes at the top of the street, somtimes beside Mr. Willis shop, and when I have wanted “I am, your affectionate "I think for the first 12 months.... 2 10 120 0 2 15 132 0 £252 0 I am guilty of stealing a large amount of money, but it was my father and mother that persuaded me to it; for when I commenced I took a penny, and I kept on till I got to this large sum; but now I intend to begin a new life, and to be perfect and upright in my future life. I am gilty stealing this large sum of Mr. Harvey. 666 "I am now your affectionate servant, ""Sept. 30th, 1868."" 'ALFRED HEYWOOD. 6.66 I am grieved to be able to give you another illustration of the sad evil of bad compay. A boy who was a scholar in one of the Sunday-schools in Leeds, was on his way to school, when he was accosted by some others, who invited him to join them in a walk. At first he refused, then vacillated, then consented. They sauntered into the principal street of the town, then into a yard, climbed upon a wall, and found themselves within reach of the window of a warehouse, which, on trial, they found unfastened. Without reflecting on the consequences, some of them opened the window and got in, leaving the Sunday scholar to keep watch on the wall. They ransacked the place till they came to a desk, which by some means they opened, and abstracted a sum of money. This they divided, giving to their companion a share of it. Unknown to them their motions had been observed, and their object suspected; and very quickly the police had them all in safe custody. The widowed mother of the Sunday scholar received late in the day the intelligence that her boy was in prison on the charge of robbing a warehouse. It came like a lightning blast upon her spirit. The examination of the boys by the magistrate soon followed, and notwithstanding the earnest protestations of the boy, and the solemn assurance of his widowed mother that it was his first offence, the evidence of participation in the deed was so conclusive, that, in common with his guilty guides to crime, he was sentenced to three months' imprisonment in the House of Correction. That was too much for his yet unhardened heart; it was a stroke which nature could not bear. He sickened from that hour; and at the expiration of about three weeks, a message was sent to his widowed mother to fetch away the DEAD body of her son-he had died emphatically of a broken heart! Such details of the fruit of sin are most harrowing, and enough to make one exclaim,—— "O thou ugly monster, sin; What a curse hast thou brought in; All creation groans through thee, Oh, may such painful facts ring out the alarm bell to the dear lads who read THE GLEANER, in such notes as shall be a lasting means of making them adopt the counsel of the wise Solomon: "Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away. For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall."-ED. GOD GREATER THAN OUR FEARS. "MAMMA, is the Bible afraid of anything?" "The Bible, dear! What do you mean ?" Little Harry Cowles, who had just begun to join in the morning Scripture readings, was attentively regarding a verse he had read that morning, and was puzzled to understand the meaning of it; and now, standing by his mother's side, he read slowly. "I mean this, mamma. It says here: 'What time I am afraid I will trust in Thee;' and it's the Bible." 66 That is, the one who wrote it would trust in God when he was afraid," answered the mother. "But the Bible is God's book, you said; didn't you, mamma? Is God afraid ?" 66 He 'No, dear. God inspired holy men to write His book, and these are the words of David. trusted in God, and God took his fear away." "Does God care as much for little boys as He did for David ?" asked Harry, anxiously. 66 'Yes, dear, if born again; just as much. He will take your fear all away, if you are led to trust Him as David did. Remember, God is greater than His people's fears." His mother saw that the words were deeply impressed upon his heart; and hoping they would have, if nothing more, a moral influence upon his character, she often spoke of them to him, telling him that "he must never fear to do right, for God would uphold him in it; never fear the consequences of a noble, truthful act:" saying often, as she closed her motherly counsel, "Never forget, Harry, that God is greater than our fears." His earnest reply, "I hope I never shall, mamma," strengthened her hope about him. A few years passed and one autumn twilight, Harry with a few others had been playing ball in the outskirts of the village, near a rich orchard, the ripe fruit of which had not been gathered. Most of the boys had left their play and gone home; only Harry and two others remainedone younger, the other older and much bigger than either. As they picked up the ball, the big boy, whose name I will not give, said in a low tone 66 Boys, I'm bound to have some of those pears; they're dead ripe, and Mr. Fields is off to the village. Who'll climb the wall, and get them ?' No one answered. Harry looked the picture of indignation, as he started for home. The big boy saw the look, and it angered him. Seizing Harry by the shoulder, he said— 66 Stop, Hal! none of that; you're no better than I at heart. You can't go till you get us some pears. You shall have the largest share." "I never stole in my life. I don't intend to begin now," said the noble boy, with an intense scorn in his tones. 66 Indeed, my lord Harry! You shall get those pears, or I'll give you the biggest whipping you ever got; I can do it." To Harry's eyes, the form before him seemed to swell into huge proportions; but he answered firmly, though his cheeks grew pale. 66 Yes, you can do it; you are bigger and stronger than I am; and you may do it before I'll steal.' "You won't do as I tell you ?" exclaimed the cowardly fellow, more threateningly. "No, I will not. Let me go home." 66 Not till you get the pears, or take a whipping. |
