NO one will think that I broke the window,” said Freddy to himself, as, with a look of dismay on his countenance, he stood gazing at the mischief which his new tennis ball had just wrought. “I really am very sorry, too. Mamma will return from her visit to Uncle George’s this evening, and I wanted her to see how careful I had been in her absence.”
“Old Mary is busy upstairs, and, besides, she is so deaf at the best of times, I’m sure size couldn’t have heard the noise the glass made in falling. If they were to ask me if I did it, of course, I should not tell a falsehood about it. But if no one asks me—and I don’t think they will—there is no need for me to say anything about it.”
“Father would be angry too,” he said, half aloud. “Perhaps, even, I should have to pay for the window, out of my pocket-money, and I want all that, to buy a present for mother’s birthday. There is no reason why I should say anything, unless I am really asked about the matter.”
Suddenly some words which had been spoken by his Sunday-school teacher had recurred vividly to his memory,
“Boys,” his teacher had said, towards the close of the past Sunday’s lesson (and Freddy almost seemed to hear again the solemn earnest tone in which he had spoken). “Boys, truth is a thing which we can never price too highly, and the importance of which is immensely greater than some among us imagine. We have been looking this afternoon at the judgment of Ananias and his wife, Sapphira. I trust we shall learn from it God’s estimate of their sin. Yes, boys, a lie is an awful thing, and very frequently is but the commencement of other vices. And let us also remember, that an acted lie is as had as a spoken lie. Someday, perhaps, one of you may be tempted in this very manner. Fear of the consequences may lead you to attempt to hide a fault by silence, if not by an actual falsehood. But remember, that in God’s sight the sin is the same. Rather, when tempted to deceive in such a manner, ask God to help you to speak the truth, and to confess your faults with courage. He will help you and give you strength to do what is right and pleasing to Him, if you only ask Him to do so.”
With a rapid step he ran down the lane to meet his father, who had just appeared in the distance; and, as he did so, he silently asked for courage to tell his father exactly how the accident had happened.
“You’re quite out of breath, my boy,” said Mr. Brown, as his little son drew up by his side. “One would think you had something very important to tell me,” and Freddy’s father gazed in surprise at his eager face.
“Yes, father; I’m in a hurry to tell you something,” responded Freddy, in a quick, eager tone and his voice trembled a little as he spoke. “I’m very sorry, but I have broken the back window. I was tossing my ball; without thinking of any danger, and, all at once, it struck the window. I’m very sorry, father.”
“That is right, my boy,” said his father, kindly, as he took his little son by the hand and walked on towards home. “Always come directly, and tell of any mischief you have done. I would rather have every window in my house broken, than that my boy should tell a falsehood to hide his carelessness, or act a lie in order to save himself from deserved blame.”
Then, as he walked by his father’s side, Freddy told him how he had been tempted to keep silence about the broken window, as well as the way in which his teacher’s words recurred to his recollection.
“My dear boy,” said his father, as, with a light, joyful step. Freddy sprang to open the gate for him to enter, “I am so thankful that you have been taught to see how easily we may be guilty of the sin of falsehood, even without uttering a single word. I trust, also, that you have learned another lesson by this little incident. Never trust in your own strength, but, when tempted to do wrong, ask God to give you grace to resist the temptation.
“Lying lips are abomination to the Lord: but they that deal truly are His delight.” Prow. 12:22.
ML 07/19/1925