96

THE YOUTH’S CABINET.

 

garden door. It was fastened. It
seemed to take me ages to unlock it, so
fearful was I of making a noise, and the
bolt grated. I got it open, went out,
and latched it after me. It was good to
get out in the cool air. Iran down to
the walk. The patting of my feet made
no noise on the moist earth. I stopped
a moment, and looked all around, then
turned in the direction of the pear-tree.
Presently I was beneath its branches.

Father will think the wind has knock-
ed it off—but there was not a breath
of air stirring. Father will think some-
body has stolen it—some boys came in
the night, and robbed the garden; he’ll
never know. Such were my thoughts.
I trembled at the thought of what I was
about todo. Oh, it will taste so good!
and father will never know it. He never
would think I took it. On tiptoe, with
my hand uplifted, and my head turned
upward, I beheld astar looking down
upon me through the leaves. ‘“TuHou,
Gop, serst ME!” I could not help say-
ing over and over again. God seemed
on every side. He was looking me
through and through. I was afraid to
look, and hid my face. It seemed as if
father and mother, and all the boys, and
everybody in town, would take me for a
thief. It appeared as though all my con-
duct had been seen as by the light of
day. It was some time before I dared
to move, so vivid was the impression
made upon my mind by the awful truth
in those four words, ‘“ Thou, God, seest
me.” I knew he saw me.

I hastened from the pear-tree ; nothing
on earth would at that moment have
tempted me to touch the pear. With
very different feelings did I creep back
to bed again. I lay down beside Asa,

feeling more like a criminal than anything
else. Noone in the house had seen me,
but oh! it seemed as if everybody knew
it, and I should never dare to meet my
father’s face again. It was a great
while before I went to sleep. I heard
my parents come home, and I involunta-
rily hid my face under the sheet. But I
could not hide myself from the sense of
God’s presence. His eyes seemed every-
where, diving into the very depths of
my heart. It started a train of influ-
ences, which, God be praised, I never
got over.—School Friend.

——— >

Danger of Early Drinking.

youne gentleman, who lived in a
large house, in a beautiful valley,
had plenty of money, and had
he been wise, would have done

much good in many ways. But when
he was a little boy, he was accustomed
to drink liquor. He very soon learned
to love it. He became a common
drunkard, and narrowly escaped death
several times. Very early one Sunday
morning, when very drunk, he attempted
to cross the river near his house, and
was drowned. He was carried home a
corpse. What a distressing sight this
must have been to his mother, and for
his brother and sisters! And especially,
to think what had become of his soul!
Surely they would never drink any liquor
again, but hate the taste of it. Surely
all the young people who knew him,
would dread the thought of touching
that which had caused his death. Well,
let us learn this one lesson—never to
drink such liquor.— Selected.