CHAPTER III.

About this time a lady came to visit Susy's mamma, bringing with her a little boy.

His name was Thomas. He was several years older than Susy, but as there was no one else for him to play with, he had to amuse himself with her as well as he could. Susy followed him about, wherever he went, and thought every thing he did very amusing, and that every thing he said must be right.

One afternoon as they were playing together in his mamma's room, Thomas asked Susy if she liked candy.

"Yes, I like it," said Susy. "But mamma does not let me eat it very often."

"My mother lets me eat as much as I please," said Thomas. "There is a great bundle of it in her trunk, and she lets me go and get some, as often as I want it. I'll give you some if you will hold open the trunk for me."

Susy did not know that Thomas had been forbidden to open this trunk. So she stood holding the cover open, while he searched for the candy. But it was heavy, and her little hands were not strong enough to hold it long.

"Make haste, Thomas," said she, "or I shall let it fall."

"I _am_ making haste," said Thomas. "And don't you go and let it fall; you'll break my head in two, if you do."

Susy tried with all her strength to hold up the heavy lid, but Thomas kept her waiting too long, and all at once down it came. Thomas tried to draw back his head, but the trunk-cover was too quick for him, and gave him a blow right across his face and eyes.

As soon as he knew enough to speak, he called Susy all sorts of bad names, and struck her several times. Susy was so frightened and astonished, that at first she was quite silent, but after a moment she began to cry so loudly that every body came running in to see what was the matter.

By this time Thomas's forehead and face looked quite bruised and swollen, and the moment his mamma saw it she flew to kiss him, and then turned to Susy, and said in a angry tone:

"What did you strike him for, you naughty child?"

"I didn't strike him," said Susy; "I didn't mean to hurt him; I could not hold up the cover, it was so heavy."

"What cover?" asked her mamma.

"The trunk-cover," said Susy.

"Oh! so you were at my trunk, were you?" said the lady. "And who said you might do that?"

"Thomas told me to hold it open while he got the candy."

"Oh! what a story!" said Thomas. "She went and opened the trunk and was going to look for candy, and I went to make her come away, and she struck me with a great big stick."

"Is that true, Susy?" asked her mamma in a grave, sad voice. For the mere thought that Susy could do such a thing, made her heart ache.

Before Susy had time to answer, the lady cried out:

"Of course, it is true. Don't you see the dreadful marks on his face?"

"Answer, Susy, is it true?" repeated her mamma.

Susy tried to tell the whole story, just as it happened, but seeing her mamma look so sad, and every body else believing Thomas, she could only cry still harder.

Then her mamma took her away to her own room, and wiped away her tears, and said:

"Now tell me, my dear Susy, all about it. I can not think my precious child has done this sinful thing. But don't be afraid to tell me the whole truth. Remember God hears every word you say. Remember, my darling! Think before you speak."

"Mamma, I telled the truth!" said Susy. "I telled the truth. Thomas said he would get some candy for me if I would hold up the cover. And I tried to hold it, and I couldn't. And won't you believe me? O mamma! won't you believe me?"

Then Susy's mamma said in her heart, to God:

"O God! teach me what to believe. Do not let me make a mistake. And oh! do not let my little Susy ever speak a word that is not true."

And after she had said that, there came into her mind a way by which she could find out whether Thomas had spoken the truth.

She went right back to the lady's room, whom she found holding Thomas in her lap, and feeding with candy.

"Thomas, where is the stick you said Susy struck you with?" asked she.

Thomas blushed and looked about, as if in search of the stick.

"I suppose she hid it, somewhere," said he.

"She could not do that, for she has been with me ever since she left the room."

"I dare say we shall find it," said the lady. "And I hope you mean to give Susy a good whipping. She needs it, I am sure. Such a blow! Why, what a naughty child she must be!"

"Susy says Thomas opened the trunk and told her to hold it open while he looked for candy. And it was heavy, and she let it fall on his head. I think she has spoken the truth. I never knew her to speak any thing else. The marks on Thomas's face look to me, just like those the heavy lid of a trunk would make."

"They look to me like the marks of a stick," said the lady. "But people see things differently. Come, Thomas! eat this nice candy. And I'll buy you something to pay for this."

Susy's mamma said no more. She felt sorry to have her dear little daughter in such trouble but there seemed no help for it. She went back to her room; and taking Susy again in her lap, talked gently to her about the dreadful sin of which Thomas had been guilty.

"I never will tell a naughty story," said Susy.

"Don't say you never will. You may be tempted, some time, more than you ever have been. But ask God, who is the God of truth, to keep you from doing it. How thankful you ought to be that you have been taught to pray! For the Bible says that no man can tame the tongue. That is, no one can, of himself, keep from saying what he ought not to say. And his only way is to keep praying to God to bridle his tongue for him."

"My tongue isn't a good little servant, then," said Susy.

"God can make it good, and teach it to bless and praise Him."

Then Susy's mamma took down her Bible and read several verses from it.

"Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile."

"The tongue of the just is as choice silver."

"Whose keepeth his tongue, keepeth his soul from troubles."

"He that telleth lies shall not tarry in My sight."

"As soon as you learn to write, my dear Susy, I will make a little book in which you can write all that the Bible says about this. You will be astonished to find how much there is about speaking the truth, speaking kindly, and speaking wisely. And of our dear Saviour it says that when his enemies reviled him, "as a lamb before her shearers is dumb, so he opened not His mouth." Now the next time you see Thomas, I think it likely he will say a good many things to vex you, and I want you to remember, when he does so, how Jesus did, and what you should do."

"Mayn't I tell him he is a naughty boy?" asked Susy. "Mayn't I tell him he has telled a lie?"

"Would Jesus love you when you were doing so, my dear Susy? No, be careful not to say one word that you would not like Jesus to hear. And pray for that poor boy that God would pity him for being so naughty, and forgive him, and help him to grow good."