A teacher in a Sabbath School promised to supply all the children in his
class with a catechism, who had none.
One of the little girls went home from the school after the books were
given out and said:--
"Mamma, if I had told a lie to-day, I would have got a catechism."
"I think that very strange, Eliza; for the Sabbath School is no place
for lies, and if you could be so wicked, I know your teacher would not
have rewarded you for it."
"Mother," said Eliza, "I tell nothing but the truth; and now I will
explain it.
"You know I went to school this morning with the other girls. They told
me on the way how their mother had bought each of them a new catechism
on last market day, and they said, if I once saw how pretty their books
were I would not look at my old one any more. Our teacher asked us all,
when we went in, if we had any catechisms, and those who said they had
not, received one from the teacher as a present. Jane, after all she
told me, by the way, denied that she had any, and Lizzy did the same.
But when he asked me, I told him I had one at home; but if I had said
no, I would have got a new one."
Her mother then told her that she should be rewarded for not telling a
lie by giving her a new book and a new Bible.