**Jim," said my father, "take the
tools, and put them away— that's a
good lad." I took them, and was
obeying his command with all the
speed in my power; but unfortu-
nately, just as I got round a corner
of the building, and was out of every
one's sight, seeing some stones before
me, and having a hoe in my hand,
being like a great many boys fond of
knocking everything about that came
in my way, I hit at some of the stones
with the hoe. It was an old one,
and a good deal worn towards the
end, so when I raised it as high as
I could above my head, and brought
it down as hard as I could on a
piece of rough flint, the eflect might
have been easily foreseen. It was,
however, soon visible. The flint re-
mained as it was, unbroken. But,
alas I not so the hoe. It had yielded
in its weakest part, had broken, and
was totally unfit for use again.
What was to be done ! No one
had seen me, so I began to think
about the best way of getting out of
the scrape I was in. I did not at
first intend to do wrong; but I
parleyed with temptation until I
became afraid, and the thought was
suggested to my mind that if my
father knew what I had done be
would punish me severely. Thus,
through fear of punishment, I was
led into sin, for after some hesita-
tion and wavering I took the broken
hoe, and hid it in a place where I



SECTION SIXTH.
227



knew it would not easily be found.
