This guilty child, overwhelmed with confusion and disgrace, burst
into tears, and implored his parents' forgiveness. But he was told by
his parents that he had sinned, not only against them, but against
God. The humble child went to God in penitence and in prayer. He made
a full confession of all to his parents, and obtained their
forgiveness; and it was not till then that peace of mind was restored.

Will not the child who reads this account take warning from it? If
you have done wrong, you had better confess it at once. Falsehood will
but increase your sin, and aggravate your sorrow. Whenever you are
tempted to say that which is untrue, look forward to the consequences.
Think how much sorrow, and shame, and sin, you will bring upon
yourself. Think of the reproaches of conscience; for you may depend
upon it, that those reproaches are not easily borne.

And is it pleasant to have the reputation of a liar? When persons are
detected in one falsehood, they cannot be believed when they speak the
truth. No person can place any more confidence in them till a long
time of penitence has elapsed, in which they have had an opportunity
to manifest their amendment. The little boy, whose case we have above
alluded to, was sincerely penitent for his sin. He resolved that he
never would tell another lie. But since he had deceived his parents
once, their confidence in him was necessarily for a time destroyed.
They could judge of the reality of his penitence only by his future
conduct. One day he was sent to a store to purchase some small
articles for his mother. In his haste, he forgot to stop for the few
cents of change which he ought to have received. Upon his return
home, his mother inquired for the change. He had not thought a word
about it before, and very frankly told her, that he had forgotten it
entirely. How did his mother know that he was telling the truth? She