Not long after this, when I was about four years old, I think, I went with
my oldest sister to one of our neighbors on an errand. My sister, who could
weave, wanted me to go to the home of another neighbor near by to borrow a
part for the old-fashioned loom she was using. While at the house I saw a
piece of pink calico about an inch square that attracted my childish fancy.
I thought how nice it would be for the little quilt I had begun to piece.
As I had no pocket, I put the piece of calico into the bosom of my dress
and went back to my sister holding it as if I feared it would get away.

Noticing what I was doing, she said, "Mary, what is the matter?" "Nothing,"
I answered. "What have you there?" "Nothing," I replied again. Right there
I told two falsehoods, the first of which I had ever been guilty. They were
like black spots on a white robe. My sister said, "I know you have
something," and drew out my hand still grasping the scrap of calico. "Where
did you get it?" I told the truth then, and she said that I must go back
and tell the woman I had stolen it. She took me back; but she had to do all
the talking.

The old lady wanted to excuse me, and said, "Oh, let her have it; it
dosen't amount to anything"; but my sister said, "No, she shall not have
it, for she did not ask for it." Oh, how awful I felt! It was about a mile
to our house, and I cried nearly the whole way home. On the way I said,
"Ell, don't tell Mother"; and she promised that she would not. I had
experienced now what Paul meant when he said, "Sin revived and I died." It
was the first time in my life I had ever known what guilt was. Reproof
given at the first offense has saved me many temptations in later life.
Only twice afterward do I remember of having had a like temptation.

Perhaps the influence of this incident was strengthened by a story that my
mother related to me while I was still a child. This story made a deep