28.  “Do you believe this?” asked the judge, while a tear glistened in his eye, and his lip quivered with emotion.

29.  “Yes, sir,” said the child, with a voice and manner which showed that her conviction of the truth was perfect.

30.  “God bless you, my child,” said the judge, “you have a good mother.  The witness is competent,” he continued.  “Were I on trial for my life, and innocent of the charge against me, I would pray God for such a witness as this.  Let her be examined.”

31.  She told her story with the simplicity of a child, as she was; but her voice and manner carried conviction of her truthfulness to every heart.

32.  The lawyers asked her many perplexing questions, but she did not vary in the least from her first statement.

33.  The truth, as spoken by a little child, was sublime.  Falsehood and perjury had preceded her testimony; but before her testimony, falsehood was scattered like chaff.

34.  The little child, for whom a mother had prayed for strength to be given her to speak the truth as it was before God, broke the cunning device of matured villainy to pieces, like a potter’s vessel.  The strength that her mother prayed for was given her; and the sublime and terrible simplicity,—­terrible to the prisoner and his associates,—­was like a revelation from God himself.

Definitions.—­l.  Wit’ness, one who gives testimony.  Com—­mit’ted, done, performed. 2.  Coun’sel, a lawyer. 4.  Re-ject’ed, refused. 6.  As-sured’, made bold.  Con-fid’ing-ly, with trust. 8.  Pro-fane’, irreverent, taking the name of God in vain. 33.  Per’ju-ry, the act of willfully making a false oath.  Chaff, the light dry husk of grains or grasses. 34.  Ma-tured’, perfected, fully developed.  Pot’ter, one whose occupation is to make earthen vessels.  Rev—­e-la’tion, the act of disclosing or showing what was before unknown.

Exercises.—­What is this story about?  Why did the counsel wish to have Emily refused as a witness?  Was she a fit person to be a witness?  How was this shown?  Which commandment forbids us to bear false witness?  What was the result of Emily’s testimony?

LXXV.  KING SOLOMON AND THE ANTS. (211)

By John Greenleaf Whittier, born near Haverhill, Mass., In 1807, and died at Hampton Falls, N. H., In 1892.  Until he was eighteen years old he worked on the farm, and during that time learned the trade at a shoemaker.  He afterwards became an editor and one of the first poets of America.

1.  Out from Jerusalem
     The king rode with his great
     War chiefs and lords of state,
   And Sheba’s queen with them.

2.  Proud in the Syrian sun,
     In gold and purple sheen,
     The dusky Ethiop queen
   Smiled on King Solomon.

3.  Wisest of men, he knew
     The languages of all
     The creatures great or small
   That trod the earth or flew.