AN OLD STORY

New Zealand Tablet, Volume 31, Issue 44, 31 October 1907, Page 37

AN OLD STORY

+ is an °. ld f lo^"' hut i1; is a good one. A father told his son that whenever he aid wrong he should drive a nail into the door of the woodshed. The door began to fill up very fast, and a : great many nails weie being used-neaps of them, in fact. The boy aid

not like the appearance of the nail-studded door, and told his father so. ' Well,' said his father, l now every time you are obedient or speak a kind word I'll draw one of the nails out.' So it went on for some time, till at last the son, with a glad heart, called his father to draw the last nail. Out it came.- ' oh, I . am so glad, father ! ' said the boy ; and then, the pit-ted-looklng door catching Eis eye, he added a little sadly : ' But the marfcs are there ! ' l Yes,' said his father, ' and so it is with our evil deeds ; .they leave marks that linger long upon our characters and lives. We ought to try to escape not only the wounds, but the scars that are left after the wounds have healed ; and the only way to do this is to avoid the wounds.'