Rev. E. Anderson
THE RUINED PHOTOGRAPH
Johnny’s mother was dressing up and he was greatly interested. Where was he going? Why was she so excited? He waited expectantly, and soon heard, Son, I want you to be a good boy. I am going out on special business, and I want you to promise to stay in the house and look after your baby sister. Will you be a good boy? “Yes, Mum.” “You really promise? You will not go out until I return?” Johnny nodded.
His mother looked at the sleeping baby, and saying farewell to her little son, pulled on her gloves and went down the front steps. Johnny climbed to the window to watch her. He was so interested by all this mystery. Where was she going? With his nose pressed against the window he watched until she had passed from sight; then he ran to the steps, and saw her disappearing round the corner at the bottom of the street. This was very exciting. Where was she going? Hurriedly he looked at his baby sister, and believing all would be well, he ran down the street- to see his mother entering the big gateway of a large house.
The boy felt he was a detective about to solve a great mystery. He listened and heard voices. A\strange man was saying something, and his mother’s whispered reply suggested she was frightened. She was very quiet; he would need to be careful, for ther might be danger. He looked for a foothold in the wall, and skilfully climbed and looked into the garden. His mother was sitting with her back toward him, and in front of her was a man who crouched behind a funny thing on legs. He heard the man saying, “Now,” and an ominous click followed. Then all kinds of wild thoughts flew through his mind, and he half expected his mother to sink to the ground. Instead, she stood and shook hands with the stranger. When she turned toward the gate, Johnny dropped to the roadway and ran as fast as he could, to get round the corner before his mother reached the street. He was quite breathless when he reached his home, but by the time his mother arrived he had fully recovered, and was sitting quietly beside his baby sister.
“Well, Johnny, have you been a good by since I left”? “Yes, Mum.” “You haven’t been outside?” “No, Mum.” “Are you sure?” “Yes, Mum.”
She smiled, gave him a kiss, and placed three new pennies into his hand. She said he could keep these all for himself. The lad looked at the new coins and his eyes sparkled with delight- he had the best mother in the world. He felt a little guilty because he had deceived her, but there was no need to worry about it. His bay sister was quite safe, and no harm had been done.
As the days passed by, his mother seemed to be expecting a very special letter. When it arrived she was excited, and once again Johnny wondered what had happened. He saw her carefully removing the soft wrappings, and behold, there lay the photographs. She studied them for a moment, and then slowly turned to her boy. Most of the pictures she laid aside, but one remained in her hand. Johnny looked a, and saw his mother sitting on a chair in a beautiful garden; she was smart and smiling. He looked into her face, but his words died on his lips- she wasn’t smiling now.
She seemed upset, and again he failed to understand her. She turned him round and asked, “Did you really stay with your sister the other day?” “Yes, Mum.” “And you didn’t go out at all?” “No, Mum.” “Johnny, you tell lies.” “No, Mum.” “But you do. Look at this.” She showed him the final photograph-and there, behind the chair on which she was sitting, could be clearly seen a little boy looking over the wall. He finger slid over the proof until it rested beneath the place where his eyes were peering into the garden, and she asked, “Isn’t that you? You followed me to see where I was going. You climbed the wall and looked into the garden just when the gentleman was taking the photograph. You naughty little boy, you tell lies.” And poor Johnny was crestfallen. He had discovered the message of the Bible was true-“Be sure you sin will find you out.”
