Page:Upbuilders by Lincoln Steffens.djvu/147

 about the

scenes in chambers. These were the best of all, best for the kids and best for the Judge. There is where Lindsey saw into the hearts of children, and where they saw into his.

“Never let a child get away with a lie on his soul,” the Judge says. “A clean breast is half the battle.” Children are wonderful liars, but the Judge thinks he can tell when they are lying and they admit that he has an instinct for the truth. One foundation for their respect for him is that with all his kindness he isn’t sentimental; and he isn’t.“easy.” “You can’t fool the Jedge,” the boys say, and the police tell, as an illustra- tion, the story of a “tough kid” on whom all the Judge’s appeals seemed to fail. He “lied straight,” and since the Judge will not help (try) a boy who will not tell the truth, he told the offi- cer to take the boy away. On the way back to jail, the boy changed his mind. He asked to be taken again before the Judge. “You’re right, Judge,” he said, “and you’re game, too. I lied to you; I lied like a horse thief; and I couldn’t fool you a little bit. You’ve beat me, Judge, and I’ll tell you th’ truth.” And he did.

1 he Judge in chambers reasons with the boy that while it is wrong to “snitch” on other fel- lows, it is all right to “snitch” on yourself. The boys understand this. It is made clear to them