That they are strong, fashionable, perfect, when the whole story is false. We hope and trust these cases are rare. But even one such house as we allude to, may ruin the integrity and the fair fame of many a lad. The possession of the principle of honesty is a matter known most intimately to the man and God, and fully only to the latter. No man knows the extent and strength of his own honesty, until he has passed the fiery ordeal of temptation.
Men shudder at the dishonesty of others at one time in life.
Then sailing before the favorable wind of prosperity and adversity overtakes them, their honesty too often flies away on the same wings with their riches. What they once viewed with holy horror, they now practice with shameless impunity. Others at the commencement of a prosperous career, are quite above any tricks in trade. But their love of money increases with their wealth, their honesty relaxes, and they become hard honest men. Then hardly honest, and finally, confirmed in dishonesty.