Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1842-09-01

, pressed, he would have asked only
fair price, and not receded from it,
Mrs: Shannon began to have a
glimpse of the principle of action laid
down by her friend. But it was only q
glimpse.
4 suppose she said, after pause,
shat nay shawl is not much of a bar
gain after all. But | hardly think |
have paid too much for it.
'Oply fifty dollars more than Mrs.
Harper paid for hers
'WhatI $780,.
i was with Mrs. Harper when she
purchased her shawl;, and seHentyg6Se
dollars was all that Mr.. Bradley asked
for it. His price was paid without
word, for Mrs, Harper had the fullest
confde4ee in him: And you see now
how honestly ,he.is disposed to deal
with fair customer. Mrs. Jenkins
was very anxious to have The fellQw
that you have bought, and she told ne
this morning that her husband was
willing that she should buy it, and that
she was going out at once to seotre the
shawl. She has doubtless before this
met the disappointment that awaited
her. The error that you have commit
ted, Mrs. Shannon, in picking up that
shawl so eagerly, to prevent Mrs. Jen-
Eihs from getting it, has resulted in a
disappointment to you both. trust,
my friend, thot you will not soon for
get the lesson, and that its effect may
be salutary.' -.
Just then the servant handed sealed
letter which was instantly broken open
by Mrs. Shannon. 1t contained bank
Till for fifty dollars, and ran thus:
'To Mrs. SHANNoN-.Madam: The
value of the shawl that you bought of
me this morning, was sevepty-hye doll
ars, at which price the prGt to me is
fair one. But as knew that you would
not buy it unless | fell considerably on
the price, doubled to leave ample
room to come down. You did not beat
hard enough, and so paid, and willing
lily too, Fifty dollars more than it was
worth. The silk you paid half doll
ar yard more than my selling price;
but as you got the lace at a dollar yard
less than it cost me, these two items
will balance eachaother. The fifty dol
lars enclosed will reduce the shawl TO
its read value. And now, madam,
shall be happy to wait on you again;
but remember, that shall ask you on
ly fair profit, and l will deal fairly with
you. But do not again tempt me TO
adopt principle of action that l cam
net help feeling to be wrong.
Yours, 'joHN BRADLEY
q & burning blush of shame covered
the face of Mrs. Shannon as she finish
ed this letter. She sat muSing a few
moments, and then handed it to Mrs.
Cleveland. On reading it that lady re-
marked
7 cannot say, Mrs. Shannon, that l
regret the occurrence of this incident.
1t will be lesson that you can never
forget
'Indeed it will. But pray, Mrs.
Cleveland do not mention it. | shal!
be mortified to death if it comes out
And as to this shawl, tell Mrs. Jen-
kins she is we come to it if she wishes to
have it. Indeed, | shall never put it
on, that's settled
90 not fear thai shall mention it,
Mrs. Shannon. I shall be fer more
grati6ed in seeing you act from higher
principles than such as have inhuen-
ced you, than ia giving circulation to
an affair calculated to wound the feel
ings of friend. ~., ...
'You are always kind and generous
in yQgr feelings, Mrs., Cleveland
Would that | could act from as high
Mrs. Shannon said, grasping
the hand of her friend as the other rose
to depart.
Cry, then, to think right; and after
wards to act from those true percep-
tons of right. In this way, you viii
gain the power to do unto others as YOU
would nave others DO unto YOU
And so saying, Mrs. Cleveland shook
the hand Of her friend and turned away
from the door, The lesson was not.
lost on Mrs. Shannon. She never a.
gain INDUCED in the evil of trying to
get goods at less than cost. The offer
of her shawl to Mrs. Jenkins was &C
cepted, and one was as willig to part
with it as the other was to 1eceiveit.
AS to Mr.. Bradley, his.coscience trou--
bled him after Mrs. Shannon had left
the store. Fifty dollars, he felt, was
too much to take from her. While de-
batting in his mind what 70 do, a GUS
toner from the country. came IN and
naih him hill of hrn hundred dol