The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1842-11-05

ions, precious moments of'youth which,
properly husbanded and fifty accounted
for, might have advanced him to high
station in life, and saved him from fear
ihl retributioh.
1t was at such time that he was sent
with check to bank for large amount
to be cashed with instructions TO receive
the money in hundreds and tiiiies. The
teller being absent, and the discount clerk
having to act for him, in paying out the
notes, two ff!es stuck SO closely toge!h-
er, that he counted them as one no!e.-~-
Leslie, who was carefully watching him,
saw it; but instead Of promptly calling his
attention to the mistake, said nothing,
having determined TO take the money ont
side the bank and coun. it, and if he fouhd
it to overrun, to take it in and return it;
thus getting the more credit from having
had the officer completely in his power.
Accordingly he returned to the counter
and observed, -"Sir there was mistake
i'll the payment Of that check just now,
which it is my duty to have corrected. !
must therefore request that you will take
the trouble To-"
Can. help it," interrupted Tie other,
"correct no mistake after You leave the
coun,er," supposing he had paid too little
and aware OF the necessity of 4 uniform
rule: As otherwise, it W ould be common
thing for dishonest persons to affect 10
have received q small sum too much at
one time, and return it, in orderal future
time to claim considerable amount, PIE
tending to have been short paid.
lIert was critical moment to young
Hay. And what made it of more perni-
cious tendency to HIM was, the fact that
on former occasion he had been paid
one dollar short, on small check, which
he had to make good TO S. A. s Co. out
of his own slender means, rather than APP
pear to them either careless or dishonest.
Oh, how many nice; plausible and allurlng
subtleties does the dark adversary of our
natures (the lust of the tlesh) spread be-
fore our too yielding and hewildered judg-
mcnt! Had Leslie adhered to the "lne
Upon line, precept upon precept" Of his
fond. aged parents, so far from hesitallng
a moment, he would have been firm in
the nigh. of his integrity, and spared
their grey heads many throb that has
tened their death. But instead of enter
tanning the soft whispcrings Of
nThe still small voice"
whose gentle murmurs WOO us from dam
ger, and lead us sin the way everlasting
he shut out the sweet, soothing accents,
and leaving the bank, indignant at what he
chose to term the precipilate manner and
i'll nature Of the officer; and pocketing the
extra fifty dollars, falsely endeavored to
Justify the act by consoling himself with
some delusive reflections about the one
dollar short payment. He determined al
least to consult some one or more of his
vicious associates who may be would re
gard it as capital joke,-and who were
ready at all times to pander to his vices,
and avail themselves Of his pecuniary aid
to promote their debauched and eXtrava-
CANT propensi,ies; for will not dignity
them with the name Of pleasures
Sure enough that evening he appea led
to one Charley Knight and a certain Ben
Jones, who avowed, nay, swore that if he
lost so grand an opportunity Of what they
were pleased to call revenge on a "mono-
policing colporation,' and of "spreeing
it," sat the expense of tina, pert c.erk,''
they would vote him bore, and inconli-
nenlly Gu. him.
Misguided youth you well knew these
were not your proper counseIors. Where
were the beautiful prisons taught thee by
thy anxious mother, at her knee?-the
sublime lessons of holy writ brea,hed II
thee by the lips o: thy aged father, lips
that SO often kissed thy downy cheek2 1t
was not without many bitter pang, thai
all these and many other halIowed associa.
tons were rudely thrust aside as unwel.
come inIruders, from your path. Yes
your pillow was often fearful ore under
the throbbing temple that pressed it.
What is it so near akin to destiny, (and
vet like not either the word or idea alto
SctI'ci'J tiat eeehio W Poosoo 10 ~ tHi'eo
and lead or drive us with our eyes open.
to the very brink of a precipi ce, nay.
down the frighllul abyss? And is there
not a NEST remarkable fellowship, as ii
were, in the destinies of some persons
who, until just before they became init
mately connected or associated for life,
knew not that each other exsled2 Thus
they would seem almost bound in the
same cord of faIe, and drawn irresistably
toward one another. Perhaps what fol-
lows may in part elucidate the matter.
For some time young professional gen.
tlcman, and bank cle.k, each of highly
respectable families, had paid particular al
,enlion to Adah, and her father, who as a
proud and worldly minded man, with all
the anxiety that naturally attaches to such
parents. was DESTROYS of securing her re-
gard in favor of the former, who was his
I