Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1847-02-12

he did last winter. | fear ! have been very
hasty in pronouncing him mean, for he is, he
must be a generous man."
"And | will add one more TO the list Of his
good aciions,' said her mother, (which is
but one of many which ] have not time &c
speak Of now. | will tell you Of another wi.
dow he befriended. Her husband failed ir
business and died leaving her pennilcss. Mr.
Morrison was the principal creditor. but he
was a personal and long tried friend Of the
widow and of her husband. The very house
she lived in belonged Of right to him and hat
he gone to the length The law and justice al
lowed, both you and your mother would have
been houseless-but thanks TO our kind ben
e%factor, we have a comfortable roof to shell
ter us-and the little we possess we owe L
his generosity"
sob! mother, is it indeed sol | have beer
very, very hasty and uniust-but let me say
what | can in excuse for myself-you know
little George Miller-what a nice, noble
hearted boy ie is, and how much he does &c
help along his poor mother, and how kind
and devoted he is 10 his crippled sister,
Well, the other day he picked up a pocket
book in the street full of bank bills. Mr..
/ Morrison's name was on some papers inside.
Little George took the pocket book to Mr..
Morrison's house. He was not there and he
trudged all the way to his store and when he
! gave it TO him, Mr.. Morrison merely said
''thank you my lad" patting him on the back
and praising his honesty"
"Now, mother, it struck me as very poor
pay, and | could not help thinking it looked
rather small, for l suppose Mr.. Morrison
knows their circumstances and how much
they need money-and what a temptation il
was TO the poor little fellow to have so much
in his possession and 10 want it so much
But perhaps he means to go and see them
and give them something handsome"
'.Perhaps he does,'' said her mother, 'and
had you not better suspend your Judgment
until you have asceriained whether he does
or moi! But let US examine this subjec a
little more narrowly. To 90 back to the first
mentioned circumstance. George Miller pick
ed up in the street a purse thatd not belong
to him. Perhaps he thought how much good
tire money it contained would do his poor
mother; he might have wished most earnest
" to use it for her comfort, but do you sup
pose he was tempted to take it? No, my
dear. He would have spurned the sugges
ton by whoever it might have been made, for
he is honest at heart, and not from policy
He would have known that the possession OF
it by dishonest means would have made him
miserable-no, he was not tempted to keep it.
| think better of him than that-of course
then his first thought was to return it to its
righlful o wner and | do not think that he
found the walk weaTisome, do yonl"
"But don't you think, mother" interrupt
ed Caroline, she expected some reward q
would moi any child, indeed, would not any
body, child or grown person, have expected
something!"
'Perhaps they might have done so,' re-
piled her mother, ''for it is very common to
offer a reward in such cases, but you do not
think George expected to be paid for being
honest!"
mot exactly, MAMA said Caroline, 'sbut
Won yourself have often said it was well to
give rewards sometimes; they serve as an
incentive to exertion, and You cannot think
it would have done George any harm to have
rewarded him, and besides 1t seems the mosl
reasonable thing in the world for a person
who is thankful to another, to try and prove
their gratitude, and Mr.. Morrison must have
been thankful to get his pocket hook again,
Indeed | do still think it strange that he did
not put his hand in and give him a twenty
dollar bill but | suppose he had some good
reason Tor not doing IT,
'Undoubtedly he had," said Mrs. Guilford.
''and since you have no further knowledge Of
the facts, let me advise you again to suspend
your judgment. Be always more ready tc
believe good than evil, particularly of you
friends. Avoid, | beg of you, these hasty
decisions upon character. There is nothing
which requires more delicate handling thar
character. Remember this and be ~cautioul
at all times how you express yourself. The
foremost of the Christian graces is charity
Now let us walk and we will 90 down the
hill and call on Mrs. Miller. Perhaps we
shall hear more of the purse-and you mus
not forget my dear, that you, as well as my
self-allhough we have not gold TO give, have
it in our power TO show our generosity anC
benevolence, and TO confer happiness by cheer
ing words-and services cheerfully perform
ed.
y
1t was a pleasant evening, and Carolin
and her mother walked together 10 Mrs. Mil
ler's cottage, talking Of many things, for the
were in the habit CT conversing together yer,
freely: Mrs. Guilfurd encouraged her daugh
ter TO express her feelings and opinions frank
ly TO her, for she thought il easier to direc
her habits Of thought in that way, than b
: preaching moral lessons at set times and pla
, ces, without knowing what particular fault
and follies were likely to lead her astray.-
i, Caroline loved her mother tenderly and con
. fded in her entirely. She was a girl Of stron
feelings and impulses, but she had a SINGER
love Of truth, aud when once convinced .ha
a course of action was right and true, sh
was capable of making great sacrifices an
of much self-denisl in pursuing it.
AS they approached the house, George sa,
them and came running to meet them. Hi
/ fine manly face was glowing with health an
happiness. Mrs. Miller stood in the doc
: and she too looked unusually happy, an
t Marguerite, the poor sick girl, hobbled alon
on her crutch and her countenance, ~generalI
$ so sad and soHowful, was lighted up wit
an expression Of happiness which could ne
e pass unobserved. This sadness which Xix
d a shadow brooded over the poor girl, was NJ
gloom or discomfort. 1t was a touching e,
o preston Of sorrow. She could neither wor