The Planters' banner. [volume] (Franklin, Attakapas Co., Lou.) 1849-1872, 1850-07-18

seven % she continued-"seven pounds!
Oh, 10 think of mother. how delighted
she will be- Why, this will pay all
and buy can't tell what beside. Oh
how happy aml And what is this q
she confined, as she took from the otheI
end roll of soft paper. "Why these
must be bank notes, like that misses
gave change for once, they must be
worth I can't tell hsw much. Here are
one, two, three, four of them and that
one misses got was worth FIVE pounds
itself What shall we do with so much
money. I'll read what's on these notes
however, So approaching lamp
inside the gate, she with some difficulty
deciphered the amounts of the notes
Of which two were for fifty pounds, the
other two respectively for five and
twenty. "It's quite fortune," she
muttered in low, reverential tone, as
she tried to grasp the idea of so many
pounds. "Whai happy thing for me,
and how sad for the person who lost r'
Here the current of Bessie's rapturous
thoughts received a sudden check; the
smile faded from her lips. and she re-
mained silently looking on the pretty
purse with a perplexity amounting to
distress. "Oh me. but it is not mine p'
she continued, her thoughts finding
vent in half articulate form. "This
belongs to somebody, who is as sorry
to lose it as | am pleased to find it. Oh.
what must | doi wish | had never
seen it. Must / give it up just when
we want il so! And then it was lying
in my way, and nobody near who could
have dropped it"
Poor Bessie! the. struggle between
conscience and want was very severe
She tried hard for little while to con-
vince ters,lf that she had a right to
what she found on highway. but her
principles were too strong TO allow of
such self-deception; and besides, in
testing the matter by the golden rule.
she felt that if she had dropped her
two shillings on the previous night, she
should have been very indignant with
any finder claiming a right to them
No | have no business with it, in-
deed" she murmured, as the tears Of
disappointment started to her eye
But, however. surely may just keep
one or two of those pounds; the person
who lost this must be very rich and
would never miss them; surely / may
have just two pounds for finding it, and
that would put poor mother ont Of her
troubles. Just at this moment those
words which she had lately heard
darted into her mind like a CLEAN of
Thou God seest mer' Oh.
what am thinking Off she exclaimed.
frightened BY her own thoughts; isn't
this out of my sight as soon as can, lest
! should be too much tempted: l won't
keep it an hour. So resolutely conceal
ing the temptations, Bessie set off at
her quickest pace to the police station.
where she resolved TO deposit the money
Immediately. for the twofold purpose of
securing herself against temptation.
aad afording the owner the best OPP
portunity for recovering the lost pro-
perty. When she told her errand to the
officer at the station he looked at her
from head TO foot with some surprise.
"So you didn't think of keeping it
yourselfw he asked as he took the
pnrse-
Eyes, sir, did for a minute, for we
want it bad enough, replied Bessie with
an ingenious blush; but I was kept
from Il, thank God! There's a deal Of
money there, sir, will you please to
count il that you may know, when it is
owned, that took none p
The officer counted it accordingly,
and gave her a recent for the amount,
taking down her address at the same
time. which she thought nothing about
then. and with a happy heart and a
clear Conscience she hastened home.
frequently during the labors of the
next day Bessie wondered whether the
owner Of the purse had regained it and
pleased herself in imagining the plea
sure its recovery must have caused
Then her thoughts sadly turned to her
poor mother, and she would speculate
on the possibility of her receiving a re-
ward Some one she knew had been
rewarded with ten shillings for finding
. five-pound note (; perhaps she might
have pound given her. However, she
|sedulously endeayored to withdraw her
thoughts from the subject, and occupied
them in the attempt to devise some
means of earning q little money in the
family somehow, to carry them through
the terrible crisis. So passed Monday,
and Tuesday was passing in similar
manner. Bessie was busy-washing
her kitchen floor, talking to amuse the
baby, who was tied on chair in one
corner of it, and thinking over bril-
|liant plan which had just. occurred to
(hss, Of proposing one Of her brothers as
|erfand boy to the grocer round the
corner, when her mistreeS looked in and
sharply said some one Nanted to speak
10 her. In great haste and surprise
Bessie started mp and as quick as
possible wiped her wet hands, threw
Of her apron, settled her gown and
leap, and hurried into the shop, where
Fshe found middle aged gentleman,
kpf SSsy pleasant demeanor, leaning
Eessplessly against IL counter He
|tue1ed = ~ entered, and advanced 9
step I Me courtseyed and looked as il
/ u iuouir0 the object of hins 2iGt. sss.,-a