Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1852-04-01
TO kcepit from the rightful owner?'
Rnt he only said.

Dul lie only Sdlu,
4 want you to 60 to Mr. Bald
wins this morning, and ask him /
he can CON le and work for me to-day
and to-moIrow.
l felt i'm mensely relieved. I lef
the house, and got out Of sight a:
soon as possible. Then once more
took the c bin out Of my pocket, anC
feasted on its beauty. Yet | Wa:
unhappy. Consciousness Of wrong
troubled he, and | almost wished
had not lound the sovereign. Would
| not be c:ilIed thief, if discovered.
l asked myself Was it not as
wrong to conceal what had found
as to take the sal ne amount orlgl'
nally from thc.owncr's pocket? Was
not h& def rauded til L same?
But then | Said to myself F.
Why, il | don't know who the
loser is, how can | give him his mon
ey? 1t is only BECAUSE I i'm afraid
Deacon We dbb vi ll take ita%ay from
me, that | concd dal it; that IS al. !
wculd not steal gold; and il the Loser
should ask me lorit, | would give it
to him. l apologized thus to my
self all tho way to Mr.. Baldwin :
house; but after allit wouEdn't do
The gold was, like a heavy stone,
bound to my heart, 1t waf a sort Of
unhappy cid arm, which gav4 an evil
spirit power to torment mel And |
could not h elp thinking tt Iat | was
rot half SO well pleased wit 4h my I'M
mense riches as | had beeh with a
rusty copper, which had 10 hnd some
weeks belore. Nobody claImcd the
penny, although | kept iny good
fortune 10 secret; ana | hap been as
happy as a king-or as a king is
commonly supposed to be.
Mir. baldwin was not at IQme; and
! returned to the deacons S house. 4
saw Mr.. Wardly's horse stdhding at
the gate, and | WAS terribly frightel- :
cd. Mr.. Wardly was a constable;
and knew he had come to take me
TO iail. So | hid in the garden until
he went away. BY t bat tir.e reason
began to prevail oven cowardlee, and
| m.-dc my appeata te at the house.
The deacon looked apgriiy at me.
Now, thought ], feeling faint, hcl 5
going to accuse me <ot finding the
gold
But lie only SEQ olded me for belnB 6
so long about my enand. / nevdr
received rcprllhand 50 willingly
His severe words sounded sweet, 1
had expected Sd dmething so mach
more terrible.
worked all day y witl ihe gold ih
my pocket. l.woudtr Deacon Webb
did not susr rcct something, | stopped
so often to See if tie gold was really
there; for, much as the possession 0l
it troubl led me, the fear of losing it
troubled me scarcely less, was mis-
cradle, / wished a hundred times !
had not found the gold. | felt THAT
it would be i relief 70 lay 1t down on
the roadside; again | wrapped il in
brown paper, Just as I had foanIl it.
l wondered if i'll got wealth made
everybody 50 miserable.
At nj ght ] was sent again to Alr.
Baldwin's, and, having found him.
obtained his promise to work at
Deacon Webbls on the following day.
1t was dark when l went home,
and l was afr aid of robbers | never
felt so cowar,lly il my life. | t seemed
to me that anybody could rob me
with clear conscience, because my
treasure was not mine. ] got home,
and went trembling TO bed.
Mr.. Baldwin came early to break
fast with us. | should tell you
something about him. lie WAS an
honest, poor man, who supported a
large family by hard work. Evdry-
body liked him, he was so inddstrl-
Gus and faithful; and besides making
good wages for his labor, he often got
presents of meal and flour from those
who employed him.
Well, at tile breakfast-table, after
Deacon Webb had asked the bless
ing, and given Baldwin a piece OF
pork, so that he might eat and get
to work as soon as possible, some
thing was said about the news.
4 suppose you have heard about
my misfortune, sad Mr.. Baldwin.
Your misfortune?' \
yes
Why, whathas happeno q to your