Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1856-08-01
MIS- c ELLA Y Y .
MY FIRST TEMPTATION
4 story for Young Men.

III Il II n AA "a " AZ o
4 story for Young Men.
At an carly ago I lost my father, and O.
hclcll us with but little this world rools
it bccnmc ncc.ssary that should find som,
employment. was then thirteen years o
age, and not very stout or strong, but yet
with will TO DO anything that could b.
found f1r me ,p do. st length my mother
malc an arrangement with carpenter hy
the name Of Morris, and was taken int.
bis shop as AN apprentice. With him re-,
mainl two years, but az the end of that
time became 80 worn down Jy the hard
work imposed upon m,, that my mother rs.
solved tha; should remain ,hgr,u1 longer.
Ms sister Lucy, who was two years Older
than myself, hal long detected my failing
suca1,A-aul 1t was mainly through her
influence that was removed from the place,
fr | should never have comp'aiual.
| was now Glcen-nll, slim manlralo, and
I knew that could mo-, stand any sort Of
work which uzcl my physical strength 10
any gralt extent. But fortune favored me.
\ Mr. johnson EygrsI, who kept "a dry good.
store near hy, was In want Of a salesman,
and through ms sisters influence obtained
the place. Mr. Eyer,lhala daughter Julia,
about ms own age, who was very intimate
with Lucy, and ii was By her inicrsession
with her father that Lucy gained her point.
Twas duly installed m my place, and wa'
soon happy ami c1u.eutel, tor my employer
was Kind, and an intimacy srmns up Do.
tween myssI. anI Julia, which offered mr
purar bli,, than I ever bcfyg, experienced.
Taus matters passed on Cor year, and at
tie gul Of that time my halthws restored.
hal So f.r gained upon the confidence OF
Mr.. Eyrrcl that now be- trusted ne with
some Of hi, most important business. Only
On, thing troubled me. lwasuot receiving
such wages as iauciol my services entitled
mc o.. lu Gct, was in dybt. lpurclasrI
a sui! OF CLOTHES ola tailor in tha ucisibJr.
hood, and was owing for them. The tailor
wantcl his money, and hal promised him
no should have IL alta certain time but that
time came and passed, and could not pay
him. lie threatened, auI | promi'olauew.
o, how many times wished that had
never bought those clothes. | could have
got along without them, and resolved that
never again would buy anything which |
could not Iay for on the spot. But that
diI not help the case.
Onc evening sat alone in the store. II
was Saturday evening, anlth day had boon
a busy ono. We had s,Ii a great quantity
Of goods, and the money drawer was wcllill
ell. Slowly a demon rose before me, and
began to advise me. IIo pointed to the
money draw and whispered, There are the
means for paying your debt knew that
Mr.. Eycrcl had no knowledge Of the amoun,
of moucy there. for he knew not how much
| had sold. | could take even Glty dollars,
and he might never miss it, for had sold a
Great quantity Of stuff which he had no ac.
count Of had promised the tailor that he
should have the money that very night, and
| had planned to get Mr.. Eycrcl, toadyanc,
me the necessary sum. | had not been
spending my money cooli,hly, but from my
pittanco supported my mother, and that
ate it al up.
For long whilo sat and looked upon
that drawer, and all the while the tcmpiaF
was persuading me. know that young
clerks sometimes did such things, and that
sometimes necessity compelled them to 1t
at lcas, 50 | then thought. How could
meet my creditor again without the money
[ could not. and at lcngh | resolved that
would not. Iaroso and went to the drawer,
| openci il and saw the bank notes which
had been fairly pmmcl in there. and count
cl out twenty dollars. Ny hand TemDIci
and my heart beat quickly. | thrust thc
notcs into my pocket, and then hastoncd
back to my seat, and ere long afterwards my
employer entered.
"wcll, Charles, "aid he, "Igucss well
shut up now
arose and went out, and put up the
shutters. and when came back | found
Eycrcd engaged in counting thomoney. rs
approached him, he eyed me with sharp
searching look, and | trcmblcd like an a'-
pen.
"What ails you" " he asked.
Nothing, SIR" answered, trying to
compose myself