Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1858-06-03

anyhow. I will see if Peg has got it yet,
|if you're willing to wait bit.
No-Peg had not got it! She would
have scorned to keep it so long. But choos-
ing her victim with some discretion, among
those she called big bugs, she gave it to a
middle-aged man, whose fingers were so
cold that he was less particular in examin-
ing his change than usual. Arriving at
home, he found the dollar bad, but could
not remember at which stall he received it /;
tso, in great indignation at the dishonesty 81
those hucksters, he made up his mind to
pocket his loss.
He went to church regularly-but Of all
things, he hated the poor plate, which was
passed around every Sunday for contribu-
tions. Yet he generally put something in
| to it, because folks eyes were upon him.
The next Sunday, when it came round, he
maliciously put therein the counterfeit dol
lar ..There," thought he, ''you are well
come to thatp'
1 He did not blush, or look, or feel asham-
ed. Observers would never know the cheat.
However, when the preacher read the Bible
lesson about Annanias and Sapphira. he had
to comfort himself with the remembrance
that the age for miracles is past.
That afternoon a lady called upon and
complained that counterfeit dollar which
she had given to such huckster, had been
transferred to another, who had given it to
him. She had come to redeem that dollar,
as her conscience troubled her about it, and
she supposed it was still in his possession OF
course.
The avaricious man always took care OF
his reputation. Heprotested that the mar
ket woman must be mistaken, as he could
show her every gold dollar in the house. and
they were all good. She must have given
it to some other man.
The lady was so sure that she hesitated.
and was inclined to urge the matter, when
the unlucky wife said to her husband:
George, you put gold dollar on the
poor plate That must be it,
Shame and anger suffused his face; /; but
he said plausibly, ''Oh, perhaps so! I did
not think of that! Now what pity! I
should have observed more closely. But I
will make it up another time" S.
sssI feared it would be so. It has gone to
the poor, who can least bear its loss," said
the lady sadly. ''But it is my fault, and [
must trace it out. Who is your pastor,
sir ?"
Being informed, the persevering lady
called upon him.
To 60 back little. When the Deacon
or whatever he may be called, saw the little
gold coin deposited amid the copper and
small silver on the plate as he was passing
around the meeting, he was rejoiced, and as
he was treasurer, he took the amount home
and placed it in the fund. The minister to
that chuch was supported altogether by vol
untary contributions, and the time being
come for paying the allowance to their pas
tor, it was counted out, and to make change,
some money was taken from the poor fund,
the counterfeit dollar being part Of it.
The good man received his pittance with
joy, which was shared by his needy wife
and their nice children There was much
planning and plotting as to the spending Of
the small sum- All extravagant hopes
from it were brought into due compass, and
every dollar appropriated in the most abso-
lutely, necessary manner. The father re-
tire to write a sermon on the bounty of
disburser, went to put away the money
Then she detected the base coin. With in
dignant, flushing cheeks, she took it to her
husband.
''Ohr' he said, sit is hard But the
Lord will teach us how to do without it.
He feeds the young ravens"
''Do you think it would be wrong to pass
lit, husband! mean at some of those rich
dry goods stores. can'tdo very well with
out my gown. We are so poor! Others
would not miss it. It came to us as a good
one. We need not be too particular.
1'Oh, wife, " was the reply, that is temp
tation of satan. Passing counterfeit dol
lar is just the same as telling lie, and set
ting other folks to tell lies too. Throw it
into the fire, that it may deceive no one else,
and forget we ever had it. That is all we
can do"
| The wife disseminated and sad, returned to
her work of mending the children's clothes.
Her eldest daughter. a girl of twelve, was
ironing in the kitchen. She came up with
a woful face, saying:
Mother, dear, look here! Fathers best
linen neck-cloth was hanging on the chair,
and baby pulled it off and twitched the cor
fner of it into the fire. It was half burned
up before [ could pull it out What will
father do %
The child was reproved too sharply for
not taking more heed, and went away cry
ing to her work.
SIT is too bad, said the mother, that eve
must be the ones to suffer always But
father shall not be the loser by the careless
ness of his people. won't put up with it,
That bad dollar came from the congregation
and it shall 60 back to them"
So she put on her bonnet. and went to
the gentlemen's furnishing store kept by