The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1859-10-28
From the st. Louis Republican, Sept. 8.
REWARD OF HONESTY BEAUTIFUL AID
TOUCHING INCIDENT.

Johnny Moore is the maine of bright,
eyed ,jolly.faced lad twelve or fourteen year.
of age, whose invalid and widowed mother,
living on Morgan street, he helps to support
by the sale of newspapers and BY such er,
rands and small jobs as he may chance to
fall in with. Johnny, who is the hero oi
the pleasant and fruitful incident we are about
to record, is extremely neat in bis attire
though his clothes may not have always
been the best and may have shown, in sundry
patches aud mended rents, the results of
both poverty and frugal care. In short
Johnny is such q boy as we used to "read
about" in sunday school books. Yesterday
morning, bright and early, lie was trudging
along Broadway, between Franklin avenue
and Wash street, when he chanced to stum-
bic against large pocket.book, which be
picked up and found to contain large mum
Der Of bank notes and papers. While he
was meditating on the sudden riches he had
amassed, and which he had slid into ca
pacious pocket or perhaps racking his youth
ful mind whether to seek the owner or
conceal bis good fortune, gentlman rushed
by him in an anxious, hurried nervous man.
ner, which convinced the boy that he was
looking for something, he thought he knew
what.
"lIave you lost anything I" asked johnny
"ies, my pocket book. was the gentlmans
answer; "have you seen iti'
The little fellow expeced hc had lie didut
know, though. What kind of pocket.book
was itT'
THIS led to an ad djournment to neigh
borsng store, where the flushed and almost
breathless individual "of the first part"
proceeded to say that the pockstbook was
large black one, containing one thousand
two hundred dollars in bank bills, and some
accounts, a strip of red morocco binding;
underneath the flap, being inscribed "Robert
Thomas, Covington, Ky" The description
Tailed and Johnny's eyes snapped with
chcerfulness as he placed the treasure, juat
as lie had found it, into the strangers hands
and we opinc there was greater joy in that
one act than ten thousand dollars could
have purchased, at the expense of guilty
conscience. -.
Mr.. Thomas hardly seemed to know
which 10 feel rnost-reliof on tie recovery
of the money and papers or gratitude to the
lad and admiration of his honesty. Taking
Jhonny by the hand, whose bounding hear,
(he knew not wlIy) had by this time "splasl,-
ed tears into his eyes," the gentleman took
him to clothing store and dressed him out
from top to toe, in bran new suit. Then,
proceeding to ajewelry store, lie purchased
a good silver watch, upou which he directed
10 be engraved these words; "Robert
Thomas to little Johnny Moore, St. Louis,
Sept Sd, 1859. Honesty is the best policy. y
Not even content with this the generous
stranger placed in neat bead purse five
twenty-dollar gold pieces, which he directed
the lad to give TO lis mother. ....,
We shall not attempt to portray the emo.
tions of the boy. If his quivering lips, and
choked utterance, and the smile that strove
so hard to get through the great watery
globes that trembled in lis eyes failed TO
tell what was going on 10 his heart, how
shaH we tell it2 ,'' Et:.a*" -.