Pomeroy weekly telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio) 1860-1866, 1860-08-14

UNFoRGoTTEN WORDS.

haVe you examined InaG Dill, y JameS!
eyes, sir
"Anything wrong?' s
II find two errors
"Ah, let me see.
The lad handed his employer long
bill that had been placed On his desk for
examination.
"Here is mistake in the calculation,
of ten dollars, which they have made
against themselves; and another error of
ten dollars in the footing"
"Also against themselves?''
eyes, sir"
The merchant smiled in a way that
struc3G the lad as peculiar.
"Twenty dollars against themselves, !"
he remarked in a kind of pleasant sur
prise. s'Trusty clerks they must have. -
"Shall [ correct the fgures?" asked
the lad.
"Nc, let them correct their own mis-
takes. We don't examine bills for other
persons benefit" replied the merchant.
''It will be time enough to rectify these
errors when they find them out. All SO
much gain as it now stands"
The boys delicate moral sense was
shocked by so unexpected a remark
He was the son of poor widow, who
had taught that to be just was the duty
of all men.
Mr.. Carman, the merchant in whose
employment he had been for only few
months, was an old friend of his father,
and person in whom his mother reposed
the highest confidence. In fact James
had always looked upon him as kind
of model man; and when Mr.. Carman
agreed to take him into his store, he felt
that great good fortune was in the way
'Let them correct their own mistakes. y
The words made strong impression on
the mind of James Lewis. When first
spoken by Mr.. Carman and with the
meaning then involved, he felt as we
have said, shocked; but as he turned
them over and over again in his thoughts
and connected their utterance with g
person who stood so high in his mother
estimation, he began to think that per.
haps the thing was fair enough in bust
ness. Mr.. Carman was hardly the mar
to do wrong.
In few days after James examined
the bill clerk from the house by which
it had been rendered, called for settle
ment. The lad who was present waitec
with interest to see whether Mr.. Carma1
would speak of the error. But he made
no remark. A check for the amount O.
the bill as rendered was filled up, and F.;
receipt taken.
"Is that right?' James asked himsel
this question. His moral sense said No
but the fact that Mr.. Carman had 81
acted bewildered him.
cit may be it's the way in business
so he thought to himself-"but i
don't look honest. wouldn't have be
lieved it of him!'
Mr.. Carman had kind way with hin
that won upon the boys heart, ant
naturally tended to make him judg'
whatever he might do in the most favor
able manner. ~.
II wish he had corrected that error,
he said to himself great many time
when thinking, in pleased way, of Mr.
Carman, and his own good fortune il
having been received into his employ
ment. "It don't look right, but it ma,
be it's the way in business" "
One day he went to the bank, ant
drew the money for check. In count
ing it over he fond that the teller ha'
paid him fifty dollars too much. So h
went back to the counter and told hin
of the mistake. The teller thanked him
and he returned to the store with tn
pleasant consciousness in his mind O
having done right.
s'The teller overpaid me by fifty dol
lars" he said to Mr.. Carman, as he han
ded him the money.
"Indeed," replied the latter, ligh
breaking over his countenanee; and h
hastily counted the bank bills
The light faded as the last bill left hi
fingers.
'sThere's no mistake, James" /
tone of disappointment was in his voice
'Oh! l gave back the fifty dollars
Wasn't that right?"
"You simpleton!'' exclaimed Mr.. Cal
man. "Don't you know that bank mis-
takes are never corrected? If the telle
had paid you fifty dollars short he woul
not have made it right.
The warm blood stained the cheeks {