The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1861-09-11
The Counterfeit Coin.

stopped at a market stall on Saturday and bought
pair of chickens of the old huckser woman The lady
offered five dollar bill which the huckser could not
change A man making some purchasers at the same
time offered to obge the huckster by taking the bill
and giving gold five dollars for it. He gave them to her
and she returned the just change to the lady.
The latter had walked square before she dscov
cred that one Of the gold coins was counterfeit She
took it back to the market woman, who insisted upon
her taking good dollar instead saying that she would
see the man who had given her the bad one the next
time he passed, and make him take it back
Quite willing not lose the dollar the lady consen-
ted few days afterwards she passed the stall again,
and stopped to ask if the woman had vet seen the man
who had given her the counterfeit dollar
| Laws no honey" was the reply. 81 wasn't going
to let you keep it. being as you my best customer
but just passed it the very next time had to make
change and no fuss Never you mind, honey, the wo
man as gave to- serVedme the very trick last
week was glad to get chance to pay her Off
Il am very sorry is going any further said the
lady, Il came here purpose to get it and destroy it,
thought could better afford lose than many others
Now shall always be sorry did not do my duty when
it was in my power"
Laws then wish I'd kept it, for Peg BLY,, who gin
to- will likely pass it off poor body and it
does seem fair that the big bugs should lose what must
be lost anyhow will just see Peg has got it yet if
| you're willing to wait bit.
'sNo-Peg had not got i'll She would have scorned
TO keep it SO long Bat eho5sing her victim with some
to middle aged man. whose fingers were SO cold that
he was less particular in examining his change than
usual" Arriving at home, he found the dollar was bad
but could not remember what stall he received it, SO
in indignation at thedlshonesy of those hucksters
he had made up his mind TO pocket the loss
He went to church regularly-or rather to the metho
dist meeting-bu of all things he hated the poor plate
which passed around every Sunday for contribution
Yet he generally put something into it, because folks
eyes were upon bim. The next Sunday, when it came
round he macously put therein the counterfeit dollar
"There" thought he you are welcome to that
He did not blush or look or feel ashamed. 0bser-
vers would never know the cheat However when the
preacher read the bbleesson about Ananias and Sap
phira he had to comfort himself with the remembrance
that the age for miracles is past.
| That afternoon a lady called upon him. and COM
planned that counterfeit dollar which she had given
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 still in his possession, of course
The avarcious always took great care of his
reputation. He protested that the market woman must
be mistaken he could show her every dollar he had
in the house, and they all good She must have
given it to some other man
The lady was so sure that she hesitated, and was in
cined urge the matter when the unlucky wife said
her husband:
George, you put gold dollar on the poor-plate
That must be it."
Shame and anger suffused his face but he said plau
sibly "0h, perhaps so! did not think OF that! Now
what pity! should have observed more closely But
will make it up at another time"
Il feared it would be sa 1t 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 persegerng lady called upon him.
/ TO 70 back little. When the deacon, or Whatever
be may be called saw the little coin deposited amidst
the copper and small silver the plate be was passing
around the meeting he rejoiced and he also
treasurer be took the amount home and placed in the
fund. The ministers Of that church are supported alto
gether by voluntary contributions and the time being
come for paying the allowance to their pastor 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 bis pittance with ov, which
was shared BY his needy wlie and their nice children
There much Of planning and plotting as to the
spending OF the small sum. All extravagant hopes
from II we're brought into Son4uasu
appropriated IN the most absolutely necessary manner
The father retired to write sermon upon the bounty OF
God and the wife who banker and dsbgrster went
to put away the money. Then she detected the base
coin With indignant, flushing cheeks, she took it to
her husband.
',Oh!" he said 1t is hand, hard! But the Lord will
teach US how to do without it. He feeds the young
ravens
DO you think would Be wrong to pass it. husband?
mean at some Of the rich drygood stores can't do
very well without my gown. We need not be too par
/ ticular."
'0h wife" was the reply, "this is the temptation Of
Satan Passing counterfeit dollar is just the same as
telling lie, and setting other folks to tell lies too
Throw into the fire that may deceive and dsappoint
no one else and forget that ever had it. That's all
do"
The wife disconented and sad returned to her work
Of mending the chdren's clothes Her eldest daggh-
ter, girl Of twelve, ironing in the kitchen, she
came in with woeful face, saying:
stNOther dear look here? Fathers best linen neck
cloth hanging the chdr, and baby pulled it off
and switched the of tinto the fire. 1t was half
burned up before could puit out. What will father
do?"
The child reproyed too sharply, for not taking
more heed, and went away crying to her work
'It is too bad" said the mother, that we must be
the ones to suffer always But father shall not be the
loser BY the carelessness Of the people won't put up
with i'll That bad dollar came from the congregation,
and it shall 90 back to hemn
So she put her bonnet and VENT to the gentleman
| furnishing store, kept by Mr. B. member of their
church She bought her husband new neck-coth,
which she hoped he would never know from the old one.
That very daY the lady called and asked to see the
Rev. Mr.. -. She told the story of the counterfeit
dollar and asked il he had seen anything OF it, saying
that she bad to redeem it. The minister said that
it had luckily fallen into his hands, and oytuly did he
hasten to bis wfe's room.
''God verify numbers the hairs of our heads" he
said. He will not suffer of his little sparrows to
lall W bie VlfG me lie bdu uodF, IOI
has come to give US one in its place"
Then the agony Of confession of the hitherto
honest wife She will weep and Wrlthe to her dying
day the remembrance of that look of surprise and
wounded trust which her beloved husbands face wore
as he heard it. She went to the lady and told
her ALL 1t was brave deed, for she minister's
wife with whole congregation watching to detect
slip from uprigheousness The lady she feared, would
report her delinquency but she had fallen into mercu
hands and her fault kept secret. They went to-
eether to the furnishing store.
The store-keeper examined his desk. There was no
such dollar to be found and one could tell to whom
it had been given One Of the shop girls had probably
passed it without seeing that good. The lady
left dollar to replace it. should any bring it back
and went home disappointed. Her husband was mag
strate and she knew that he strict in bringing
offenders to justice; that she never mentioned to him
this counterfeit for fear of getting the market women
into trouble for passing it, knowing it to be such.
That night her husband came home from his office
looking exceedingly weary and sad His wife pressed
to know the reason.
ooh" said he the duties of my office are sometimes
so painful! have just had to send such nice lady
like woman to the lookup for the night because it was
too late to examine her at She seemed in grea
distress about something; but she can't speak word
7 aau1du't ala ant 7 think tbpur