Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1863-07-09
ONE KIND OF EMBEzzLEMENT.
Br sYLvAsus COBB, JR.

walking in company. lt was morning
and they were on their way to bus
ness. Perkins was . young man
perhaps eight-and-twenty; and ToHe
was spproacbing the middle age.
'Ab,' said Perkins. in tone of fret
3ulness. here comes Matthew Bald
Win.'
The person thus alluded to was q
that moment crossing the street. ant
as he reached the sidewalk be stopped
in front Of our two friends. He was a
rough clad, brown-fsced man, with 9
frank open countenance. and be earned
his bread BY hard work from day tc
day.
Good mornig.' said Matthew Bald
win.
Perkins and Tower returned the salu'
tation.
'Mr. Perkins, pursued the laboring
man. with show OF nervousness in his
manner, could you make it convenient
to let me have & little money this
morning?'
i declare, Matthew, you have hit me
In most unfortunate time.' replied
John Perkins, laughing. His laugh
was q business laugh.
lam sorry. SIR said the lsboring
man. The bill is only eight dollars;
and / need the money very much. II
you could contrive to spare me q part
of it,
No, Do.-hold on q few days. Mat
thew. and you shall have the whole of
Il. ] haven't got Il now. II / don't
see you when / have it, III send it 10
you.'
Matthew Baldwin turned away with
reluctant step. and the two friends
pursued their way.
Poor Matthew is disappointed, re-
marked Tower.
Yes. / suppose so,' responded Per-
kins.
4 had half q mind to offer to lend
you the money for him.
But John, you surely would not
keep the poor man out Of bis money il
you could raise it for bim?'
i don't like to pay myself short
was Perkins reply.
Silas Tower believed that be knew
his friends fault. and he determined TO
speak his mind freely.
i think he said, in a careful. con-
siderate way, that you could have
paid Matthew Baldwin eight dollars if
you had wished. Am not right?'
If had wished to pay away all the
money had with me, l suppose /
could. But I don't like to do that
why hot?'
why not?' repeated Perkins, with
elevated eyebrows. 'Wby-because l
like to have little money by me-
'For what?'
For what7' was the echo. why
there might be thousand things for
which / might need money
And for what can you need money
more than to pay an honest debt to a
hard working, needy man? Now.
John, you must pardon me II I speak
plainly
go ahead cried Perkins, with q
light laugh.
Then here it is.' continued Silas
Tower: IF you had eight dollars in
your pocket when Matthew Baldwin
asked you to pay him that sum, the
money really belonged to him. He
had worked for it. and you had
received the full value Of the demand.
You had no more right, in honor, to
keep that money than you would have
had TO embezzle like amount
Upon my life, Silas. you put it
strong; but l don't see it. Do you like
to be without money!
No; but / would rather be without
money than to be in debt ~.
DO you mean 10 say that you would
have paid away your last dollar had
you been in my place few minutes
sgOi'
Certainly I would. And why
should / wish to Keep il? II had
money in my pocket. which if not
already appropriated l use 1t to supply
my wants fra
'ADd to meet emergencies,' sug-
gested Perkins. 4e
'Yes--to meetemergencies, admitted,
Tower. And what greater emergen-
cy can arise than the coming Of such
an application as Baldwin made to
you? When friend wants to borrow
money Of me, ! am apt to consider nv
own convenience FIRST; but when a man
comes to me for money which owe
him. pay it. il ! have it in my pos
session. In the FIRST place, the money
10 really and truly his, and l only have
it in keeping for him. Matthew Bald
win is poor man, working hard to
support himself and family; and when
you hired him, you knew that he need
ed the pay for his work from day to
dsy-or, at least, from week TO week.
When be had done his work, you owed
him eight dollars; and IL you had
eight dollars 10 your pocket, the sum
was bis, and not yours; and when he
asked you for it. and you told him you
could not pay it, you we're acting out
what Ishould call one kind Of embes-
element s.u.se ~. a.s4s-ea qs..i, 81,
John Perkins laughed. o, l,
And pursued Tower. taking no
notice of. the interruption. 'there is
another reason why you should have
paid him the money, even though it
took vour Last nanny. Ynu should