Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1863-06-06
Che Ohio 6tatesnra,r
THE FIRST FALsEHooD.
A Noble Reparation.

L A ANNDaS AsOPUhubAOhs
"Are you returning Immediately to Worces-
ter" said Lady Leslie, widow residing near
that city, to young officer who was paying her
o morning visit.
III am; can do anything for you there2"
"Yes; you can do me great kindness. MY
confidential servant, Baynes, is gone ont for the
day and night; and 1 do not like to trust nv
new footman, of whom know nothing, to pul
this letter in the Postofice, as IL contains fifty
pound note"
"Indeed! that is large sum to trust 10 the
post" .....
"Yes; but am told it is the safest convey
ance. II is, however, quite necessary that q
person whom can trust should put the letter
In the box"
"Csrtsinly," replied Captain FreeIand, Then
with an air that showed he considered him
self as person to be trusted, he deposited the
letter In salty in his poeket-book, and took biz
leave, promising he would return to dinner the
next day, which was Saturday.
On his road Freeland met some of bis brother
officers, who were going to pass the day and
night at Great Malvern; and as they earnestly
pressed him to accompany them, he wholly for.
got tho letter entrusted to his care; and, having
dispatched his servant to Worcester for his sae
de unit, and other things, he turned back with
hIs companions, and passed the rest Of the day
In that sauntering but amusing idleness which
may be reckoned comparatively virtuous, If II
leads to the forgetfulness OF little duties only,
and is not attended by the positive infringe
ment OF greater ones. But not putting this i'm.
portant letter into the post, as he had engaged
to do, Freeland violated real duty; and he
might have put 1t in at Malvern had not the re-.
incounter with his brother officers banished the
commission given him entirely from his
thoughts. Nor did he remember ID till, as they
rode through the village the next morning, on
their way to Worcester, they met Lady Leslie
in the road
AT sight of her, Freeland recollected, with
shame and confusion, that he had not fulfilled
the charge committed to him, and fain would he
have passed her unobserved; for, as che was a
woman OF high fashion, great talents, and some
severity, he was afraid that his negligence, II
avoWed, would not only cause him TO forfeit
her favor, but expose him to her powerful ear
casm.
To avoid being recognized was, however, i'm
possible; and as soon as Lady Leslie saw him.
she exclaimed:
"Oh, Captain Freeland, am SO glad to aee
you! have been quite uneasy concerning my
letter since placed 1t In your care, for it was
post yesterday" t-
Certainly" replied Freeland, hastily, and 10
the hurry Of the moment-"Certainly, How
could you, dear madam, doubl my obedience to
your commander"
THANK you, thank you!" she cried. "HoW
you have relieved my mind"
He had so; but he had painfully burthened
his own. To be sure il was only white lie
the lie OF fear Still he was not used to utter
Ing falsehoods, and he felt the meanness and
degradation Of this, He had yet to learn shat
it was mischievous also. and that none Can
presume to cay where the consequences of the
most apparently trivial lie will end. AZ soon
as Freeland parted with Lady Leslie, he bads
his friends farewell, and putting spur to his
horse, scarcely slsckened his pace ill he had
reached q general Postoffice and deposited the
letter 10 safety.
"Now then" thought he, ~ hope shall be
able to return and dine with Lady Leslie with
out shrinking from her penetrating eye"
81 come," said he at length while the suffer
era waited in almost angry wonder to hear his
reasons for thus intrudiDg on them-"I come to
tell you, from your kind Lady Leslie"
"Ihen she has not forgotten me-" screamed
out the poor woman, almost gasping for breath.
"No, TO be sure not; abe could not forget you
Que was lDChpADle-
Here his voice wholly failed him.
THANK heaven" cried she, tears trickling
down her pale cheeks. 81 can bear any thing
now, TOR that was the bittsrest part Of all"
my good woman" said Freeland, "it was
owing to my fault that you did not receive a
mtg pound note Dy the pest yesterday"
Fifty pounds!" cried the Door man. wiring
ing his hands. Why, that would have more than
paid oil we owed. and could have gone on with
my business, aud our lives would not have been
risked or disgraced."
Freeland now turned away unable to say a
word more; but, recovering himself, he again
drew near them, and throwing his purse to the
agitated speaker, said:
"There! Get we'll! only get well! aud what
ever you want shall be yours, or / shall never
lose this horrible choking again whilv live"
ffeeiand took walk after this scene, and
with hasty, rapid strides-the painful choking
being his companion very often during the course
ofit-for he was haunted by the image OF those
whom he had disgraced; and he could not
help remembering that, however blamabls his
negligence might be, 1t was nothing, either in
sintulness or mischief, to the lie he had told to
conceal it, and that, but for that lie of fear, the
effect Of his negligence might have been repair
ed In time.
But he was resolved that he would not leave
Somerstown till he had seen these poor people
settled In good lodgings. He therefore hired
conveyance for them and superintended their
removal that evening to apartments full of ev-
cry necessary comfort.
my good friends" said he, "I can not re-
call the modification and disgrace which you
have endured through my fault, but trust that
you will gain In the end by leaving cruel land
lord, who had no pity for your unmerited pow
erty. Lady Lesie's note will, truat, reach
you tomorrow, but If not, will make up the
loss; therefore be easy, and when l 70 away,
may have the comfcrt of knowing that your
removal has done you no harm"
he then, but not till then, had the courage to
write to Lady Leslie and tell her the whole
truth, concluding his letter thus:
II interesting protsgss have suffered in their
health anal not regret what has happened because
trust will be lesson to me through life and teach me
TO tell the most apparently trivial white he
again How unimportant this violation Of truth ap.
peared to me at that moment as was to avoid falling
In your estimation; but II was, you see, overiuled for
evil and agony OF mind disgrace and perhaps risk OF
life were the consequences OF It to innocent individuals
not TO mention my own pangs-the pangs Of upbraid
Ing conscience. But forgive me, my dear Lady Leslie.
Now. however, trust that this evil 90 deeply repented
Of will be blessed to us ALL but II will be long before
forgive myself.
Lady Leslie was delighted with this candid
letter, though grieved by its painful detail,
while che viewed with appreciation the amends
which he had made, and his modest disregard
of his own exertions.
The note arrived in eafety, and Freeland left