The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1864-11-30

advantage of his considerate kindness,
and SO he kept silent.
"No, dear, it's for fathers honor; I
cannot spend the money"
Mr.. Sterling was passing fruit shop,
where two children were looking in at the
window, when this sentence struck upon
his ears.
San apple won't cost but penny,
Katie; and want one SO badly" ans
wered the younger of the two children, a
little girl not five years of age.
"Come away, Maggie" said the other,
drawing her sister back from the window,
"Don't look at them any more-don't
think about them"
"But can't help thinking about them,
sister Katie" pleaned the child:
It was more than Mr.. Sterling could
stand. Every want of his own children
was supplied. He bought fruit by the
barrel. And here was little child
pleading for an apple, which cost only
cent; but the apple was denied, because
the penny must be saved to make good
the dead fathers honor. Who held the
honor in pledge7 Who took the sum
total of these pennies, saved in the self
denial of little children and added them
to his already brimming Golfers? A
feeling of shame burnt the cheeks of Mr..
Sterling.
"Here, little ones !" he called, as the
two children went slowly away from the
fruit shop window. He was touched
with the sober look on their sweet young
faces as they turned at his invitation.
"Come in, and I will get you some
apples" he said"
Katie held back, but Maggie drew her
forward, eager to accept the offer, for she
was longing for the fruit.
"Come," repeated Mr. Sterling, speak
ing very kindly.
The children then followed him into the
shop, and be filled their aprons with ap-
pies and oranges. Their thankful eyes
and happy faces were in his memory al!
day. This was his reward, and it was
sweet
Three months more, and again Mr.
Sterling had visit from the pale young
widow. This time she had only twenty
dollars. 1t was all she had been able to
save, she said but she made no excuse,
and uttered no complaint. Mr.. Sterling
took the money and counted it over in a
hesitating way. The touch thereof was
pleasant to his fingers, for be loved mon
ey. But the vision of sober child. faces
was before his eyes, and the sound of
pleading child-voices in his ears.
Through over taxing toll, and the de-
NAL of herself and little ones, the poor
widow had gathered this small sum, and
was now paying it into his hands-to
make good the honorable contract of her
dead husband. He hesitated, ruffiing in
half absent way the edges of the little
pile of bills that lay under his fingers
One thing was clear to him; he would
never take anything more from the wild
ow. The balance of the debt must be
forgiven. People would get to under
stand the widows case they would hear
Of her self.denial and that of her children
in order to pay the husbands and fathers
debt, in order to keep pure his honor
and they would ask naturally, who was
the exacting creditor? This thought
affected him unpleasantly.
Slowl y, as one in whose mind debate
still went on, Mr.. Sterling took from his
desk large pocket book, and selected
from one of the compartments note on
which Mrs. Granger had now made three
payments. For somo moments he held
it IN his hands, looking at the face there
of. He saw written down in clear figures,
the sum of $500. Seventy of this had
been paid. IT he gave up OF destroyed
the slip of paper, he would lose two hun
Idred and thirty dollars. 1t was some.
thing of trial for one who loved money
SO well, to come squarely up to this issue.
Something fell in between his eyes and
the note of hand. He did not see the
writing and figures of the obligation, but
a sad, pleading little face, and with the
vision of this face came to his ears the
sentence: "No, dear, it's for fsther's
honor"
The debate in Mr.. Sterling's mind was
over. Taking up pen he wrote across
the face of Mr.. Granger's note the word
"canceled," and handed it to the widow.
"What does this mean?' she asked,
looking bewildered.
"It means" said Mr.. Sterling, "that I
hold no obligations against yonr hus.
band"
Some moments went by ere Mrs.
Granger's thoughts became clear enough
to comprehend it all. Then she replied
as she reached back the note:
81 thank you for yonr generous kind.
ness, but he left his honor in my keeping,
and [ must maintain il snotIessD