The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-09-18
Monday Morning, Sept. IS, 1855.
THElFIRsr cRrME.

said Mr. Walden laying his paper on his knee,
and speaking to his wife, who sat at the on
posite front window. Il "Do you see that young
man 2D sass5ldfg a4f5s ss.w ,I-.5sg
"Yes, Henry happen 10 know him-one
of your clerks" and the lady turned her face,
most sweet, most fair, from the beautiful child
to whom she was tossing up and down chs
ter of silVer-yoiced bells, and listening to its
crow of triumph. aN oa = 9aaok lilaa
Vas one of my clerks, you mean, Ellen
That's the very young man we turned of last
week for helping himself to a ten dollar bill
out 0four drawer. ou remember told YOU
about it," = 3 t.f1 Mll s.et3r'4s!
Yes, but / never suspected that he was the
one. You know he brought me messages
several times from the store, and was always
pleased with his bright, pleasant, courteous
manner. He hadn't the face of a rogue, Har-
ry" 1850 e.fasfstf ssTas1i 2s-'7-g
si.No this was his first offence. I believe the
boy was as honest when he came up from the
country as ever one was but he fell into bad
company, and there was an end of him.
There's no trusting boy or man after the first
theft" and Mr. Walden took up his paper. 81
y His wife glanced sadly across the street to
the slight young figure which was slowly pas
sing out OF her range of vision. She remem-
bered its rapid, alert step which had. struck
her little before, and ianciedl there was re-
morse and depression in the altered bearing
Then her glance dropped on the sweet face
with the wide bloom IN its cheeks, and the
childish wonder and joy in its eyes, and her
heart grew pitiful, and reached out with a
half mother yearning after the slight, half
dropping figure which had Just passed by. efy
She thought Of him, friendless, disgraced,
desolate, this youth, in the great city, so full
of all temptation and excitement; and she
thought, too, ofthe mother he must once have
had, and who was just as proud and fond of
him as she was Of her own boy, and inVolIin-
tarily this lady, with the sweet face, this lady,
whom wealth and luxury, and all that is good
and to be desired in life, Lad not spoiled reach
ed out her hands with quick gesture of
alarm and protection TO her child. s no
The gentleman opposite to her, with his
pleasant face and portly figure, and hair lit
tie sifted with gray, caught the movement and
looked up from his paper s5s.s8 es9ett
What is the matter, Ellen?' lasf a.anl4a3
She smiled, half apologetieally. s. as
II was thinking, dear, what if that boy were
oursw F.d n n dio)
Mr.. Walden looked down on his small heir
a little touched. l'al .isa.3
81 shall never place. him in the midst of
such temptations as my warehouse tsa. ID
But this boy had to meet them, and be
cause he failed once, il seems to me It was
hard to turn him right out into the cold and
dark OF the wOTld.Dif4 81 ias6 8 fs4f i1f
Mr.. Walden smiled a little. ~ 1 F.teit
20, Ellen" he said, athat would sound very
pretty in story, and sentiment of this sort is
very attractive in a woman like you; but it
don't do for US business men. We've got to be
up to the mark, hard, straightforward and
practical" st sa zlsta aoasasl
"And yet, Harry, you business men have
had mothers to love you, and have sons ia.
your turn to love. That, is the hard, straight
practical truth la 4H e 1t#gH
o1.- L.. -
Ellen, what makes you take such an interest in
this clerk, whom you've never seen half doz-
en- times ?' $3.50 ssaH e
II don't know, Harry. Perhaps it is because
/ look al my boy and yours" VIA fsl..fs
And Mrs. Walden rose up and went over to
her husband, pushed away the black hair sift-
ed with grey from his forehead, and the kiss
which fell there was the warm, sweet, fragrant
kiss of loving wife. G8tsl eaias
Half an hour later, Lucius Street was re-
tracing his steps through the wide street flank
ed with its stately houses, down which he had
wandered unconsciously, for some spirit of un-
rest and unhappiness had taken possession of
him that day, from which he vainly tried to
deliver himself ofaa3af liaE
Suddenly voice called to him from the OPP
posite side-@Luciusl Lucius Streetp' W.
He turned, and there standing on the stone
steps of his dwelling, was Mr.. Walden beckon-
cheek; he hesitated.
And again Mr.. Walden's voice came over to
him kindly, but authoritative "Lucius Lucius
StreetP And 1t compelled his steps to the
gentleman's SIDE - 5s1] a9-t ass'H
Mr.. Walden looked on his clerk with kindly
eyes, which were not to be mistaken. s...is
"Come in. Lucius, come in," he said. g.
And the youth followed him into the great
parlor, whose goIgeousness fairly dazzled his
eyes, and seating him in one chair, he took an
other by his side, and looking at him said in a
kindly voice, "Lucius, you have an honest face
and you had an honest name till that time,
and because of it, if you had told the truth,
we would have forgiven and kept you"
The tears strained themselves into the boys
eyes, his breast heaved, every limb shook. Mr..
Walden was touched. He laid his hand on the
boys shoulder s
"Tell me the truth now, Lucius," he said -
"you shall not be sorry for it," a4
The boy looked up, his face was white, and
worked fearfully. At last the half coherent
words struggled out: ls Is fasf. i-
"lt's all dimmed and blurred to me-, Mr..
Walden, but s'pose / did take the money,
although Iean3t remember very well; the wine
had got into my head.n Fass'ss {. His
Mr.. Walden shook his head. @Bad company,
bad company, my boy,' he said.
sit was the first tiine, the very first time
in nay life speaking steady and feryent this
time. n s'.sS-1 II II
Il believe you; and now If, because of this.
we take you back once more to YOUR old nlaca
viii you promise for your own sake. NOT n, fall
again, to avoid all Temptations of evil wina
and wrong companions, for they have made
you fall once, and they viii Inevitably drift
you to your ruin~ .nst 1 N : Y'--'
81 will promise you, sir 45its
'Then be back Lucits to your old nlace n.
morrow morning. dfR i'59''
The boy buried his face in his hands and
burst into tears-tears which, in. his case, /
think were the blessed Slater rain" in which
dwelt repentance and a new purpose. And
Mr.. Walden, touched beyond his usual self
laid his hand once more on the boys shoulder
and spoke to him many words OF counsel and
encouragement, which were almost tather1l
IN their tone, and even invited him to remain
to supper with his family; hut the reinstates
eleRk declined doing this. And when LuciuS
Street went out on the sidewalk once more, ii
was not as he went in. Is .,..s,s. n .ra III 4s.nf
That night at SPARKS saloon" half doz
en- young men and boys. bent On what theN
called mischief and fun" waited vainly fol
another TO join their company. The barn wa
fired; the flames spread beyond the original
Intentions of the ineendiaries. Much val1Iabit
property was destroyed, but Lucius Street wa
not there to see. He was faithful to his nov.
covenant. He withstood the jeers and persua
sions of his old companions, the tenntation,
and enticements of his city life.
As his years grew into manhood, he rose r.
new positions of trust and responsibility II
the great warehouse, and always filed thes,
places to the satisfaction of the propriator
and at last he became head clerk In the Iestah
~ "a ~ A. y