The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1866-04-13
Mistellaneuns.
THE FIRST CRIME,

"Look ont, Ellen, right across tho street,"
said Mr.. Walden, laying his paper on his knee,
and speaking to his wife, who sat at the on
posite front window. "Doyou see that man?'
"Yes, Henry; happen to know him-onc
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 cluster
of silyer.voicc bells, and listening to it's crown
of triumph.
"IVas one Of my clerks, you mean, Ellen.
That's the young man we turned of last week
for helping himself To ten dollar bill out OF
our drawer. You remember told you about
it,"
eyes but never suspected that he was the
one. You know he brought me messages sew
cral times from tho store, and was always
pleased with his bright, pleasant, courteous
manner.--lIc hadn't the face OF q rogue, llar.
ry."
"No; this was his first offence. 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.
Ills wife glanced sadly across tho street to
the slight young figure which was slowly pass
ing out OF her range OF vision. She remem.
bercd its rapid, alert step which had struck her
q little before and fancied there was renorsc
and depression in tho altered bearing. Then
her glance dropped on the sweet face with the
wide bloom in his cheeks, and the childish
wonder and joy in its eyes, and her heart grew
pitiful, and reached out with half mother
yearning after the slight, dropping figure, which
had just passed by.
She thought Of him, friendless, disgraced,
desolate, this youth, in the great city, so full
of all temptation and excitement; and she
thought, too, of the mother he must once have
had. and who was just rs proud and fond of
him as she was Of her own boy, and nyoun.
tarly this lady, with the sweet face, whom
wealth and luxury, and all that is good and TO
bc desired in lie, had not spoiled, reached out
her hands with quick gesture OF alarm and
protection to her child.
The gentleman opposite to her, with his
pleasant face and portly figure, and hair a lit
tie sltcd with gray, cought the movement and
looked up from his paper.
"What is the matter, Ellen "
She smiled, half apolosctically.
81 was thinking, dear, what II that boy were
ours !"
Mr.. Walden looked down upon his small
heir little touched.
I'll shall never place him in the midst Of such
temptations "a my warehouse"
"But this boy had to meet them, and be-
cause he failed once, it seems to me II was hard
to turn him right out into the cold and dark
of the world"
Mr.. Walden smiled q little.
20, Ellen" he said, "that would sound very
pretty in a story, and sentiment Ot this sort is
very attractive in n woman like YOU but it
don't do for us business men. We've got to bc
up to the mark, ardand straightforward, aud
practical
"And yet Harry, you business men have had
mothers TO love YOU, and have Suns in your re-
turn to love. That is the hard, straight, prac-
tical truth"
When she paused, her husband said, "Why
Ellen, what makes you take such an interest IN
this clerk. whom you've never seen halt doz'
Ell times? ?"
~ don't know, Harry. Perhaps it is bc-
cause l. ok ut my boy and yours"
And Mrs. Walden rcsc up, went over to her
husband, pushed away the black hair siitcd
with gray from his forehead, ind the kirS which
fell there was the warm, sweet, fragrant kiss OF
loving wife.
Half an hour later, Lucius Street was re-.
tracing his steps through the WIDE street ilanked
with its stately homes, down which he had
wandered unconsciously, for some spirit OF un.
rest and unhappncss had taken possession ol
him that day, from which ho vainly tried to
deliver himself.
Suddenly voice called to him from the op'
postc side-"Iucius? Ludius Street ~
lie turned, and there standing on tho stone
steps Of his dwelling, was Mr.. Walden bcckon-
ing to him. A blush burned mp into the boys
cheek he hcsitatcd.
And again Mr.. Walden's voice came over to
him kindly. but NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.? Lucius
Strcet?" And it compelled his steps to the
sentlcman's side.
Mr.. Walden looked on his clerk with kindly
ewes, which were no, to be mistaken.
"Comc in, Lucius, come in," he said.
And the youth followed him into the great
parlor, whose gorseousness fairly dazzled his
eyes, and seating him in one chair, he took
another by his side, and looking ut him said in
kindly voice. Lucius yor have an honest
face, and you had an honest name till that
time, and because of it, il you had told tho
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