The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1869-03-26

mouey Oh CHECK. In counting IT. over he
found that the teller had paid him<tfty dol
lars too much, SO he went back to the counter
and told him of his mistake. The teller
thanked him, and he returned to the store
with the consciousness in his mind of having
done right.
The teller overpaid me fifty dollars he
said to Mr.. Carman, as he handed him the
money.
lndeedr replied the latter, a light break
ing over his countenance; and he hastily
counted the bank bills.
The light faded as the last bill left his
6lgers.
There's no mistake, James A tone Of
disappointment was in his voice.
oh, gave him back the fifty dollars. -
Wasn't that right?'
You simpletonp exclaimed Mr. Carman,
don't you know that bank mistakes are never
corrected? If the teller had paid you fifty
dollars short he would not have made 1T
right
The warm blood mantled the cheek of James
under this reproof. 1t is often the case that
more shame is felt for blunder than crime.
In this instance the lad felt sort of mod
ification at having done what Mr.. Carman
was pleased to call silly thing and he made
up his mind that if they should ever overpay
him thousand dollars at the bank he should
bring the amount back to his employer, aud
let him do as be pleased with the money
Let people look after their own misla takes,
said Mr.. Carman.
James Lewis pondered these things in his
heart. The impression they made was too
strong ever to he forgotten, 1t may be
right, he said but he did not feel altogether
satisfied.
A month or two after the occurrance of
that bank mistake as James counted over his
weekly wages Just received from MIR. Car
man, he discovered that he was paid half a
dollar too much
The first impulse Of his mind was to return
the half dollar to his employer, and it was on
his lips TO say You have given ME half "a
dollar too much, sir, when the unforgotten
words, Let people look after own mistakes,
flashing upon his thoughts, made him hesl-
tate. TO hold parly with an evil is to be
overcome.
4 must think about this, said james, as
he put the money into his pocket. IF it is
true III one case it is true in another. Mr..
Carmau don't correct mistakes that people
| make in his favor, and he can't complain
| when the rule works against himself
But the boy was far from being in a COM
Portable state. He felt that to keep half a
dollar would be dishonest act. Still he
could not make up his mind to return it, at
least not then.
James did not return the half dollar. but
spent it for his own qualification. After he
had done this it came suddenly into his head
that Mr. Carman had only been trying him,
and he was filled with anxiety and alarm,
Not long after MIR. CaIman repeated the
same mistake James kept tie half dollar
with less hesitation.
Let him correct his own Mistakes said
he resolutely; that's the doctrine he acts on
| with other people, and he cant complain il
he gets paid back in the same coin he puts
in circulation. just wanted half Il dollar.
from this time the fine moral sense of James
Lewis was bunted He had taken an evil
counselor iutu his heart stimulated spirit
of covetouSness-latent in most every mind
which caused him to desire the possession
Of things beyond his ability to obtain.
james had good business qualifications,
and so pleased Mr.. Carman by his intelli-
gence, industry aud tact with customers, that
he advanced him rapidly, and gave him, be
fore he was eighteen years old, the most re.
liable position in in the store But James
had learned something more from his EN-.
poyer than how to do business well. He
had learned to be dishonest. He had never
forgotten the first lesson he had received in
this bad science; he had acted not only in
two instances, hut in hundred, and always
to the injury Of Mr. Carman. He had long
since given up waiting for mistakes TO be
made in bis favor, but originated them in
the varied and complicated transactions of a
large business in which be was trusted i'm
picitly; for it had never occurred toMr. Car
man that his failure to be just to the letter
might prove a snare to this young man.
James grew sharp, cunning aud skillGul
always on the alert always bright aud ready
to meet any approaches towards a discovery
of his wrong doing by his employer, who held
him in the highest regard.
Thus it went on until James was in his
twentieth year, when the merchant had his
suspicion aroused by letter which spoke ot
the young man as not keeping the most re
spectacle company, and as spending money
too freely for a clerk on moderate saler7.
Before this time James had removed hii
mother into pleasant house, for which he
paid a rent of four hundred dollars; his sal
ary was eight hundred, but he deceived hi;
mother by telling her it was fifteen hundred.
Every comfort that she needed was fully sup
piled, and she was beginning to think that
after long and painful struggle with the
world, her happier days bad come.
James was at his desk when the letter was
received by Mr. Carman. He looked at hit
employer and saw him change scountenanct
suddenly. He read it over twice, and James
saw that the contents produced disturbance
Mr. Carman glanced toward the desk, and
and their eyes met; it was only for q moment
but the look that James received made hi
heart stop beating.
There was something about the movements
of Mr.. Carman for the rest of the day tha
troubled the young man. 1t was plain tC
him that suspicion had been aroused by tha
letter. o, how bitterly now did he repent
in dread of discovery and punishment thu
evil of which he had been guilty! Exposure
would disgrace and ruin him, and bow the
head of his widowed mother even to thu
grave.
You are not we'll this evening" said Mrs
Lewis, as she looked at her sons changed fac,
across the table, and noticed that he did MOI
eat. =