National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1869-04-09
Unforgotten Words
"Have you examined that bill
James ~ "

long bill that had been placed upon
Lis desk for examination.
''Iere is an error i'll the calcula-
tion of ten dollars in footing"
"Also against themselves Z"
eyes, sir"
The merchant smiled in way that
struck the lad as peculiar.
"Twenty dollars against them
selves he remarked i'll kind of
pleasant surprise. "Trusty clerks
they must have.n "Shall 1 correct
the figures ?" asked the lad.
no let them correct their own
mistakes; we don't examine bills
for other peoples benefit" repliedthe
merchant. at will be time to rec
tifv those errors when they find
them out. All so much gain as it
now stands"
The boys delicate moral sense
was shocked at so unexpected re-
| mark. lie was the son of a poor
widow, who Lad given him to under
stand that to be Just was the duty
of men.
Mr.. Carman, the merchant, in
whose employ he had only been for
Il few months. was an old friend OF
1 his fathers in whom he reposcd the
/ hioheSt confidence. In fact, James
/ had always looked upon him a. a
+ kind of model man, and when Mr.
] Carman agreed to take him into his
store. he felt that good foltunc
was in his way.
ole. them correct tAc.r own mis-
takes" These words snadc . strong
impression en- the mind Of James
Lewis. When first spoken by Mr.
! Carmau. and with the meaning then
involved he felt. as We have said,
shocked; but rs he turned them over
again i'm his thoughts. and connect
/ ed their uttcrauce with person who
stood Sohieh in his mothers eStima-
ton. he bcgal TO tbiia that perhaps
the thing WAS lair enough IN huSl-
ness. Mir. Cagmau was hardly the
man to DO wrong. \ few days at.
ter James had examined the Oil, a
e'ei I a ,, i'o'' 'Io,..I o,lI.l r.r snttlr.
' l"'' "'1'r r,,io o''1', I"i r,Ln ,yos rrosont
waited with interest to see whether
Mr.. Carman would speak Of the cr-
,ot' i?n ',o.l - C.''J" ,'o, w. GgoI nm ana q rn.
90. oIi .V''t''.," .''I.'.' '''' my y '''
III 'Tn, .i',. -. ,.,,,L,,-
-, - '"''. t'nT - hi,,soIf This amos
-. ""'''Y1 ~ ",'> ,,",,1 "an.n said no I'm,
~, ~ ~ w. rnrnon Lod 81
va. 'i'Io .'';i,Iorah ,'',' l;s ,n;ud
''e.,'' =, wv tha n.,, IN buSinoss
i' IN "'"N ,i.,",,Lt -. I"o ;" himsolf N..hnt i.
~" ~. Nv W.. ''J",,' I,H'.+ lro,I5n.t h9y,
10 '''i'...'I ''I y. '.fI,i,,r
" IT,, ,,'.,.,', M,l , Kind or vo,
.,.;,I, i,i,,, thn'ts,nn the hoy.s hoarf
WA "'''' .',."r,il, 49," ''' fnm1"I to mal,o Him
:.,1.n ,,h,+n,or br mirlt q, i'm +;
.u,,Z' .,.,I,l W ,,.,1,I,, y, ,,o",or NV ''7'' "
.IvisI, he had corrected the error.
wi ~ =, =, 'i,,' i,;.,, - = o,o,4 mann,
,;,naS ~ o, Whom ,h;nI.:na in a nlc9scl
..n,, Of Nr r,,mnn. and his OWL
,ond fnrtnuc in having been receiy
~ into his cmploy. 1T don't lool
riobt hut i may be it's the way o
business
Du, do, Ne went TO the bank an,
dror. r,r money ON y check. |,
noantinr if over he found that TN
e toll,r had naid him fifty collars to
much. So he went hack to the coun
ter and told hIm of his mistake
u Tbo Teller thanked him. and he r,
turned TO the store with the cor
sriousncSs of having done r:ght.
The teller oycrpaid me fifty dol
lars he said to Mr.. Carman as II
handed him the money.
2 Indeed y replied the latter,
Geht breakingoverhis eountcnancc
and Inc hastily counted the ban
bills
{. The light faded as tie last hi
!. left lbs fingers.
i 'Thcir is no mistake, James
tone OF disappointment was III Ii
voice.
.Oh. | gave him bacl, the fifty do
- lars. Wasn't that right ?
.You simplcton exclaimed NJ
Carman, don't YOU know that bar
mistakes are never corrected
the teller had paid you llitN doIla'
short he would not have MAJ"
= l.