Vermont daily transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1868-1870, 1869-03-26

calleu 1Or settlement. Inc lau, who
was present, waited with interest to see
whether Mr.. CarInan would speak of
the error. A check TO the amount of
the bill rendered was filled up and Il re-
ceipt taken.
= Is that right?"
James asked himself this question.
His moral sense said no; but the fact
hat Mr.. Carman had so acted bewil-
dcrcd his mind.
a 1t may be the way in business -
so he thought to himself" bat it don't
look honest. | wouldn't have believed
| it of him.
air. Carman had kind of way with
him that won the boys heart, and nat
urally tended to make him judge what
ever he might do in a favorable manner.
wish he had corrected the error
he said TO himself great many times
when thinking in a pleased way of Mr..
Carman, and his own good fortune in
! having been received into his employ.
1t don't look right but it may be
| the way of business
Ore day he went to the bank and
drew the money on a check. In count
ing it over he found thai the teller had
paid him fifty dolla s too much, so he
went back to the counter and told him
of his mistake. The teller thanked
aim, and he returned with the con-
sciousness of having done right.
| 1.-The teller overpaid me fifty dollars
he said to Mr.. Carman MS he handed
him the money.
| Indeed" replied the latter, a light
breaking over his countenancc; and he
| hastily counted the bank bills.
| The light faded as Tao last bill left his
| fingers.
"There's no mistake, james, A tone
of disappointment was in h voice.
ooh, 1 gave him back tn fifty dol
lars. Wasn't that right? ?"
You simpleton! - exclaimed Mr.,
Carman, " dent you know that bank
mistakes are never corrected? If the
teller had paid you fifty dollars short he
would not have made i, right
The warm blood mantled the cheek
of James under his reproof. 1t is often
the case that more shame is felt for Il
blunder than a crime. In this instance
the lad felt a sort Of modification at hay
ing done what Mr.. Carman was pleased
to call q silly thing, and he made up his
mind that if they should ever Cverpay
him thousand dollars at the bank he
should bring the amount to his employ
er, and let him do as he pleased with the
money,
Let people look after their own mis-
| takes" SAID ME- Carman
James Lewis ponderei these things
in his heart. Tie impression made was
too strong ever to be forgotten. " 1t may
be right" he said, but he did not feel
altoge her satisfied.
a month or two after the occurrence
of that bank mistake, as James counted
over his weekly wages, just received
from Mr.. Carman, he discovered that he
was paid half 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 too much, SIR when the I'M
forgotten words, "Let people look after
their own Mistakes" dashing upon his
thoughts made him hesitate. TIC hold a
parley with evil is to be overcome.
81 must think about this, 'said James,
as he put the money into his pocket.
| Gift IL true in one case, it is true in an
other. Mr.. Carman don't correct mis-
takes that people make in his favor, and
he can't complain when the rule works
against him."
But the boy was far from being in a
comfortable state. He felt that to keep
| it would be dishonest, but he could not
made up his mind to return it, at least
not then.
James did not return the money, 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, ald he was filled with anX-
iety and alarm,
Not long after, Mr. Carman repeated
the same mistake. James kept it with
| less hesitation.
"Let him correct his own mistakes, y
said he resolutely; "that is the doctrine
| hn nt q tn nt hnr DnOnIn and no
can't complain if he gets paid back in
his own coin. just wanted half a dol
| lar"
From this moment the fine moral
sense of James Lewis was blunted. He
had taken an evil counsellor into his
heart, stimulate ed a spirit Of coveteous-
ness-latent in almost every mind
which caused him to desire the posses
sion of things beyond his ability to OBJ
tain.
James had good business Qnalitica-
tons, and so pleased Mr.. Carman by
his intelligence, industry, and tact with
ly, and gave him, before he was eigh-
teen yeara DID, the most reliable posi-
ton in his sore. But James had learn
ed something more from his employer
than how to do business well. He had
| learned to be dishonest. He had never
forgotten the first lessons he had receiv-
ed in this bad science; he had acted not
only on two instances, but in hundreds,
and always to the injury of Mr.. Carman.
He had long since given up waiting FOR
mistakes to be made in his favor, but
originated them in the V" ricd and COM
plicated transaction of large business
in which he was trusted impl- city; for
it had never occurred to Mr.. Calman
his failure to be just to the letter might
be snare to this young man
James grew sharp, cunning and skill
full always on the alert always bright
and ready to meet any approaches two
ard discovery Of his wrong doing by
/ L |. L.. i i. Il L.: