Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1869-03-02
Tie .Rasnlt Of a lTriae.

A year or more,ag young man OF this
city visited New York, and In the course OF
his sight seeing with trieud) called at one
OF the theatres. Each left an oyercoat IN the
cloak-room, taking checks therefor. The
Auburuian intended to leave for home that
night, aud could not thereEorc remain until
the conclusion of the performance, and so
left the theatre in considerable haste ); but
on putting his hand in his pocket for the
check for his coat could not find it. Here
quested the nan in charge of the cloak
room to give him his coat, which he pointed
out to him, without tho check This he re-
fused to do. Time was precious tho time
for the departure of the train had nearly ar
rived: so stepping into the room, ke took
hold of the cuat, and, partly by force aud
partly by persuasion, prevailed. upon the man
to release the coat. Throwing the garment
over his arm he hastened to tie depot, and
succeeded in jumping on the train as 1t was
moving out of the station. He was a good
deal surprised to see, however, upon placing
his overcoat on the back of the seat, that It
was not his Own, but n much better and more
expensive one, although sin,iiar in color
There was now no way by which the mistake
could be rcctified until he arrived home, aud
so dismissed the subject from his mind as q
trife of no moment, save for tie owner OF
the coat, he went to sleep, and dreamed Of
the expected rise in Merchants Union Ex-
press stock, and golden future of case and
enjoyment Us the rcsult of his visit to tho
metropolis Arrived home, his first duty was
to telegraph to the manager of the,theatre,
and to enclose in u letter the missing check
which he had subsequently found,
But neither telegraph nor letter was au-
swered, and so the matter was again dismissed
l,;S ind A,Sp az. M NIL
only alluded to occasionally when coiuplimen>.
ted upon his good taste and Judgment in tho
selection of an ovcrcoat. But now we como
TO the result of his trihe, which can be stated
in the following words: Tho ownor of tho
ovcrcoat refused TO be comiurted by the cloak
room attendant, and appealed to tho manager
of the theatre who could do no less, he
thought than discharge the unfortunate cm-
ployee. Thus discharged in the winter, he
sought long and faithfully for employment,
but could not find il. His money gone, turns
cd from his boarding house, starvation star
ing him in the face, dssolutc companiOns ut
last prevailed upon him TO become member
OF their waug. and lie WAS soon arrested and
sentenced to Sing Sing prison for term III
years-to be afterwards, with party of fel-
low convicts, transferred to the prison in this
place And o this MUS disgrace suffering,
and moral death, was the result of a trife
that has not caused its author tho loss of
moments sleep or the variation of single
beat of his calm and healthy pulse. Had he
known what was to have been the result of
that nights haste and carlessncss. he would
willingly have made pilgrimage from here
to New York to have saved the poor fellow
from the trouble his carelessness produced.
Now he can only regret his hasty act, when
he shah learn, for the first time, that his
trifc was auothcr's ruin.-AU6Wrh Ners.