The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1872-03-08


turned to my host and his wife.
could hear his voice alone now. Ithsd
been sounding along in somewhat
crept quietly to the partition dividing
their apartments from the passage. The
bright autumn moon, which was on
their side Of the house, shone through
their window and through the spaces
between the shrunken planks of the
partition, and out into the passage and
upon its floors, in brilliant bars Of
light. Ii was easy for me to see what
was passing within the room. Man ard
wife were kneeling at their bedside in
prayer-the man, with uplihed head
and closed eyes, uttering an earnest
supplication, his wife beside him, and
one arm passed afiectionately through
one of his, and her head resting against
his shoulder. They were kneeling at
the side of the bed oppo,ite to me, and
his face was plainly visible. Its calm
and pious expression was a sufficient
rebuke to my unjust suspicious. be-,
gan to listen in time to hear him say
Pardon, 0 merciful Father, not only
the sins of Thy humble servant and his
household, but turn the hearts Of those
who have done evil unto him, who have
harbored unjust suspicion OF him. Bless
such, 0 Lord, and preserve them in
order that they may turn from their
ways and seek the path of righteous.
ness"
His serious, earnest, and manly voice
struck chord in my heart, not only in
sympathy with the honest and tender
supplication that Was passing from his
lips, but of contrition for the wrong
had done him in my suspicious. in.
voluntarily compared him, whatever
was his good or bad deeds, at least an
humble penitent before his God, with
the wretch that had decided but few
moments ago to make myself, by the
misappropriation of my employers
money, and still haunted, however, by
the relief it could obtain for me, would
not quite give way to the feeling of re-
pentance which was knocking for ad.
mission at my breast. / had half de-
cided to turn away and drive
these better thoughts from my mind,
when observed something moving in
small crib that was placed at the side
and toward the foot of the bed. Its
occupant, grandchild, whose parents,
they had informed me, were dead,
awakened probably by its grandfather's
voice, rose up, looked around, and set.
tied down upon its knees, and clasping
its little hands as its grandfather's were
clasped, and looking upward out
through the window at the moon, whose |
bright light fell upon its darling
face, began moving its lips as If trying |
to repeat the words. Nothing so like |
an angel ever met my sight. The grand
father began the Lords Prayer. The |
little fellow seemed to have this by
heart. He repeated it word for word,
his tiny, silvery voice sounding in sweet |
accord. could not turn away, nor any
longer resist the better emotions which
had hitherto kept down. A rush Of
repentant feelings passed through me
with an effort that shook every fibre.
/ fell upon my knees. and with tears
streaming from my eyes, joined in the
concluding words of the prayer.
l need not say changed my mind
with regard to the money. passed
quiet night and rose early, fastened
away toward my journeys end, SO as to
give myself the least possible time or
for changing my new
formed resolution. In handing the
package to the agent, said to him,
that as there was money in it, it might
as we'll be opened in my presence, to
see that all was correct, &c. He Of
course discovered the error, and handed
me back the amount that was over,
with which l returned home and de.
livered it up TO the proper owner in due
time.
1t was fortunate for me in every way
that l pursued the course had adopt.
ed. 1t appeared that the money had
been obtained from the bank after bank
one of the officers. There was no loose
money on hand of the larger denomi-
nations, but there were sheets of thou
sands and five hundreds signed by the
President and Cashier. Either two
sheets were picked up in mistake for
one, or the wrong batch of sheets were
from, that is, thousands were
taken instead of FIVE hundreds. The
notes were hurriedly clipped, strapped,
and Endorsed "$5,0OO," without re.
and so enveloped and handed
over to me. The bank had discovered
the error, and no doubt was entertained
but that the missing money was with
me. Whether / should have had the
face to withstand the imputation, even
with the apparently undisturbed con.
dition of the envelope in my favor, is
more than | can say, but | doubt it.
But the notes, in pursuance of pre-.
caution, still in use in some banks, were
payable to the order Of one of the
clerks, and had not been Endorsed by
him. could not, therefore, have used
them, or il so, they could have been
traced back to me. found. also, that