The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1872-02-23

SAID but you will like to give he
the bracelet yourselff so come alon,
with me. snd you shall see her.'
$50 went with him. But whel
she asked me, and put a half-sover
eign in my hand, snd praised m,
honesty, laid the ten-sl Hing piec
back upon the table. and told her
was not honest, and did not deserve
farthing. ..'- I.....a.. .s..:'.
"'Not honest p she said, in sur
prise. i think you must be yer,
honest, my poor boy. You Nigh
have sold my bracelet for ever s,
much money, and | should never hav
known it. '.-e .. l
"'It's my mother that's honest
ma'am,' l said. Il thought of sellin:
it, but she would not let me- ..
"'And who is your mother p
"'Ann Slater, ma'am.' ..
"'Where does she live p 3 .....
81 told her, and the gentleman
turning to the lady, said, we mus
go and see her, Amy .r -t a.
''The next day they came, an,
made their way 10 our poor little at
tic, when / was at my crossing, ant
at night, when i got home, mothe
was sitting up in he'd with littl'
color in her cheeks, and brighte
eyes than she'd had in many day
and she called me to her and said:
"tBob, didn't / tellsyoa God would
find a way to help you, if you'd be
honest and patient, and trust in him
He's opened way now. The gen
tleman is going to put you in his
office, and have you taught to read
and write, and the youag lady has
sent me a doctor, and when I'm well
enough, we're 20 leave this attic and
go to better lodgings. Isn't God
good to us 2 -i' ...1r.'- ....
Il could say very little in reply,
though my heart was full, for | knew
l hadn't deserved to be rewarded.
But determined to do my duty for
the future in every possible way
and can say now, Ben, l have tried
hard to keep my promise. az f.
ave went to better lodgings, and
/ went 20 the situation, and in a year
or two got On well enough to sup
port mother and myself in comfort.
And now I'm going to Aus tralia, with
money in my pocket, and good sit
uation waiting me till l get there, and
my poor old mother, asleep in her
berth below, going with me to the
new land, because she and l would
not be parted in this life. Isn't that
much better for me than il I'd sold
the bracelet to old Isaac for six shil-
lings or so, and taken my first step in
crime 2" ... .s........ .... ...t.
"All very well Tor you," said Ben,
"but suppose you had got nothing
by returning the bracelet and had
been left at your street crossing 10
this day, what would you say then Z
l once found a bank note for twenty
five dollars, and took it TO the owner
and got nothing BIZ. thanks. Now,
l might have kept the money, and
been twenty-five dollars richer. They
say 'Honesly's the hest policy but
if they mean by that that you always
get richer by being honest, they are
not quite right, to my thinking. It
was so in your case, but you see, it
wasn't so in mine' ....
81 think" replied Bob, "that
Christians ought to have nothing to
do with policy. To dowhat is called
an honest act only because you ex
pect to gain by it, isn't true honesty.
When policy is talked of, then the
straight path of right is about to be
and what is about to be
done is for the sake of the end, or
not for the sake of goodness
and truth. Ny teacher used to say
be would like to see shat proverb,
Honesty is the best policy, taken out
of all the school books, and Honesty
is its own reward put in its place.
But BE honest because God is SO,
would perhaps be better saying
still - British Workman