Beaufort Republican. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1871-1873, 1873-04-24
THE ROTTEN CROSS.

though 1T had occurred Dut yesterday.
I was a carpenter, the foreman of
large establishment, and as such pos
sessed the entire confidence of my en-
ployer, who, by the way, had been
schoolmate of mine.
One day he called me into his office
to look at some rare coins he had just
purchased.
Here" said he, placing in my hand
heavy gold piece, is one which is
worth more than oil the rest put to-
gether. 1t is great curiosity. 1 paid
G20O for it, and considered it cheap at
that I could easily double my money
in selling and SO you see Harvey, it is
really good investment.
"No doubt it is" said I, "though it
seems large sum to have lie idle"
breathed an involuntary sigh as I
laid the coin down on the desk, for f200
would have seemed fortune to me just
then.
The severe illness of my wife, and
one of my children, and the death of
another made serious inroads on my
purse, and it had required the exercise
of the utmost economy to keep myself
free from debt nay, had been obliged
to withdraw from the bank the small
sum, which, besides my salary, was all
Ipossessed of worldly treasures. Think
ing of this. I laid the coin down with
sigh, and turned away to attend to my
duties.
The next morning was again sum-
moned into the Office, but this time /
met with no friendly greeting, as usual.
"Harry," said my employer, abrupt
", "that coin we were looking at has
disappeared. I have made thorough
search, but it is not to be found. 1t
has been carried away by some one.
You alone saw or knew of it, and"
He paused and looked significantly
into my face. I finished the sentence
for him, the hot blood dying cheeks
and brow as spoke.
"You mean, therefore, that took it
-Iw
"What else can I think? The coin
was here /; ycu alone saw it. 1 cannot
recall having seen it sinceit was inyour
hands. You are in need of money; you
have told me that yourself. 1t was a
great temptation, and I forgive you be-
cause of our old friendship, but 1 can
not retain you in my employ. Here is
the salary due YOU"
every well," said I, with forced
calmness, $50 be it. Since you have
SO poor an opinion of me after years of
faithful service, 1 shall not stoop to de-
fend myself"
Then I took the money he had laid
upon the desk, and went out from his
presence well-nigh broken-hearted
man.
But for the tender love of my wife, I
doubt not but that would have buried
my sorrows in the grave of suicide.
Supported by that love, however, and
the consciousness of my own innocence,I
took fresh courage, and set resolutely
to work to find new employer.
But powerful is breath of slander;
turn which way might, ever found
that the story of my dismissal for theft
had preceded me, and my application
for employment uniformly met with a
refusal.
Time went on; piece by piece, our
furniture, and every spare article of
clothing, found its way to the pawn
brokers, until, at length, even this poor
resource failed us, and my children
cried in vain for food.
Yet I did not sit down in idle despair;
I could not afford to do so; the life or
death of all I loved on earth depended
on my eIertion-and so turning away
from them with a heavy heart, l once
more set out on the weary search for
work.
All in vain refusal after refusal met
my entreaties for employment, and I
was turning homeward with a listless
step, when passing an immense church
I was attracted by a group cf men at its
base.
Impelled by some strange impulse, I
approached and mingled with them.
A workman was standing near by,
looking up at the great steeple, which
lowered aloft some $50 feet above them,
while gentleman, evidently an archi-
tect, was addressing him in earnest
language and at the same time pointing
toward the golden cross at the summit
of the spire. ,....
ct tell you," he exclaimed, as drew
near, 1T must and can be done. The
cross must be taken down, or the frst
heavy gale will send it down into the
street, and lives will be lost. Coward !
is this the way you back out of job
after engaging to do it ?"
ct didn't know the srire was so hioh