Delaware Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1843-1874, 1873-08-07
UNJUST SUSPICIOUS.
A TRUE STORY WITH A MORAL, By REV.
THOMAS STREET.

"A IhlE Sloht WAN a hohAL, bt |
THOMAS STREET.
< In nothing do we show our want Of self-con.
troll as in our disposition TO charge others with
fault, because We have no other explanation for |
mysterious occurrences. We conclude that 9th |
4 ers are ui.tuithful when no solution but this |
presents itself We lose yaluablcs, and at once |
think they are stoian. The charity that ''hopeth
: all things" is rare virtue. \ man once sold
\ dog to his neighbor, with the assurance that lie
was good sheep dog. Tho purchaser returned
him, saying that he wa. useless tor the purpose.
SWELL" said the former owner, 'hc must he
good for something, and | have tried him Tor
everything else hut sheep, and as he failed.
supposed the care ci sheep was his VOCATION
On the same principle We conclude that those
near us are dishonest, because we cannot ac-
Z count for our losses on any other theory.
q story Is told OF banker who missed Il
hundred pound note tiom his safe He had
placed II there himself. No one had access to
the safe hut confidential clerk. The clerk
\ was charged with the theft but declared his en-
| tire innocence. He had long served the bank
er; no suspicion had ever before been attached
Y to him. But the money was gone, and how
X else could IL have been removed? He only
could enter the safa, therefore he must have
I stolen it. C!rcums' ances were against him. so
he was dismissed. Tie charge clul, 70 him.
: He could obtain no other situation, and finally
died in disgrace aud poverty. Years afterwari
4 the safe was overpauled for repairs, and there
behind the drawer, from which 1t had slipped
{ when placed in IL by its owner, was the hun.
I die pound note Ye', every one at the time
believed the clerk guilty, because TO other rea
son could be found for the disappearance of the
money. Similar experiences are constantly re
"A curing.
Some years ago went to i neiehboring cit,
| to perform wedding service. 1 received a fe,
of fifty dollars. II was a soft note placed insid
II small, delicate envelope returned home il
the evening, and laid the envelope, containing
the note upon the bureau of my bedroom. n
one was In the room but my wife and one ser
Z want, who had been with us for years, and VIII
was implicitly trusted. In arranging the room
4 she took up the note and asked about the wed
ding. Making some playful remark about tn
: fee, she laid 1t down again on the bureau. In
Want vas ri lie etc seh 40 s sfs a hss % 90
knowledge, enter our room at all. The chdre
were in an adjoining room asleep. Two friend
who we're visiting us were in another part {
=. the house. Turning down the light, and clio,
ing the door, We left our room for an hour
chat with our guests. When we returned III
note cond not be found. 1t was certainly lhel
when We left. Nothing else had been disturbe
/ / but the note was gone. Thorough search W,
made for 1t; everything on tie bureau was car,
FULLY examined. The Eoor was swept tue clotl
ing shaken ont. Nearly an hour was spent
the search, but all in vain. The girls had lor
since retired; the children had not awakened
save tho friends in whose company We had bee
no one else was In the house. No one cou
have entered it without our knowledge. He
n was mystery; what could have become of Il
v note? Ii could not have made away with itse
n Such notable suicide was impossible. Cou
h one OF the girls have stolen into the room
X our absence and stolen il? We were too SUI
y OF their honesty to entertain the thought. Br
"A there was the stick-how else coai It have d
I appeared? With uneasy thoughts We gave
up for the night.
\ The next morning the search wa, renewe
I Every part of the room and everything in
N was examined, with the same result as besoi
\ We questioned the girls and the children. Tn
+ affirmed positively that they had not been
the room or seen the note The loss WAS not
Ing beside the mystery. Not word of susl
cion twas expressed, though it was hard to
frain from thoughts. Down stairs We found /
n girls in great distress. Though unacc,ised tn
felt that circumstances pointed 10 them as |
/. guilty ones. We assured them that we had
confidence In their integrity, and concluded
await revelations
Later in the day determined to solve [
mystery, if possible. shut myself in the roc
and went at it with the precision of an expe
enced detective. found a, length small CT
ting at the base Of the chimney iireboard.
Removing the board, / discovered a lnouschC
between the brick floor and the wall / til
got chisel and pried up the brici, and 10 II
oerne2th 1t was the envelope with the note
side. The gum was eaten of, the enyeo
crumplcd up, but the note was intact. T
! story was how plain enough. During our d
sence from the room, the mouse had come O.
seeking what he could devour-had climbed
the lace curtains beside the bureau attracted
the seed in the bird cage-had jumped on
bureau-found the gImmed envelope, and h
dragged 1t down the curtain to the floor, throu
lhe opening in the fire board to his nest linC
the bricks for a future meal. called in 1
family and explained the circumstances to tn
great relief.
III NOW, how strong the facts were against I
girls! How natural to have called in a poll
man, aud had them arrested, and their char
tiers gone forever afterward, ana W. onisel,
made unhappy, and doubly suspicious in all t
future.
My little moise preached ill- a good sim,
L and his text was, "JudGe not, lest We be iudg,
Remember tho charity that holievcih all thin
I and hope,h all lbngs-good and moi evil"