The weekly Shasta courier., 1873-08-02
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A Simple Story.

The simple story, of John Hefernan
teaches us that honesty and patience are
sure to be rewarded more forcibly than that
great moral lesson could be impressed on
our minds by didactic discourse. i sa2 &c
a John Heffernan was a poor boy when he
entered the establishment of Messrs. Gold
sticks & Moneybags but he brought with
him certificate from his Sunday school
teacher, saying that he was an honest lad,
who could learn more verses and forget
them quicker than any other boy in the
class. His employers were obliged to test
his honesty in various WAYS, but he stood
the test nobly. When Mr. Moneybags
saw him pick up pin from the floor he was
sweeping, he thought that John might be
guilty Of taking things, and dropped ten
cent shinplaster in the same place but
John honestly swept it out without noticing
it, and brushed it into corner, where he
could pick it up at his leisure. Then Mr..
Noneybags overpaid him his weekly stipend
by the amount Of one dollar, and waited to
see what the boy would do. At the dead
hour of night the Moneybag household was
aroused by the furious ringing of the bell.
The old gentleman put on his dressing gown,
and descended to the door, where he found
John Heffernan, with tear in his eye and
dollar bill in his hand. John declared
that he could not rest in his virtuous couch
after discovering the mistake, until it was
rectifed.
"Why didn't you keep it ?" asked Mr.
Moneybags. a would not have known
that overpaid you.p -
* eep it !" exclaimed John. "'Little do
l. he %l-@ LII
into my youthful breast by my sainted
grandmother. But confess that the temp
tation was a strong one. ] was saving
money to buy bible for my widowed
mother, and had accumulated the sum of
fifteen cents. With this dollor I could
have completed the purchase, and / admit
that looked at it with longing eyes. But
honesty triumphed over temptation, and
virtue is its own reward" tf E
"keep the dollar for your honesty" said
the benevolent old gentleman. "Buy your
bible and be happy. would ask you to
marry my daughter, and would take you
into partnership in the usual way but it
happens that my daughters are all sons, and
you must excuse me for the present"
John went home, his heart swelling with
the consciousness of having done his duty
and made dollar clear The next day he
invested the dollar in chuckaluck outfit
for the benefit of the benighted young
heather in the next alley.
Young Heffernan was then promoted to
desk, and five dollar bill was once placed
temptingly within his reach but John was
secure in his honesty, and wasn't certain
that the bill was good one. Then he was
put in charge of the bank deposits, and his
character for honesty was established.
One day when he was going to the bank he
looked at the ticket as usual, and discovered
that he was the bearer of $4,000 in cur
rency. He then knew that the time had
come for honesty and patience to be re-
warded, and he stuffed the bills into his
pockets and took the train for the West.
He is now one of the most prominent re-
sidents on the Pacific slope, where he has
already bought country seat on the coast,
and expects to buy seat in the Senate.
But he still preserves the chuckaluck outfit
that gave him his start in life, and points
with pride to the bank ticket, which proves
to his children that virtue is its own reward.
ST. Louis Democrat.