The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1873-08-05

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John Heffernan teaches us that honesty
and patience are sure to be rewarded.
moro iorcibIy than that great moral
Lesson could be impressed on our minds
oy dlductical discourse. John Heffer.
nan was poor boy when he entered the
establishment OF Messre. Goldsticks G.
Moneybags, but he brought with him a
certlhcate from his Sunday school teach
or, say Ing that he wus an honest lad, who
could learn more verses aud 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.. Money bags saw him pick up
pin from the floor he was sweeping, he
thought that John might be guilty Of
taking things, aud dropped q ten-cent
n-plaster in the same place; but John
honestly swept it out without noticing
1T, and brushed it into O corner, where
he couMpick it up at his leisure. Then
Mr.. Moneybags overpaid him his weekly
stipend by one dollar, and waited to see
what the boy would do. At the dead
hour Of night, the Moneybags house
hold was aroused by tho furious ringing
OF the bell. Tho old gentleman put on
his dressing gown and descended to the
door, where be found John Heffernnn,
with tear in his eye and dollar bill in
his right hand. John declared :ha. he
could not rest in his virtuous couch,
after discovering ths mistake, until it
was recti6ed.
why didn't you keep i.?" asked Mr..
Moneybags. Il would not have known
that had overpaid you"
''Kcepit?" exclaimed John. "Little do
you know the precepts that were instiled
into my youthful breast by my sainted
grand M other. But confess, the temp.
tation was strong one. I was saving
money to buy Bible for my widowed
mother. and accumulated the sum of fif.
teen cents. With this dollar, I could
have completed the purchase, aud ad
nit that looked at it with longing eyes.
But honesty triumphed over temptation,
and virtue is its own reward"
'hcep the dollar for your honesty"
said the benevolent old gentleman.
"Bny 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 sona, aud you must e1-
cuse me for the present."
John went home, his heart swelling
with the consciousness of having done
his duty and nude dollar clear. The
next day he invested that money in O
chuckuluck outfit Of the benighted young
heather in the next alley.
Young Hrffernan was then promoted
to desk. nnd q five dollar bill was once
placed temptingly within his reach; but
John was secure i'll his honesty, and
wasn't certain that the bill was good
one. Then ho was put in chnrge of the
bank deposits. and his character fvr
honesty wes established. Oce day
when hn was going to the bank, he
looked OF the ticket as usual. and disco
vered that he was the bearer of S45 ,0O(
in currency. He then knew that the
time had come for honesty and patience
to be rewarded, and be stuffed the bills
into his pocket and took the first train
for the West. He is now one OF the
most prominent residents of the Pacific
slope, where he has already bought 6
country seat on the coast. and expects tc
buy seat in the Senate. But he still
preserves the chuckRluck 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 re ward.