Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1874-12-10
THE LITTLE THIEF.

In nothing do we show our want Of selfcon
troll as in our disposition to charge others with
fault, because we have no other explanation
for mysterious occurrences. we conclude
that others are untruthful when no solution
but this present ITSELF We lose valuables,
and at once think they are stolen. The char.
ity that "hopeth all things is a rare virtue u
Some years ago I performed wedding ser.
vice, and received fee of fifty dollars. 1t
Was soft note, placed inside small, delicate
envelope. I returned home in the evening
and laid the envelope containing the note
upon the bureau of my bedroom. No one
was in the room but my wife and one servant
who had been with us for years, and was i'm
plictly trusted In arranging the room, she
took up the note and asked about the we'd
ding. Making some playful remark about
the fee, she laid it down again on the bureau
In few moments she went to her own room,
and we saw her no more again that night.
The other servant was in the kitchen. She
did not to our knowledge, enter our room at
all. The children were in the adjoining cham
ber asleep. Two friends, who were visiting
US, were in another part Of the house. Turn
ing down the light, and closing the door, we
left our room for an bours chat with our
guests When we returned, the note could
not be found. 1t was certainly there when
we left. Nothing else had been disturbed
but the note was gone. Thorough search was
made for it; everything in the bureau was
carefully examined. The floor was swept, the
clothing shaken out. The closest scrutiny re-
vealed nothing. Nearly an hour was spent
in the search, but all in vain. The girls had
long since retired the children had not ava.
kened; save the friends, in whose company
we had been, no one else was in the house. Nc
one could have entered without our knowledge
Here was mystery; what could have be-
come of the note? 1t could not have made
away with itself. Such suicide was impos
sible. Could one Of the girls have slipped
into the room during our absence and stolen
it? We were too sure of their honesty to en-
teftan the thought. But there was the stick
how else could it have disappeared? With
uneasy thought we gave it up for the night
The next morning the search was renewed
Every part of the room and everything in it
was carefully examined, with the same result
as before We questioned the girls and the
children They affirmed positively that they
had not been in the room or seen the note
The loss was nothing compared with the mys
terry. Not word Of ofsuspicion was expressed
though it was hard to refrain from thoughts
Down stairs we found the girls in great dis
tress. Though unaccused, they felt that cir
cumstances pointed to them as the guilty ones.
We assured them that we had all confidence
in their integrity, and concluded to await
revelations.
Later in the day determined to solve the
mystery, if possible I shut myself in the
room, and went at it with the precision of an
experienced detective. | found at length a
small cutting at the base of the chimney fire
board. Removing the board, discovered a
mouse hole between the brick floor and the
wall. 1 then got chisel and pried up the
brick-and 10 underneath it was the envel.
ope with the note inside. The gum was eaten
off, the envelope crumpled up, but the note
was intact! The story was now plain enough
During our absence from the room, the mouse
had come out seeking what he might devour-
had climbed up the lace curtain beside the
bureau, attracted by seed in the bird d-cage
above, had jumped on the bureau, found the
gummed envelope, and had dragged it down
the curtain to the floor, through the opening
in the fre.board to its nest under the bricks,
for future meal called in the family and
explained the circumstances, to their grea
relief
Now, how strong the facts were against the
girls! How natural to have called in po
liceman and have them arrested, and theil
characters gone ever afterward, and we our
selves made unhappy and doubly suspicious r
all future.
NV little mouse preached me good ser
mon, and the text was, "Judge not, lest ye be
Judged"
KNOCKING AWAY PRors.-"See, father,
said a lad who was walking with his father
"they are knocking away the props from un
der the bridge; what are they doing that for
Won't the bridge fall?"
"They are knocking them away" said the
father, "that the timbers may rest more frmly
upon the stone piers, which are now finished
God often takes away our earthly prop:
that we may rest more 6rml ly upon him. Goo
sometimes takes away mans health, that he
NAV rest upon him for his daily bread. Be
fore his health failed, though he perhaps re
peated daily the words, "Give US this day oul
daily bread" he looked to his own industry
for that which he asked of God. That proE
being taken away, he rests wholly upon Gods
bounty. He receives his bread; he receives
it as the gift of God.