Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1876-10-05
TIE ACCUSED CLERK.

spent an evening with MIR. Lawson
and after tea the conversation turned
upon the subject Of honesty, as applied
to business. I advanced the idea that
some merchants made their stores
schools of dishonesty. They taught
their clerks all the tricks of trade for
their own benefit; and the clerks, thus
educated, would, in after times, practice
those same tricks for themselves. Mr..
Lawson admitted the truth of the as
sertion; and then, with smile, assured
me that he could not plead guilty to
the charge.
''But," said he, 81 have committed
errors in business and l have commit
ted errors in my judgment upon my
fellows. When | was young was
taught to look npon all species of dis
honesty with feeling of horror, and
grew up to manhood with that same
feeling in possession of me. do not
believe that a real virtue can be carried
too far; but l believe that any line OF
conduct may be carried SO far as to
cease to be virtue. I can look back
now and see that, in my extreme ideas
of rigid honesty, l became selfvright-
eous and unforgiving. In short l for-
got that greatest of the heavenly graces
-CnAHIrY."
'Let me tell you a little story. Il
has not so much to do with the moral
OF the subject we have been discussing,
but it has to do with the frailty OF
mans judgment, and is, at the same
time, interesting"
Thirty years ago-mercy how
time flies took Georg Sayers TO be
one of my clerks. He was then sixteen
ears old, and one of the most active,
intelligent, and efficient clerks ever
employed. His mother was a widow:
and he was an only son. He had .one
sister, two years older than himself,
who had been brought up with him.
Mrs. Savers was an excellent woman,
and l knew that she had endeavored to
rear her children in the way of virtue
and strictest honor. Ellen Sayers-the
sister-was one of the fairest maidens
in our town, and one OF the best. She
was kind and gentle, and everybody
loved her. The widow was very CRATE.
full when took her son into my employ,
giving him at once lucrative situation
without submitting him to the appren
ticeship of lower service. M
Cline passed on, and at the end of a
year gave George Sayers charge of
my books. During that year there had
been several sums of money missing, of
which no account could be given.
George was in situation where be
could have taken them had he been so
disposed; but l did not suspect him.
had then no particular reason to sus-
pect him. @
81 had at that time number OF
agents in different parts Of the country,
who were in the habit of renting
money to me by mail. One agent by
the name of Gibson. was travelling In
Vermont. In January, Gibson mailed
letter at Montpelier, containing FIVE
hundred dollars FIVE one,hundred-
dollar notes. That letter arrived safely
in my counting-room because saw it
and saw the money that was in it My
oversight Of that letter happened pecu-
liarly. was engaged during the day
in another part OF the town, in superin-
tending the alteration OF some machin.
cry in my wooden mill. In the after
noon l had occasion to 90 to my store
and l entered my counting>room just
after the boy had brought in batch of
letters from the postoffice. Among
these letters were two OF three OF a
private nature, and put them away
when l had read them. The letter from
Gibson, containing the five hundred
dollars, l folded neatly up again, and
was sure that put it, with the other
business letters, beneath heavy ruler
upon the desk. George was not i'll the
store at the time, but I supposed he
would return very shortly. l turned
the key in the counting-room door as
came out, aud went back to the mill.
.'Abeut one month after this Gibson
returned, and we sat down to look over
our accounts. There was a mistake of
five hundred dollars. He claimed TO
have RENTED five hundred dollars OF
which I lad To account. Where was