The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1878-04-25
Reforming a Thief.

A certain prominent grocery firm In
Ashton had been missing little articles
quite frequently, and suspicion fixed
upon certain young man who visited
the store occasionally. They agreed to
watch him the next time he came in,
one partner outside and one inside.
They tried in vain for three weeks or
more; still the articles disappeared and
the young man made his visits; though
lac had not been seen taking anything.
One day last week the partner who was
watching from the outside, pretended
to be reading newspaper, and by
looking over it, caught him in the act.
The inside partner cOllared him and
led him back to the rear to counsel
him.
"Now," said the merchant, "yOu
have been stealing from me for several
weeks, and want to know how much
you think you owe me? Be honest
about it /; you have been both clerk and
customer"
The young man stated the amount he
considered justly due, and was anxious
to pay it.
The merchant said, "Well, sir, you
know the law doesn't allow a man to
steal, and you must take your choice,
to pay me all you owe me and submit
to whipping, or go to the penitentiary.
Which will you do? You are young
and may be reformed, and don't want
to disgrace you publicly, but | feel that
| would do great wrong to let you go
without whipping to remind you of
it. The young man said he would re-
ceive the whipping and pay up; while
he appreciated the kind motives Of the
merchant he would like very much to
have the whipping omitted. The mer-
chant invited him to walk down in the
cellar and see what a fine stock was
stored there. When they reached the
bottom and the door was closed, the
young man said:
| lOu MOH NIIp hlC, VIII yOu
The merchant said he certainly could
not do otherwise and satisfy his con-
science.
"What are you going to whip me
with P'
"That piece of board" replied the
merchant, pointing to strip some
three inches wide.
"Buck yourself across the chicken
coop, and I'll try to do my solemn
duty, young man. It's serious matter,
and | am truly sorry to have to do it,
but my conscience requires me to do it,"
The customers heard a noise for
about minute that they E:istook for
some one knocking the bung out of an
empty barrel, or splitting kindling.
After ten good hearty strokes the mer-
chant let him up.
GLOW do you feel now, young manP ?"
81 feel bad sir; very sorry"
81, too, feel sorry and bad, and /
think you had better get down on your
knees, and ask God TO forgive your
sins"
The young man prayed feeling
prayer, and shed copious tears of re-
pentance.
When he arose the merchant said
GLOW do you feel now?
"Awful, said the young man.
''Then, in order to impress this occa
sion on your mind, and that you may
never forget the cause Of it, just bend
over that chicken-coOp again minute"
He bent over, and the sound of split
ting stove-wood was heard again-ten
more.
Then when he got up he wanted to
cry, but the merchant insisted that 1t
was too serious case for that, and sug-
gested that he lead in prayer again.
The young man complied, and he had
so much improved in that style of COM
position that the merchant released
him.
"Now," said he, "you are young
man, you are respectable, and move in
respectable circles; you have kind and
honorable parents; this would disgrace
you and them if made public, you have
submitted to the chastisement and re-
pented pay me what you owe and go
your way as usual, leaving off dis
honesty, and I'll not molest you" He
went, but he hasn't paid the money
yet. This style Of reformation for
young men beats the Penitentiary.