The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1881-01-08
THE FIVE-DOLLAR BILL.
The Teacher
BY o. AUGUSTA CHENEY.

Joe Maxwell lived in Chelsea, just across
the river from Boston, but attended Il pri-
vate school in Boston. Every morning,
therefore, he had to cross the ferry between
the two cities.
One morning, just us he was stepping of
the boat, he chanced to look down. There,
at his feet, was bank. bill
1t was tempting sight, and Joe lost no
time in picking it up. Nobody else saw it,
and, as he thrust it into his vest pocket, he
felt that there was no one to dispute with
him the possession of it.
81 will keep it," he said. "I don't know
who dropped it, SO of right it belongs to
me-"
The fact was, that Joe wanted to purchase
two or three articles among them hand
some knife, which the possession of this
money would enable him to do.
He received from his father weekly al
lowance Of dollar for his own purposes,
but somehow it was always gone before the
end Of the week, and there was nothing LEFT
over for any article he wished 10 buy.
Joe was right about the money belonging
to him, in case he did not find the owner
after proper inquiry.
But, unfortunately for him, a person
whom he had every reason to believe to bo
the owner Immediately appeared.
xUnra1on ras,aJ ,.,oo
anxious look upon her face, who had also
been one of the passengers on the boat, re-
traced her steps and began to look carefully
about her.
1t was evident that she had lost some-
thing, and Joes conscience told him that il
was the very bank-note which he had Just
put into his pocket.
81 ought to ask her what she has lost"
was the prompting of Joe's conscience, but
here his selishness interfered.
He was afraid that she would answer, IA
five dollar BILL" and then good-by to the
new knife and the other articles which he
wished to purchase.
Joe's face turned red, but he closed his
lips firmly, turned his face away from the
poor woman, and walked quickly to horse
car, which would convey him TO the door oi
| his school.
If should say that Joe felt comfortable, !
should misrepresent the facts of the case.
For boy with fve-dolar bill in his
pocket, be felt very uncomfortable. He wa.
fortunate enough TO have conscience, which
would not be quiet when he did anything
mean or wicked.
Sometimes boys manage TO get rid of thi,
disagreeable monitor, and take advantage
of il by doing mean things without materi-
ally interfering with their personal comfort
But such boys ought to be pitied and mol
congratulated.
Joe did not succeed quite as well as usual
in his recitations that morning. Somehow
the thoughts Of the poor woman, and his
own meauness, would intIude and distract
his attention,so that he sometimes answered
at random.
At recess, Joe had half an hour to himself
He knew where there was cutlery store
and he went there at once TO buy knife.
Though he knew it to be mean, he had
fully decided, now, to make use Of the
money.
81 couldn't find the woman now, II !
wanted to return the money ever so much, u
he said to himself Besides, how do
know that it was hersH dare say she had
lost something, but IL might have been a i've.
cent piece, or a thimble,or anything else. II
isn't probable that a poor woman like her
would have fve-dollar BILL"
So Joe reasoned, and he tried very hard
to convince himself that he was right, but
he did not succeed.
He had conviction, in spits of all the
reasons he could muster, that the money in
his pocket did really belong to the poor wo-
man, aud that the loss Of it would entail
suffering, or, at least inconvenience, upon
her.
"But can't return II now," he said /;
himself, doggedly, "and ifI sm Obliged tC
keep II, ! may as we'll use H."
! So Joe aioed in front of the vvindovv oftk,