Arizona weekly enterprise., 1881-12-17
THE FIRST DEFENSE.

THE FIRST DEFENSE.
 In the cheerful dining-room of my bachelor friend Stevenson select party was assembled to celebrate his birthday. A very animated discussion had been carried on for some time as to whether the first deviation from integrity should be treated with severity or leniency Various were the opinions and numerous the arguments brought forth to support them. The majority appeared to lean to the side of "crush all offenses in the bud" when a warm-hearted gentleman exclaimed:
 Depend upon 1t, more young people are lost to society from first ofense being treated with injudicious severity than from the contrary extreme. Not that I would pass over even the slightest deviation from integrity either in word or deed-that would certainly be mis- taken kindness. But, on the other hand, neither would I punish with se- verity an offense committed, perhaps, under the influence of temptation, too, that we ourselves may have thoughtless, ly placed in the way, in such a manner as to render it irresistible For in. stance, lady requires servant the girl has hitherto borne good character but it Is her first place; her honesty has never yet been put to the test. Hel mistress, without thinking of the temp tations to which she is exposing fel creature, IS ill the habit of leaving small sums of money, generally in cop pers, lying about in her sitting-room After while she begins to think tha these sums are not always found exactly Es she left them. Suspicion falls on th' girl, whose duty it is to clean the room every morning. Her mistress, however thinks she will be quite convinced be fore she brings forward her accu sation. She counts the money care fully at night, and the next morn ing some is missing. No one ha been in the room but the girl; he guilt is evident Well, what does he mistress do? Why, she turns the gir out of the house at an hours notice cannot, in conscience, give her charac ter; tells all her friends how dreadfull distressed she is; declares there is noth ing but ingratitrlde to meet with anon servants; laments over the depravity C human nature, and never dreams C blaming herself for her wicked-yes, it wicked-thoughtiessness in thus cor stantly exposing to temptation young ignorant girl; one, most likely, who's mind, if not enveloped in total darkness has only an imperfect twilight know edge, whereby to distinguish right fro1 wrong. At whose door, ask. " contir ued he, growing warmer, twill the si lie If that girl sink into the lowest deptl of sin and misery? Why, at the door ( her who, after placing temptation in he very path, turned her into the pitiles world, deprived of that which constitu ed her only means of obtaining her hol est hvelihood-her character; and u q without one effort to reclaim her; with out affording a single opportunity of re trieving the past, and regaining, by fu ture good conduct, the confidence C her employer"
 "There is, I fear, too much truth i what you say" remarked our benevolen host, who had hitherto taken no part i the conversation; and 1t reminds m of circumstance that occurred in tn earlier part of my life, which, as it ma serve to illustrate the subject you hay been discussing, I will relate.
 There was general movement of al tention, for it was well-known fact ths no manufacturer in the town was SUI rounded with so many old and faithfl servants as our friend Stevenson.
 "In the outset of my business career, said he, "I took into my employment young man to fill the situation of unde clerk; and, according to rule which had laid down, whenever stranger CT tered my service his duties were of
 nature to involve as little responsibilit as possible, until sufficient time ha elapsed to form correct estimate of h character. This young man, whom
 shall call Smith, was of a respectabl family. He had lost his father, and ha mother and sisters in some way dt pendent upon him. After he had bee short time in my employment it hal peued that my confidential clerk, who's duty it was to receive the money frol the bank for the payment of wages, b, ing prevented by an unforeseen circun stance from attending at the propt time, sent the sum required by Smitl My confidence was so great in my hes clerk, who had been long known to m that was not in the habit of regular