The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1882-02-01

1Of myBelI ana uually pay Ddch Guo buh'
/ concluded to leave the envelope
unfastened until the morning, so as to
give myself that much more time be-
fore finally deciding upon an act which
all my arguments with myself had not
made entirely reconcilable. Arrived at
this conclusion, my attention again
turned to my host and his wife. 1
could hear his voice alone now. It had
been sounding alone in an elevated
tone for some moments. crept quiet
ly to the partition dividing their apart
ment from the passage. The bright
autumn moon, which was on their side
of the house, shone through their win
dow, and through the spaces between
the shrunken planks of the partition
and out into the passage, and upon its
floor in brilliant liars of light. 1t was
easy for me to see what was passing
within the room. Man and wife were
kneeling at their bedside in prayer.
The man with uplifted head and closed
eyes, uttering an earnest supplication,
his wife beside him and one arm passed
affectionately through one of his, and her
head resting against his breast. They
were kneeling at the side of their bed
opposite me, and his face was plainly
visible. Its calm and pious expression
at the moment was q sufficient rebuke
to my unjust suspicious. 1 began to
listen in time to hear him say: "Par-
don, Oh, merciful father, not only the
sins of Thy humble servant and his
household, but turn the hearts of those
who have done evil unto him, who have
wished him injury, and who harbored
unjust suspicious of him. Bless such,
Oh, Lord, and preserve them in order
that they may turn from their ways and
seek the path of righteousness"
His serious, earnest and manly Voice
struck O chord in mytheart, not only in
sympathy with the honest and tender
supplication that was passing his lips,
but contrition ftr the wrong had done
him by my suspicious. involuntarily
compared him, whatever were his good
or bad deeds, at least an humble peni-
tent before his God, with the wretch
that I had decided but few moments
ago to make of myself by the misappro
priation OF my employers money, and
still, however, by the relief it could OBJ.
tain for me would not quite give way to
the feeling of repentance which was
knocking for admission at my breast.
had half decided to turn away and drive
these better thoughts from my mind,
when l observed something move III 8
small crib that was placed at the side
and toward the foot of the bed. Itc
occupant, a grandchild, whose parent,
they had informed me were dead
awakened probably by its grandfather
voice, rosa up, looked around, and set
tied down upon its knees, and claspine
it's little hands as its grandfather's were
clasped, and looking upward, ou
through the window at the moon whose
bright light fell full upon it
darling face, began moving its lips as i
trying to repeat the words.
Nothing so like an angel ever met m,
sight. The grandfather began tn
! Lords prayer. The little fellow scenes
to have this by heart. He repeated
word for word, his tiny, silvery voic
sounding in sweet accord. / could NO
: turn away nor any longer resist th
3 better emotions which l had hithert
3 kept down. A rush of repentant fee.
/, ing passed through me with an effeC
!. that shook every fiber. fell upon m
8 knees, aud with tears streaming froI
y my eyes joined in the concluding word
{ of the prayer.
t need not say changed my min
a with regard to the money. / passed
v quiet night and rose early, hastenin
!. away toward my journeys end, so as
3 give myself the least possible time {
Q .opportunity for changing my neV
: formed resolution. In handing IL
n package to the agent said to him tina
as there was money in it, it might
IS we'll be opened in my presence to 81
[t that it was all correct, etc. He,
|. course, discovered the error and hande
d me back the amount that was over, wit
8 which ] returned home and delivered
d up to its proper owners in due time.
20 It was fortunate for me in eve,
q way that pursued the course hi
l. adopted. It appeared that the mon'
10 had been obtained from the bank aft
Is bank hours, in the absence of Il
20 teller, from one of the officers. The
" were no loose notes on hand of &
le larger denominations, but there we
st sheets of thousands and five hundre
Iy signed by the president and cashit
ID Either two sheets were picked up
le mistake for one, or the wrong batch
in sheets selected from-that is, tho
70 sands were taken instead of five hu
v. dreds. The notes were hurried
II clipped, strapped and indors
Mt "$5, ,000," without recounting, and
er enveloped and handed over to me. 7
On bank had discovered the error, and
doubt was entertained but that t
We missing money was with me. Whett
in sho aid have had the face to withsta
n the imputation, even with the app
no emily undisturbed condition of the {
ed velope in my favor, is more than L c
to say, but 1 doubt it.
ID. But the notes, in pursuance OF p
Iat caution still in use in some banks, W,
nv payable to the order of one of