The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1882-01-12

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 chord IN my, heart, not only in
sympathy with the honest and tender
supplication that was passing his lips,
but contrition fer the wrong had done
him by my suspicious 1 involuntarily
compared him, whatever were his good
or bad deeds, at least an humble peni.
tent before his God, with the wretch
that 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 mo- e III a
small crib that was placed at the side
and toward the foot of the bed. Its
occupant, grandchild, whose parents
they had informed me were dead,
awakened probably by its grandfather
voice, rosa up, looked around, and set
tied down upon its knees, and clasping
its little hands as its grandfather's were
clasped, and looking upward, out
through the window at the moon whose
bright light fell full upon its
darling face, began moving its lips as if
trying to repeat the words.
Nothing so like an angel ever met my
sight. The grandfather began the
Lords prayer. The little fellow seemed
to have this by heart. He repeated it
word for word, his tiny, silvery voice
sounding in sweet accord. I could not
turn away nor any longer resist the
better emotions which l had hitherto
kept down. A rush of repentant feel
ing passed through me with an effect
that shook every fiber. fell upon my
knees. and with tears streaming from
my eyes joined in the concluding words
of the prayer.
I need not say I changed my mind
with regard to the money. I passed a
quiet night and rose early, fastening
away toward my journeys ond, 80 as to
give myself the least possible .:me or
opportunity for changing my new
formed resolution. In handing the
package to the agent said to him that,
as there was money in it, it might as
we'll be opened in my presence to see
that it was all correct, etc. He, Of
course, discovered the error and handed
me back the amount that was over, with
which 7 returned home and delivered it
up to its proper owners in due time.
1t was fortunate for me in every
way that pursued the course had
dopted. 1t appeared that the money
had been obtained from the bank after
bank hours, in the absence of the
teller, from one of the officers. There
were no loose notes on hand of the
larger denominations, but there were
sheets of thousands and five hundreds
signed by the president and cashier.
Either two sheets were picked up in
mistake for one, or the wrong batch of
sheets selected from-that is, thou
sands were taken instead of five hun
dreds. The notes were hurriedly
clipped, strapped and indorsed
"$5, ,000," without recounting, and so
enveloped and handed over to me. The
bank had discovered the error, and no
doubt was entertained but that the
missing money was with me. Whether
I sho aid have had the face tu withstand
the imputation, even with the appar-
emily undisturbed condition of the en-
velope in my favor, is more than l can
say, but I doubt it,
But the notes, in pursuance of a pre-
caution still in use in some banks, were
payable to the order of one of the
clerks and had not been indorsed by
him. I could not, therefore, have used
them, or if so they could have been
traced back to me. l found also that
the numbers had been carefully ascer-
tanned Of all l had taken with me, and
thus another chance of detection ex-
listed. What an escaped
Upon returning and entering the
counting-room l handed the surplus
back to my senior, with feeling some.
what of pride, but mixed up with other
feelings not easily described.
My precaution of having the money
opened by the agent in my presence
was highly commended, and the posi-
bility of his misappropriating the
undue amount, as very little personal
knowledge of him was possessed by the
firm, was duly discussed. What was
said on this point brought bushes to
my own cheeks.
In course of time my senior account
ant was taken into the firm. ! was put
in his position, and with his salary 1
saved money, finally got into business
on my own account, and am now, as you
know, rich. l never forgot my former
host and his grandchild; but at the
death of the former 1 took charge of the
boy. he is now my partner and the
husband of my daughter.