South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1885-01-16
The Faithful Boy Witness.

ne present century there was II ing
III country town i'm tie north If
Scotland. "a piOus couple who had al
only son. For this so they daily
prayed To God; and hat they asked
In their prayers was that God would
enable them To lay in his yonng heart,
among the fret lessons he should learn,
tho love OF all things honest and good.
50 the foundations eF an upright life
were Land in the boys heart, aud u
mong these very especially a regard
for uprightness and truth.
In the conrse of years, the boys
school-dais were enled. and also his
apprenticeship to business l.fe in the
country town; ard, as there was no
prospect for him there, he went to
| England, to one OF the great scuports,
aud by and by he got 4 good position
IN merchants office. lie was great
| ly pleased with his new office, and
wrote to his father and motier that
Providence had been very k,rd to
him, and had opened up To him an OK.
ceilent place.
| But he was not long in this excel
lent place before he was put to the test
IN very painful way with respect to
the lessons he had received about truth.
1t was part of the business of that OF
lice to ha' ships coming and going.
Aud It was the rule. when ship came
into the port, that its captain sent word
tn the Office that he had arrived and
WAS now waiting instructions where
10 discharge the cargo, and It was the
dirty ot the manager OF the Office 10
send back instructions 10 the captain
where and when this was To be done
A lev months after this little lad from
the north came to the Office. "a ship la
den with coal came IN, and the usual
mes-age from the captain came, but,
somehow or other. no answer was
Sent back To hun. The captain wait
Ell il week, and stIll no ans CIR came
back. Now, this Was very hard on
the captain. Until his ship got free
OF IT. cargo. II had 10 lie ldie N the
dock; aud all who belonged 10 the
ship were kept idle too. So. at the
end ot a week, the captain seat word
kept so long waiting foi instructions
where 10 discharge lis cargo that il
had missed good offer OF new car
go, aud the Office would have To- pay
him ior the loss This pay ment Is
called 'den,urragc.'
WheI the manager OF the Office got
his message from the captain he wis
] l., - L.. 1.
instructions where to discharge the
cargo, or he made himself believe he
had sent them; at any rate. he sen;
for the little lat from the north and
said 10 bim, Didn't send 30 down
to Capt. Smith with Instructions to
discharge his coal 2
The III lie lad said, 40, sir; do
not rcmember being sent down.
On, but di > answered the man.
agcr. You have iorgotten-' Aud
there for time, 80 far .s the Office il
concerned, the matter vas allowed
, 10 r, st
But the captain dill no; intend to
lie; it Iest there. lie apI lied for his
demurrage And when that WAS re
tused. aud his word that he hal re.
ceived no instructions was GlsDelley-
ed, he took the master OF the d flee TO
law. Aud, by and by his complaint
came before the judges in the court
of law.
The day before the trial, tie mana
ger came to the little lad from the
north and sail to him, Mind, | sent
you TO the dock with those instruc-
tons TO discharge the coal
BIT, | assure you, cannot remem-
Der you dong So SAID the lad.
OF, yes, but did. You have for.
gotten
it was great trouble TO the lad.
lie had revGr been sent To- the dock
lie conld not say he had been sent ::
and he foresaw that he would have to
say before the judges y nat would GER
tainly oaend the manager and lead to
the loss of his excellent place.
On the morning of the trial he went
to the court. The manager came mp
to him and said Now, our case de-.
ponds on Won Remember, sent
,ou to the dock with the inst: uctions
to discharge tile coal
The poor boy tried once more to-
assure Tie manager that he was mis-
taken. but hc would not listen.
1T is all right, he said hastily, i
sent you OF such day, aud Won have
got to bear witnes, that | did-aud
see You say il clearlyr
IN little While he was called into
the witness-box. and alnost the first
question put TO bin was whether he
remembered the day when Captain
Sm h's sbip came 10 Aud then tins;
You remember during that day be-
ing sent by tiie manager OF the office
TO the dock with letter Tor the Cap
tain 2
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