Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1885-06-02
MISCELLANEOUS.
The Faithful Boy Witness.

Some time after the beginning of
the present century there was living
in country town in the north of
Scotland, pieus couple who had an
only son. For this son they daily
prayed to God; and what they asked
in their prayers was that God would
enable them to lay in his young heart,
among the first lessons he should
learn, the love of all things honest
and good. So the foundations of an
upright life were laid in the boys
heart, and among these very especial
ly aregard for uprightness aud truth.
In the course of years, the boys
school-days were ended, and also his
apprenticeship to business life in
the country town; and, as there was
no prospect for him there, he went to
England, to one of the great seaports,
and by and by he got a good position
in a merchants office. Hewas greatly
pleased with his new office, and wrote
to his father and mother that Prov
idence had been very kind to him, and
had opened up to him an excellent
place.
But he was not long in this excel
lent place before he was put to the
test in a verypainful way with respect
to the lessons he had received about
truth. 1t was part of the business of
that Office to have ships coming and
going. And it was the rule, when q
ship came into port, that its captain
sent word to the office that lie had ar
rived and was now waiting instruc-
tions where to discharge the cargo
and it was the dutytof the manager
of the office to send back instructions
to the captain where and when this
was to be done. A few months after
this little lad from the north came to
the Office, ship laden with coal came
in, and the usual message from the
captain came; but, somehow or other,
no answer was sent back to him. The
captain waited week, and still no
answer came back. Now, this was
very hard on the captain. Until his
ship got free of its cargo, it had to
lie idle in the dock; and all who be-
longed to the ship were kept idle too.
So, at the end of a week, the captain
sent word to the office that his ship
had been kept so long waiting for in
structions where to discharge its cargo
that it had missed a good offer of u
new cargo, and the Office would have
to pay him for the loss. This pay
ment is called :" demurrage. /"
When the manager of the office got
this message from the captain he was
very angry. He thought he had sent
instructions where to discharge the
cargo, or he made himself believe he
had sent them; at any rate, he sent
for the little lad from the north and
said to him, I" Didn't I send you down
to Capt. Smith with instructions to
discharge his coal?"
The little lad said, "No, sir; I do
not remember being sent down"
Oh, but 1 did, answered the
manager. You have forgotten %
And there for time, so far as the
Office is concerned, the matter was
allowed TO rest.
But the captain did not intend to
let it rest there. He applied for his
demurrage. And when that was re-
fused, and his word that he had re-
ceived no instructions was disbeliev-
ed, he took the master of the office to
law. And, by and by his complaint
came before the judges in the court
of law.
The day before the trial, the mana-
ger came to the little lad from the
north and said to him, Mind, sent
you to the dock with those instruc-
tions TO discharge the coal"
But, / assure you, 1 cannot re-
member you doing so,'' said the lad.
Oh, yes, but 1 did. You have
forgotten"
1t was a great trouble to the lad.
He had never been sent to the dock.
He could not say he had been sent :
and he foresaw that he would have to
say before the judges what would GER
tainly offend 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 up
to him and said: Now our case de.
pends on you. Remember, I sent
you to the dock with the instructions
to discharge the coal.''
The poor boy tried once more tc
assure the manager that he was mis-
taken, but he would not listen.
1t is all right he said hastily,
.' I sent you on such day, and you
have got to bear witness that 1 did
and see you say it cIearly!"
In little while he was called into
the witncss-box, and almost the first
question put to him was whether he
remembered the day when Captain
Smiths ship came in. And then this
'You remember during that day
being sent by the manager of theofice
to the dock with letter for the Cap
tain?''
"No, SIR
Were you not sent by the mana
ger of your Office to the coal-ship on
that day."