The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-04-08
for tbe CHILDREN.
The Truth at All Hazards.

Some time after the beginning of the
present century there lived in busy
country town in the North pious old
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 hon
est and good. So the foundations of
an upright life were laid in the boys
heart, and among these, very especially,
a strong regard for uprightness and
truth.
In the course of years the boys
school-days were ended, and also his
apprenticeship to a business life in a
country town; and as there was no
prospect for him there, he came over to
England, to one of the great sea-ports,
and by and by he got good position
in a merchants office. He was greatly
pleased with his new office, and wrote
to his father and mother that Provi-
dence had been very kind to him, and
had opened up to him an excellent
place.
But he was not long in this excellent
place before he was put to the test in a
very painful way with respect to the
lessons he had received about truth and
uprightness.
1t was part of the business of that
office to have ships coming and going;
and it was the rule that when a ship
came into port its captain sent word to
the Office that he had arrived, and was
now awaiting instructions as to where
he should discharge the cargo. 1t was
the duty of 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 a
week, and still no word came back.
| Now that 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
belonged to the ship were kept idle too.
At the end of week the captain sent
word to the office that his ship had
been kept so long waiting for instruc-
tions where to discharge its cargo that
it had missed good offer of a new
cargo, and the Office would have to pay
him for the loss. This payment 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, Didn't I send you down
to Captain Smith with instructions
when and where to discharge his cargo
of coal?n
The little lad said, /" No, sir, I don't
remember being sent down"
go, but did," answered the man.
ager. " You have forgotten"
And there for time, so far as the
Office was concerned, the matter was
allowed to rest.
But the captain did not intend to let
it rest there. He applied for his demur-
rage: and when that was refused and
his word that he had received no in
structions disbelieved, he took the mas.
ter 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 manager
came to the little northern lad and
said to him, "Mind, | sent you to the
dock with those instructions to discharge
the coal"
But, / assure you, l cannot re
member your doing so" said the lad.
80 yes, but l did. You have for
gotten" said the manager
1t was a great trouble to the lad. He
| ha1 haay 10 Innl~ T.,
could not say he had been sent; and hi
foresaw that he would have to say be
fore the judges what would certainly
offend the manager, and would probably
lead to the loss of his excellent place.
On the morning of the trial he wen
to the court. The manager came up t.
him and said, "Now our case depends
entirely on you. Remember, l sen
you to the dock with the instruction
where to discharge the coal. Now i
you tell the judges that you were no
sent to the dock l shall lose the suit"
The poor lad once more tried t,
assure the manager that he was mis-
taken; but he would not listen.
at is all right" he said, hastily
81 sent you on such day, and you
have got to bear witness that | did
and you see it clearly"
In little while he was called int
the witness-boX, and almost the frs
question put to him was whether h
remembered the day when Captain
Smiths ship came in. Then came thi
question: "Do you remember durin
that day being sent by the manager o
the Office to the dock with letter TO
the captain of the ship?"
" No, sir"
"Don't you remember taking in
; structions to Captain Smith to di charg
! his coal?''
mo, sir"
"Were you not sent by the manage
of the office to the coal-ship on tina
. &" was not, sir"
" Nor next day?"
" NO, sir"
"Nor any other day?"
"No, sir"
The gentleman who put the question
was barrister He had been engage
by the manager to win the case fo
d.. l. l. Al Al