The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1886-04-10

rS-Atluca
He sat down and motioned Felix Ioa
chair.
"When | was not many years older
than you are my father died and | had
to stop going to school for awhile and
90 to work. got situation in large
business house and often had valuable
parcels placed in my care.
ut is pity that | had not deeper
sense of the need of being faithful in
the performance of all duties whether
great or small, to the very letter, l
was careless to an extent which led my
mother often to warn me that should
come to serious harm if l did not
mend my ways. ] paid little heed to
her cautions, feeling quite satisfied
with myself in view of the fact that
no one could bring q shade of reproach
against my honesty or my truthfulness.
lone day was given aparcel to car
ry to the bank.
"'Be careful, they said 1T contains
seven hundred dollars.
81 had secure inside pocket and
had little fear of any loss. As | took
my way towards the bank saw an eX-
cited crowd gathered about one of the
principal newspaper offices. 1t was
during the darkest days of the wal and
! soon learned that some stirring news
was being received.
"0f course | had no business to stop.
The news would have been us well re-
ported without any supervision ofmine.
But looked at my watch and saw that
| had nearly an hour to spare, so l
threw myself into the crowd and joined
my voice with the enthusiastic cheers
which rose higher and wilder as each
particular of one of Grants earliest
victories was given out. Time and
prudence were lost sight of, until the
last item was learned.
"Then | rushed to the bank to be
faced by the forbidding looking card:
Bank Closed.
Il had not been specially told to de-
post that day, but of course it was UNI
dcrstood that | should. Il would have
been the right thing for me to carry it
back and have it placed in the safe, but
| was ashamed of having it known that
! | had loitered, so | committed a second
unfaithful act to conceal the first, al
ways a dangerous thing to do. The
only way to make amends for fault is
to confess it at once.
81 carried home the money and hid
it in the safest place knew of. You
may be sure it was heavy weight ON
my mind and as night settled down it
grew heavier and heavier. l resolved
not to sleep but lay awake listening
and starting in alarm at every sound.
"At length l was sure heard mystic
rious noises, but something seemed to
hold me down 50 that | could not
move. The sounds nercased-surely
people were in the house. could
hear them moving-hear them in the
room in which / had hidden the
money. Finally with a desperate eff
fort sprang up to find myself in the
grasp of fireman. NV room was full
of suffocating smoke-the house wason
fire. | had fallen into an uneasy sleep
and would have been strangled by the
smoke if had NOT been found just in
time.
"And the money!" asked Felix, In
great excitement.
81 fought against my rescuers with
all my might, declaring would get it
if died for it. But the stout fellow
dragged me downstairs and out-jnst
before the roof fell in"
"What did YOU do then, sir?"
"What could do but 90 to My en-
ployers and tell them what mischief my
, criminal carelessHess had worked fol
themP"
Felix drew a long breath end shook
his head soberly-
1T was as dreadful as my having to
tell you about the book, wasn't it2''
"a little worse, think" said tho
gentleman, with smile. al hope you
will never have such burthen to carry
as that one I bound upon myself
through my Own folly. 1t weighed me-
down all through the young yeans o.
my life, for lit took me long to- pay thu
debt. 1t is not for me to say the lessor
was too severe One--it was chosen
for me in Infinite wisdom, but hRNl
always felta strong desire that other
, should profit by it"
Il will try to, sir, y said Felix, WaE,
earnestly, as he got up to take, hi
leave. +
'.Do So, Felix. And try to bear il
! mind the promise to these who ar
faithful i'm few things. "-$Ld52e
! Dayre, in Chicago Standard.