The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-10-22
Clean Hands.

Clean Hands.
ats a bargain you won't get again
in hurry; and, if you're sharp. you
won't miss it,"
Ned Howell spoke impatiently, as
Ezra, the chore boy at his grandfa-
theirs house, stood by the gate,
thoughtfully looking at pair of cuff
buttons that lay on bis open palm.
"They're real" went on Ned, eager,
to close the bargain. "Why, one of
them is worth more than half dozen
of your fancy pigeons; and here you
have chance to get a pair of them at
half price,"
Ezra had come out the loser too
often in his dealings with Ned to be
willing to believe everything he said !;
but the buttons did not look like real
gold, and if they were he would be
quite willing to give six of his white
fantail pigeons for them.
"Don't paw them with your dirty
hands if you're not going to take
them" said Ned rudely, as Ezra
turned the buttons over and examined
them more closely. IF you are not
sharp enough to make q good bargain
for yourself, why, give them back to
me-"
"I'll take them," said Ezra slowly,
closing his hand over them. "Pll
have the pigeons in basket ready for
you to take home with you tomorrow
morning"
He put the buttons in his' pocket
and went down to the barn to do his
evening chores, wondering whether
he had really been cheated again in
his bargain, as he had so often been
before. Ned stood at the gate looking
after the retreating figure of Ezra
with triumphant smile on his face.
1t did not occur to him that he had
done mean Or dishonorable action in
taking advantage of Ezra's ignorance,
and he was proud of what he consider
ed his cleverness.
He knew that there was very little
danger that Ezra would discover the
comparative worthlessness of the cuff
buttons, and so his untruthfulness in
the matter would not be discovered.
Presently Uncle Frank left his seat
on the porch where he had been sit
ting, hidden by the vines which
climed over it, and joined his nephew
at the gate.
II wouldn't be a chore boy for any
thing" said Ned.
"Why :" said Uncle Frank.
"Oh, they have to do such rough,
dirty work w answered Ned. "Ezra's
hands are always dirty. 1 wouldn't
touch them for any thing" And he
glanced with q satisfied air at his own
hands, which were almost as white
and as smooth as if he had been a
girl.
"Ezra's hands are cleaner than
yours, to my mind" said Uncle
Frank gravely. :,
"Why, what do you mean ?" asked
Ned, opening his eyes in surprise.
II think dishonest bargains stain
ones hands more than honest work."
answered his uncle. II could not
feel as if my hands were clean, no
matter how white they may be, if l
had Just been cheating poor boy out
of his pigeons"
Ned's face grew very red.
"It wasn't my fault if he didn't
know how to make a good bargain.
Every one must look out for himself
in bargains.
"He simply took your word for the
buttons. You told him they were
real"
"Well, so they were-real buttons"
said Ned, smiling as he remembered
what he had thought of his clever
ness. II didn't say they were real
gold only said real buttons"
"You meant him to think that they
were real gold," said Uncle Frank.
sternly. ut was just as much lie as
if you had said real gold. You cannot
call your hands clean, my boy, when
you stain them by cheating, and the
stains are upon your heart as your
hands.n
He went into the house, leaving
Ned to think about his words.
Somehow Ned did not feel now as if
he had done smart thing in getting
the best of the bargain. AS he looked
at his hands he fancied that he could
almost see the stains upon them, and
he grew uncomfortable at the remem-
brance of the stains which were upon
his heart. at last he made up his
mind that he would rid his hands
from the last stain, and be went down
to the barn to look for Ezra.
IT say" Ned began, bravely, Il
cheated you about those buttons.
They aren't real gold they are only
plated and worth about twenty-five
cents. You keep the pigeons till [
send you the money for them"
Then he went back to Uncle
Frank.
"I've made it all right with Ezra"
he said, "and I mean to keep my
hands clean after this, sir."-Sunday
School Times.