The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1890-04-24
NUMBER Ii.
WRONG HOME INFLUENCES.

"Why, the stamp on this letter has not
been cancelled" said Mr.. Martin Moore,
taking up an envelope which had been
pOst-marked with pen from county
post office. You can remove the stamp
carefully, to use again as well as not
But shall do no such thing replied
the person thus addressed, to whom the
letter had been sent
"Oh, well, then ] can do it for you,
and when you get out of stamps I'll lend
you one" was Mr. MOore's laughing re-
ply. you don't suppose Uncle Sam
will miss a two-cent stamp, do you?'
ut is the principle of the thing" said
the other speaker: land we have no
more right to steal two cents from the
government than larger amount; and
| will never touch that stamp again."
This conversation occurred in the home
circle, where the children listened to the
fathers plausible reasoning, and how
could they help being influenced by it?
And if, in after years, the father, whose
opinion the bright eyed boy respects,
finds him practicing larger frauds, will
the parent call to mind this and similar
lessons, taught, indirectly, it may be, in
the home circle?"
Here is another case in which both
deceit and dishonesty are instilled into
the young mind. Little Robbie writes a
letter to Uncle Robert, and in it, boy
like, states that he has saved a dollar,
and is going to put it into the savings
bank. Now, Robbie made figures to
represent the money, and Uncle Robert
read it ten dollars instead of one. "Well,
WE'LL" he remarks, ''the boy is doing
well to have so much" Now, the uncle
is of thrifty disposition, and approves
of boys saving their pennies and dimes.
So he writes to Robbies mother that if
her little son has ten dollars to put in the
bank, he will send another ten to add to
the sum, for q snug nest egg.
But | didn't write ten dollars said
Robbie, when he read the letter. Uncle
Robert has made mistake i'll my fig
ures.n
"Well, never mind nOw," replied the
mother. "Uncle Robert can spare ten
dollars as well as not; so we need not
say anything about the mistake when we
write"
Thus the childs better and more hon
orable impulses are checked, and les
son is early learned in greed and actual
dishonesty. Does this mother, prOfes-
sing Christian, anxious for the moral
and religious welfare of her children,
consider what tares she herself is sowing
in the young mind?
Said lady to her guest, I'VE will take
the first train after dinner, and go to call
on Cousin Alice At the station, when
the visitor speaks of getting her ticket,
the hostess replies: mo matter about
it nOw.n So the matter is left to be
arranged later. But, as no fare is paid
on the cars, the subject is referred to
again by the guest, after returning home
"Oh, the conductor does not call for Oul
tickets half the time on these short
trips replied the lady; ''when he does,
we pay him the change; and when not
we save our fare.
But / would much rather pay my
fare, than to save it in this way said
the visitor.
"Oh. well, if conductors do not have
time to take up the tickets, that is theil
look out, not ours is the careless re
joiner; besides, we 90 so often, We
ought to have some free rides
And this is said before the children
who. doubtless, are accustomed to get
ting free rides when they can, and arr
, thus learning dishonest practices i'll ittl'
things, which cannot fail to blunt thu
moral sensibilities in reference to large
dealings with mankind.
Thus, in thousand trifling ways, ar
petty deceits and pecadilloes practiceC
by people who would scorn to be though
dishonest, and who never seem to thinl
what their influence may be in the family
and among those with whom they hav
! business relations. Is it wonder tina
from such lessons learned in the HON
, circle larger defalcatiOns come; that tn
love of greed is made subservient to bette
, ends? Strict integrity is a priucipl
t which needs to be inculcated, both b.
, precept and example in the house, in tn
) counting-house, the workshop, and il
, all the affairs of life.-LeSlie Guey in tn
COngregdtiOndliSt.