Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-04-02


a raised platform at the end of the room
opposite thar at which they entered.
After the opening exercises of the
evening, consisting of instrumental mu-
sic, singing and Rotations by the school
children, were over, John Steele arose,
and turning to those about him, spoke
as follows:
Before delivering to the President of
the Board of Trustees, the deed l hold in
my hand, and which conveys to your
Board, gentlemen. this building it's con-
tents and the ground upon which it
stands, to be by your honorable Board
held in perpetual trust for the use and
behoof of my native village, desire to
relate an incident i'll my life that has a
direct bearing upon the event which
brings us together within these walls to-
night.
There are few in this audience who
will recall the fact that L began my ca.
reer as a merchant in this village. and
that started in business in small shop
that stood in those early days on Market
Street.
II was so far prosrered as to be able,
ten years later, to take a larger, more
commodious store on Main Street. had
from the beginning, determined to be-
come man of wealth. That was my
only ambition; and to accomplish it,
gave my thoughts and energies TO little
else than what concerned my personal
interests.
Success attained my efforts Business
rapidly increased at my new store, and l
found it necessary after short time to
employ number of clerks about the
premises.
among my employees, was a young
lad we called Tim He was about ten
years of age. A slim, pale faced boy, the
oldest of family of several children
who, with their widowed mother, occu
pied little cottage on street not far
from my own residence.
"His father, day laborer, had lost his
life by falling from the staging of a
building in process of construction
leaving his family in destitute circum-
stances.
Tim was employed as cash boy and
helper about the store. He came early
and remained late; and at the close of
business on Saturday, generally at nine
o'clock in the evening, he would take
home to his mother the sum of two dol
lars,-his weeks wages.
II gave to him, as to my other en-
ployes, no thought further than to IS.
sure myself that they performed their
duties honestly and diligently.
Tim had been in my employ several
months. l had during that time no oc-
casion to doubt his honesty; but had at
different times noticed him sitting on
one of the customers stools in front of
the counter, employed with pencil and
paper; and so intently as to be unmind-
full OF what was going ON about him.
When reproved for inattentiOn to his du-
ties, he would slip the pencil and paper
into his pocket with frightened look on
his pale face, and go about his work with
the air of one who had unwittingly,
rather than wilfully, disobeyed the rules
of the store.
Zone day while standing at the door of
my counting-room at the rear of the
store, l CHANGED to see him seated on a
stool near the entrance, and bending over
the counter in the same posture l have
described. 1t was busy day, Custom
ers were constantly passing in and out,
and the boys seeming indifference to his
duties, reused my anger. Calling him
to me told him his services were no
longer required, and ordered him out of
the store.
"Tears sprang into his dark eyes. His
lips moved as though he would speak;
but l was too angry to listen, and he
went away with look of sorrow and dis
tress on his face that shall never forget.
"After he had gone out l went for
wald to where he had been sitting, and
said to young woman clerk standing
behind the counter What was Tim do
ing while he sat cd that stool?'
"'He was drawing that wreath of arti-
fetal flowers, sir replied the girl.
Turning on my heel, | walked back
my office, cOngratulatlng myself the
meanwhile that had done just the right
thing under the circumstances, as the
boy seemed more inclined to draw pic
lures than to further my interests.
II gave the matter no further thought
until one night,a fortnight later, my son,
then lad of about Tins age, met me at
the gate as L was on my way home to
supper;
Father" said my boy, DR.. Jacobs
called this afternoon to see little Mary
He told us Tim Cameron was dying.
"Tim Cameron dying l exclaimed,
my conscience shifting at the same time
as it never had before.
Eyes, father, and the doctor says Tim
wants to see you. Tim and were always
good friends you know. l went in to
see him the other day, and we had
pleasant talk together in his room. He
was in bed, and said he felt very weak
and tired but didn't think he was 60
ing to die.
LAS my son spoke, saw the big tears
yelling in his eyes. A feeling of self
condemnationlcame over me. would
answer Tins message at once; and bid
ding my son to inform his mother of my
intentiOn. | hastened around to Mrs