Evening star., 1896-03-07

| silver shoe-buttoner."
What in the world is she doing with it?'
1 inquired.
A smile half vexed and half amused play.
ed around his mouth.
| ITS somewhat queer story of juvenile
depravity," he remarked, "and I'll tell II
to you. Some weeks ago my wife lost a
| very handsome diamond ring which was
| cherished more for it's associations than fol
its really great substantial value. She
was inconsolable, and we did everything
possible to discover what had become of it.
but without success. While the detectives
| were searching for it, We went off to the
| seashore. Ten days sgo we returned and
| the day we came back the man we oc.
| casionally employ to clean up ihe yard, saw
| the wood and do other chores around our
| premises came to my wife and told her he
| thought he might give her clue in regard
| TO her missing ring. Continuing, he said
| his little girl and the little girl we just
| passed. who is our washerwoman's daugh-
| ter, had been engaged in a quarrel, which
| he overheard. AS squelcher to his daugh-
| ter, the washerwoman's girl said, with
| much scornful pride:
| My mammy's got er diamond ring, an
OATS mon 70 mammy's got"
| Recovery of the Jewel.
| with perception worthy of a Byrnes
my wife determined to follow it UP. Before
we went away, the little girl was in the
habit of coming for the clothes, while her
| mother brought them Eome and collected
| the pay. My wife remembered that since
| the ring had disappeared the mother had
| performed both erIands Accordingly, she
sent word to the WaSherwoman at a time
sne knew that worthy was elbow-'ieep in
suds to send her two skirts she had sent
| to the wash by mistake, and to send them
! MarE-which orr
The latter came with the skirts. whereupon
my wife took her into my room and asked
! her where the ring was.
| amt got it,, was the instant reply.
| ell, what did you do with it, per-
| sisted Mrs. A.
Mary hung her head moment. and
then surlily replied that she had given it
| to Sadie
| Sadie was the daughter of a colored wo-
man who lived in shanty back of a resi-
| dence across the street and Mrs. A, after
licking Mary securely in my room. went
| after Sadie. Upon demanding from this
demure miss the return of the ring it was
forthcoming Immediately.
| Mary say she pick it Up outen de road
| was what Sadie said, adding, AN she GIN.
| me de ring ter war
| We'll, continued the gentleman, my
wife went back home, and after givina
Mary good talking to. released her, and
| sent her home. The child persisted that
she had picked 1t up in the yard, while
| Sadie swore she said she had found it in
the road. My wife had been in neither
| place, and her ring was, with the rest of
her jewelry. in a box on her dresser when
| 1t was taken"
| She Stole the Shoe Buttoner.
When he had concluded, asked him how
about the silver buttonhook the child had.
| On he remarked, ''she stole that when
| my wife went after Sadie and left her
locked in my ROOM"
| When l expressed astonishment at his
failure to teach the young person a salu-
| tary and lasting lesson with the aid of the
| law, he fell back on the time worn argli-
ment about the objection to the publicity of
| the thing.
| Instantly a score or more of similar in
stances within personal experience came
| streaming along in retrospective string,
and the fact was emphasized more forciblv
| than ever that the timdity OF society to
| take the abundant means it has at hand to
protect lseif from the marauders upon it
| accounts for the general increase in the
| preying class, more than anything else II
| Is not Venturesome to assert that every
reader of these lines can bring to mind
| without half trying half a dozen cases
| wherein friends or acauaintances have suf-
| Tered losses and undergone anxiety and
| Vexation by the dishonesty of others with
out taking any measure to have the male
| factors punished for it, other than giving
them g. talking to-"
Juvenile Dcpravity Corrected.
| Wnlle conVerSlng on this subject with a
| weil-known student of criminology, he said
to the writer that it was a serious question
| whether the mistaken kihdLess which, leads
| SO many persons to overlt ok dishonest acts
is not in itself vicious VIXEN the results
| that grow out of 1t are regarded in their ef-
| feet upon society at large. Referring to the
| incident recited above, he said it would
| probably be claimed that the chill who
| stole the diamond ring and then deliberate
l Iyy fnoly fIn cho h,rft
| fronted with the evidence of her first mis-
| demeanor, was naturally depraved 1t is a
well-known fact, however, that proper
| measures of punishment have a wonder
! fully corrective effect upon that same pc
| culiar trait called natural depravity. and
| where the instinct is displayed in a pro-
! Dounced serse, it does not seem that there
| should be any question about the use of
| remedial measures.
| Become Thieves Unconsciously.
! "It would never do to make the broad as
| sertion that servants as class are dishon-
| est, but it cannot be gainsaid that very
| large proportion of them have a habit of
| appro priating to their own uses property
| belonging to their employers" said he.
"Many cook, for instance. CT serving maid
| thinks there is no harm in taking a little
package of the family teL or coffee or sugar
or what not to an ailiEg sister or a sick
| friend, but the unfortunate fact remains
| that it is very easy for q person indulging
| in such a rsctice to ;nsensibly increase
! the extent of their populations until they
| suddenly find themselves in their own esti-
| nation really stealing. OF course they have
! been stealing all the time, but they do not
| become conscious of the dishonesty of their
| actions until they take something Of SUBJ
stantial value.
at depends upon how an Individual is
| treated after the commission of a theft by
| the person from whom the stolen article is
l. 1,n Et,l l.
vidual is going to continue in the wrong
| course or go back to the right If an en-
| ployer takes rigorous action in the case of
! an employe who is discovered in dishonest
| practices the chances are very great that
| the latter will mend his ways; but If ne is
| treated with leniency and his misdemeanor
| is overlooked and forgiven, the proha bilities
| then are that having found the dishonest
course 50 easy. the chances of discovery so
| small, and considering the fact that pardon
came when discovery was made, he Is apt
| to be convinced that dishonesty is the best
| policy after ALL"