The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-12-31

doors when black walnut would dc just
as we'll. l; helped myself to them and
didn't suppose that you'd miss them
QCn,c suppose that I'd miss them?
Hoity- tosty. am / 50 old that l can't see
when my front doors are gone? How
ever: I'm glad to see that you are 50
puonc-spfrlted- and IL YOU and the officer
will come inside out of the draught I'd
like talk to YOU"
AM aadab motioned to the officer TO go
IN and then he placed the door in position
and put back the screws. Then he came
inside and sat down in the old gentle-
, mans drawing room.
Now. SEQ here. young man. where did
you get the rest OF the material for your
7 got the stone from the stone walls
around the country"
And did you have permission
Why. no." said AminaGab. wondering
~. what's stone out of wall here
The policeman looked at Mr.. Straw
bridge or Mr.. Lippincott or whatever his
name was. and shook his head sadly. To
him the boy seemed pretty bad. and If he
him or TO the police station
But the old gentleman smiled kindly.
And who helped you take all this
stone? Didn't your helpers tell You that
II is wrong TO steal2"
Il had no help. SIR said Aminadab II
did it all myself
And how were you going to carry my
doors back to Mullinsviile?'
On my back" said Aminadab. simply.
tleman. looking over the tops of his
fably.
And the glass and timber. where did
Aminadab told him. Somehow. he was
not afraid in the presence of this fine. pa
triarchal old man. He had heard of jails,
was going TO punish him
Mr.. Lppincott-if that was his name
heard him through. and then he said.
.'Oficer. don't think that this is a case
for YOU He has put back my door. and
l will deal with him in a way that seems
fit
When Aminadab and the old man were
alone together. the latter said: My boy,
a little fellow who has so much strength
of body and such kindly instincts ought
10 learn that it is never kind 70 take
things that don't belong to him. Now. |
believe that you acted thoughtlessly and
am not going to punish YOU although
you committed a crime in taking down
my door Instead. / am going to make
you a present of the doors and will have
them sent out to Mullinsvilie and | will
also give you 10.000 books to put on the
shelves. for a library without books is
like cake without sugar Only first you
must go to each man from whom you-er
borrowed material and tell him what
you have done and restore his property if
he objects. And l will make good any
stone or glass or timber that is needed
Aminadab seized the good mans hand
and wrung it and a few minutes later
he was on his way home and before
nightfall he had visited every man who
had unknOvingly contributed to the new
librar.. And to the glory of the inhabi-
tants of Mullinsville. only one man re-
fused to let Aminadab keep what he had
taken tax and that 2ne was an old fellow who
from whom the boy had taken one stone.
He insisted on its being returned to him
ard as it was the bottom stone in the
foundation wall. Dabby had a hard time
getting it and plenty of time TO reflect
on his miSdOings-
1t is a singular fact that after the
library was dedicated there was no one
who spent so much time in it as this old
man who had refused 10 contribute a
single stone towards its erection.
The day of the dedication was made
town came 10 see what one small boy had
been able to do and old Mr.. Strawbridge
Or Lippincott told them all that they had
ought 10 be proud of Aminadab on the
whole. because while dishonesty was a
grievous quality. still it could be re-
pented. of and doubtless Aminadab had
already repented. but public spirit was a
thing SO rare that it ought TO be encour-
aged by all possible means"
Then Aminadab got up and said: Il
thought that | was going to give YOU
mis- library myself but since my kind
friend here has opened my eyes see that
had only two things to give you; nv
abor and what taste L may possess. The
rest you have given yourselves and the
books he has given. So 1 say let's give
three cheers for him.
The cheers were given Justify and then
much to Aminadab's surprise Mr. Hamer-
ton. who had come in late and unexpect
edly. rose and said. "Dabby has for
gotten that | own the ground on which
ne built the library. but / cheerfully give
I to him to give to you because | think
mat he Is the most generous and the
most pubic spirited boy in New Jersey
And after this we will trust him with
And Dabby has proved faithful to
hat trust ~