The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1901-02-16
The Wages Of Sin

A modern farm house stood facing a.
quiet country road, amid fertile acres
that gently sloped away from it. About
the house the orchard trees were send
ing forth sweet blossoms from bursting
buds, and here and there among the
lawn grasses, tasteful little flower
beds cleaned with the bright colors Of
early flowers, for the time was May.
Overhead the birds sang sweetly as
the fitted from bough to bough, and
the sun shot down bright rays to glad
den the flowers and grasses and warm
the hearts of cold humanity. All ma
ture seemed in harmony and peace.
Inside the house tranquility and SER
entity was lacking. A father was lis
tening to the words which told of a
sons. folly and sin, which had brought
shame and disgrace on his name as
we'll as great financial loss, if he
would save his son from the prison
walls.
Jack Horton, his son, had been until
the day before, the most trusted en-
ploye of large wholesale house in
the city of Buffalo, N. Y. He had
gone there about seven years before
and commenced at the foot of the lad
der, and had by hard work and good
habits risen in five years to the posi-
ton Of confidential clerk. All the while
he had, by degrees, been losing the hab-
it's of strict sobriety, uprightness and
morality, that he had. brought with
him from his country home. In his
position he had ben thrown a great
deal in the company Of a class Of peo-
pie who were an injury to him. He
had learned to drink, and at times
lavishly, and with the natural inabil-
ity to say no, he was going down grade
very fast when he met Harvey Leigh
ton, and the two men became boon
companions.
Leighton was as full of treachery as
a serpent, and utterly INSCRIPTIONS.
He soon learned that Jack often re-
tceived large sums of money after bank
ing hours from Out-of-tOwn customers,
and he made up his mind that when
Jack got a sum in his hand big enough
to meet his designs it would be his.
Two days before the opening of this
sketch Jack received $1,000 and, directly
on leaving the office met Harvey
Leighton. The rest is the same story
too often repeated. An invitation to
drink was accepted, more champagne,
a muddled brain, a game of cards, and
Jack awoke next morning, long after
business hours, with throbbing temples,
a confused recollection of the events of
the night before, and empty pockets.
Half crazed with grief and mortifica-
ton, yet hardly realizing the position
in which he was placed, he dressed and
hurried out in search of his compan-
ion in the debauch of the night before.
but all his searching failed to bring
him to light. Then there was a ter
rible struggle in his mind whether he
would gotto his employer and telf him
the truth, or fly, but he finally did the
wisest thing, and went to them and
confessed. 49,.
They listened patiently to what he
had to say and then consulted among
themselves. They informed him that
on account of his previous good char
acter and the disgrace it would bring
on his family, if the money would be
made good the matter would be hush.
ed up.
Then there was ANOTHER bitter strug.
gle in Jacks mind, and the same weak.
ness that led him to commit the crime
now influenced him to avoid it's pun.
ishment by appealing to his father fol
aid. The senior member of the firm
To %
where the father, a very proud, upright
man, listened to the recital of his som:
downfall.
For long time after Jack had fin.
Iished, tn cold man sat with his heat
bowed in his hands, and when he look
ed up he seemed to have aged visibly
j ITO raise the money / must mort
gage the farm, there is no other way
Your mother and I;are getting old, ant
lagain. And then there is Lefty. Sh'
lis as much interested as we. I shall
} tell them all and we shall decide wha
lshall be done. This much, at least,
J owe them .
He arose and left the room, and il
J half and hour he returned.
ut is settled" he said. Mother ant
I will go to the village and make GU
the necessary papers and secure tn
money" ..-.. -,
Three hours passed and they return
ed with the money. The senior par
tner of the firm departed satisfied tina
he had got his money again, and Will
sorry for Jacks parents he could no
see where he and his partners had beel
otherwise, than liberal in their actions
During the parents absence, JAG
had made up his mind that he woul
go west and try to retrieve the pas
I His father agreed with him and tn
( deposition of his mother and only sis
! ter Lefty, was soon silenced, and tn
{ next day he was on his way west.
! For time he strove to be honest an
avoid drinking and gambling, but tn
! will power was lacking. He lost sew
eral jobs, and finally became the recog
nized ally Of gamblers and cut throat
. and entered on a career of crime tina
! ended only with his life.
J Mr.. Horton only survived the shoe
! of Jacks disgrace a year. He neve
, seemed to recover from the blow, an
To +; o ~