Year: 1874

It has been many long days since then,
yet remember it all, just rs t ough it
had occurred but yesterday.


] was a carpenter, the foreman of n
large establishment, and as such pos
sessed the entire confidence of my en-
plover, who, by the way, had been a
schColmatc of mine.


One day he called me into his Office
to look at some coins he had just pur-
chased.
"Here," said he placing in my hand
heavy gold piece, " "is one worth more
than all the rest put together. 1t is n
great curiosity. 1 paid two hundred
dollars for it, and considered it cheap
ut that. I could easily double my
money in selling it; andsso you see,
Harvey, it is really a good investment" "
"No doubt it is, said 1, Though it
seems large sum to have lie idle"


| breathed an involuntary sigh as |
laid the coin down on the desk, for two
hundred dollars would have seemed n
fortune to me just then.


The severe illness of my wife and one
of my children, and the death of an
other, made serious inroads on my
rurse, and it had required the exercise
of the utmost economy to keep myself
FREQ from debt; nay, | had been obliged
to withdraw from the bank the small
sum which, besides my salary, was all
| possessed of worldly treasures.
Thinking of this, I laid the coin down
with sigh, and turned away to attend
to my duties.


The next morning I was again sum-
moned into the office, but this time [
met with no such friendly greeting as
usual.


Harvey" said my employer, ab-
ruptly, "that coin we were looking at
has disappeared. / have made n
thorough search, but it can not be
found. 1t has been carried away by
some one. You alone saw or knew Of
it, and"


He paused and looked significantly
into my face. | finished the sentence
for him, the hot blood dying my cheeks
and brow as spoke.


"You mean, that took it"


"What else can think? The coin
was here, you alone saw it. cannot
recall having seen it since it was in
your hands. You are in need of money;
you have told me that yourself. 1t was
great temptation, and ! forgive you
because of our old friendship, but |
cannot retain you in my employ. Here
is the salary due you"


every WE'LL" sad I, with forced
calmness. $50 be it. Since you have
so poor an opinion of me after years OF
faithful service, shall not stop to de-
fend myself"


Then took the money he had laid
upon the desk, and went from his pres
ence well-nigh broken-hearted man.


But for the tender love for my wife,
doubt not but that / would have buried
nay sorrows in the grave of a suicide.


Supported b. hat love, how ever, and
the consciousness of my own innocence,
/ took fresh courage, and set resolutely
to work to find new employer.


Powerful is the breath of slander
turn which way | might. ever foupt
that the story OF my dismissal for thief
had preceded me, and application fol
employment uniformly met with re
fusal.


Time went on I; piece by piece of fur
niture, and every spare article of cloth
ing, found is way to the pawnbroker's
until at length even this poor resource
failed MS, and my children cried in vail
for food.


Yet did not sit down in idle despair
1 could not afford to do SO; the life o
death of all / loved on earth depended
on my exertion, and so, turning ava.
with a heavy heart, | once more set on
on the weary search for work.


All in vain refusal aft refusal ne
my entreaties for employment, and
was turning homeward with listlcs
step, when, passing an immense church
l was attracted by group of men at it
base.


Impelled by some strange impulse,
approached and mingled with them.


A workman was standing near by
looking up at the great steeple, whic
lowered aloft some two hundred an
fifty feet above them, while a gentle
man evidently an architect, was ad
dressing him in earnest language, an
at the same time pointing toward tn
golden cross at the summit OF the spirt


81 tell you," he exclaimed, rs Dire
near, sit must and can be done. IT,
cross must be taken down, or the fir!
heavy gale will send it down into tb
street, and lives will be lost. Coward
is this the way you back out of 10
after engaging to do it?"


I" | didn't know the spire was so hie
up there. Do it yourself, if you wal
it DONE"


g would if 1 were able" said IL
architect. "But.g go if you will let
be. My honor is pledged to have
done at any price, and 1 can find
drawer man than you to do it,"


The carpenter walked off with do
ged, sluuching step, and the gentlem
was about to move away also, when
stepped forward.