Year: 1875

| to his heart, stimulated u spirit o


GOV vetOusness-latent iD almost every
y mind-and caused him to desire til,
possession OF things beyond hi
, ability to obtain.


James had good business qualifi
cations, and so pleased Mr.. Carman
by his intelligence, industry, and
tact with customers, that he advanc
ed him rapidly, and gave him be-


fore he was eighteen years of age
the most reliable position in the
store.


But James had learned something
more of his employer than how to
do business well. He had learned
to be dishonest. He had never for.
gotten the first lesson he had re-
ceived in this bad science; and he
acted upon it not only in two in
stances, but in hundred, and al.
most always to the injury of Mr.,
Carman.


He had long since given up wait
ing for mistakes to be made in his
favor, but originate them in the va
ried and complicated transactions
of large business in which he was
trusted implicitly ; for il had never
occurred to Mr.. Carman that his
failure to be just to the letter might
prove a snare to this young man.


James grew sharp, cunning and
skilful always on the alert; al
ways bright and ready to meet any
approaches toward discovery of
his wrong doing by his employer,
who held him in the highest regard.


Thus it went on until James Lew
is was in his twentieth year, when
the merchant had his suspicious
aroused by a letter that spoke of
the young man as not keeping the
most respectable company, and as
spending money too freely for Il
clerk on a moderate salary.


Before this time James had re-
moved his mother into a pleasant
house, for which he paid rent of
four hundred dollars; his salary
was eight hundred, but he deceived
his mother by telling her that he re-
ceived fifteen hundred. Every CON-
fort that she needed was fully sup
piled, and she was beginning to feel
that after a long aud painful strug-
gle with the world, her happier
days had come.


James was at the desk when the
letter was received by Mr.. Carman.
He looked at his employer, and saw
him change countenance suddenly.
He read it over twice, and James
saw that the contents produced dis
turbance. Mr.. Carman glanced to-
ward the desk, and their eyes met
it was only for a moment, but the
look that James received made his
heart stop beating.


There was something about the
movements of Mr.. Carman for the
rest of the day that troubled the
young man. 1t was plain to him
that suspicion had been aroused by
that letter. Oh! how bitter now
did he repent, in dread Of discovery
and punishment, the evil of which
he had been guilty. Exposure
would disgrace and ruin him, and
bow the head of his mother to the
grave,


"Yoh are not we'll this evening""
said Mrs. Lewis, as she looked at
her sons changed face across the
tea table, and noticed that he did
not eat.


"My head aches"


"Peshaps the tea will make you
feel better"


"Ill lie down on the sofa in the
parlOr for short time."


Mrs. Lewis followed him into the
parlor in little while, and sitting
down by the sofa on which he was
lying, placed her hand upon his
head.


All, it would take more than the
loving pressure of a mothers hand
to ease the pain from which he was
suffering. The touch of that pure
hand increased the pain to agony.


"Do you feel better I" asked Mrs.
Lewis; she had remained some
time with her hand on his forehead.


"Not much," he replied, and ris.
ing as he spoke, he added, ~ think
a walk in the open air will do me
good"


"Don't go out, James," said Mrs.
Lewis, troubled feeling coming in
to her heart.


"Pll only walk few squares"


And James went from the parlOr