Year: 1875

less to you. 1t will harden your heart,


scar your conscience, and take all the


real love of Christ and his holy teach


ings out of your soul and leave it a


cold, selfish, groveling thing, instead


of the pure, bright image of God,


which he made it to be-


Such words as these from my dar-


ling mother, and the truth of which


my own feelings so strongly attested,


have been safeguard to me always,


when tempted.


One day my father said to me,


Mark, your money does not gain ly-


ing in the box; suppose you let the


widow Evans have it to use and take


a note on interest for year. She


wants to borrow ten dollars for few


months, and L think that will be about


heavy business enough for YOU to be-


gin with l was very willing to do


so, and soon the widows note lay in


my box, and very proud was l to do


business like grown up man. The


year passed, and the day on which the


note became due father told me l had


better take the note and 60 up to Mrs.


Evans and get the money on it.


Punctuality was the spirit of business,


he said, and if l would succeed must


keep everything straight. So 1 went


to the widows and told her my errand.
She was watching a sick child and ap-


peared very tired. Tears came into her
eyes when | mentioned the money ,and
she said, L meant to be punctual, Mas
ter Morton. l had got enough saved
to pay you, interest and all, when lit
tie Susy was taken sick. | have not
earned any more since, and thought
perhaps you would wait awhile, for /
want the doctor to see her, and then
she needs somo little things she could |
do without if she was WELL


told her l would ask father about
it. He was not at home, but mother
was, and to her 1 told my story. She
asked me if remembered the golden
rufe. l told her it was to do unto
others as we would that others should |
do unto us.


We'll, said she, Just imagine my |
son that you are poor widow with |
no one to earn your food and clothing,
and two little children to take care Of |
You have to work hard day and night |
to get enough to keep you aud your
little ones from starving. One Of them
is taken sick and you can do nothing
but take care of her, and have ten
dollars and sixty cents in the world,
which you have saved to pay little
boy who has father to get him every
thing he wants, and no use for the
money when he gets it. How would
you wish that little boy to do by your?


Il should wish he would let me keep
it until | could earn more,' said l and
away ran to Mrs. Evans, and told
her in my generosity that if she could
not pay it just as we'll as not, she need
never do it. l don't know whether
the widow was as happy as myself or
not, but if she was, she was very hap
py.


AS l grew up, the principles by
which my mother sought to guide me
grew stronger. After l entered my
fathers counting house and became
acquainted with business life, | was
often shocked to see how men will
warp or evade the law, to compass
their selfish ends, forgetting the higher
laws of God, which cannot be evaded
or changed. Martin Underwood was
then q merchant, and he was owing
the firm of which my father was a
as we'll as others, several
thousand dollars. He had then been
doing a good business, but met with
some losses which made it doubtful if
he could meet his payments. His
stock was valuable and his creditors
preferred that to an uncertain pay day.
So they sued him, stripped him of all
ne had and left him ruined and hope
less man. | demonstrated with my
ather, but he said if others sued him ;
ne must lose. said then, if | ever l
became the inheritor of my fathers
estate, that wrong should be repaid.
| have done it. Sick in body and
mind, borne down by a sensitive spir- '
{, Mr.. Underwood has never regained
he ground he lost or was forced from
It that time. His son. had been an = =
lnder clerk with a meagre salary, al
hough his talent for business is good, a
because they could not raise the capi- .
al to begin again. Do you blame me .
low, Lizzie, for what l have done?" I


Lizzie was weeping. "Forgiye me
Mark" she said, 81 little understood
,ou when | thought knew you best" I
Then looking up with an arch smile, b
pite Of her tears, she continued. t
Then you think you have learned the t
rue worth of money!" g


eyes, Lizzie l have learned what it 6
3 worth 10 mo md if unt1 think ,uith {