Year: 1872




such a story of themselves. But / am
convinced that it will afford suggest
ion of mercy toward such as do fall, and
some may be turned away from tempta-
tion by its recital.


| had been an under clerk in large
establishment for many years. Natu-
rally economical, my savings had at
tained to such respectable sum that l
ventured upon married life, quite as
much as refuge from the monotony of
my inexpensive style of living, as in
obedience to those yearnings of nature
which man is very foolish or very bad
not to heed in due season. Like most
men, however, adventures of this kind
are BOT always followed by the comfort
and case and happiness which depend
upon money for their possession, In
the course Of time | came TO repent the
undertaking, for l was in debt, my fam
lily had increased, while my income had
not kept pace with my expenses. Ny
wife lacked the courage to practice The.
self.denial which would be consequent
upon q retrenchment Of our expenses.
/ was daily annoyed by duns. | had
borrowed money in every available
quarter, and walk in the public streets
was literally denied to me by the fear
of encountering some one to whom /
was indebted for my house expenses.


Returning home late one night, jadod
by listless stroll through the town, 1
found the junior member of the firm
waiting for me. The house had received
intelligence, after business hours, of a
transaction entered into on their account
which required the immediate trans.
mission to an isolated inland town of
several thousand dollars, together with
certain papers and statements necessary
to conclude the affair. 1t was too i'm
pOrtant an affair to be intrusted to the
delay and uncertainty of the mail at
the time. Upon a consultation Of the
firm, had been selected to perform The
necessary two days journey. Iaccept-
ed the mission with alacrity, for the
reason, among Others, that it would be
such recreation as would divert my
thoughts for a time from the perplex-
tiles of my miserable condition.


With the usual foresight of the firm,
everything necessary to my prompt
departure had been prearranged. The
needful papers and accounts, and the
Indispensable money requisite to finish
the transactions, were placed in my
hands in an envelope addressed to the
gentleman who had acted as agent Of
the concern in the matter. A letter Of
instruction was likewise enclosed.


remember we'll the bright Septem-
Der morning on which / started on
horseback and alone on my journey, of
which l accomplished half the first day,
arriving at farmhouse, whose occu.
pant unhesitatingly granted my peti.
ton for share for the night in its
humble hospitality.


The weather had grown colder as the
evening came on. and by the time had
reached the house l experienced a SEN
sible chill. L had with me q flask Of
| liquor, and was furnished at my own
request, at bed time, with small guam
tity of hot water with which to COM
pound sort of punch, as an antidote
to the cold apprehended having taken.


1 had removed the package of money
from my pocket and laid it on the table,
with view to putting it under my pill.
low before retiring. AS it lay on the
table the address was uppermOst, on the
left. hand upper corner was memoran'
dunn, "S5, 600 enclosed" / was stand
ing with my back TO the door. Sue
ceeding few moments of entire silence
heard step behind nae, and l almost
think l felt breath upon my face
Turning suddenly round, beheld my
host with the hot water i had called fol
in tumbler I'm his hand. He was quite
beside me, and his eyes rested, or fan
cied it rested, on the package upon thu
table l must confess / was consider
ably startled by this incident. My con
cern was not diminished by observing
that he had removed his shoes, and wa
standing as he had come up-in hi
stockings. My first impulse and ac
was to take the water out of his hand
Not being quite ready to use it, pu
J the Ell velope of money on top of it, q
E the most convenient thing to keep
7 hot. l did not turn the superscriptio
/ downward, because i feared it woul


betrsy the suspicion, which l now po.


itively entertained, of evil intention


on the part of my entertainer, who ha


quilted the room as noiselessly as h
9 had entered. Imagined great man
I ways in which he could have becom
J. acquainted with the cause of MY jOu
ney, and came rapidly to the concll


sion that my employers funds were i
. danger. That they were actually s


became evident before the night ha


passed. / recalled the mans count


nance vividly to my recollection, au


examined from memory his feature


so as to make some estimate of the cha
e acter with which | had to deal. PLY
:, ically he was more than my equa
i When l first alighted at the house
9, struck me l had seen him before, an
Il after further and profound reflection,
4. distinctly recalled him to my mind as


merchant who had dealt with our fir


during my earlier connection with


and who had failed through the disho
y esty of friends whom he had helped.