A Confession

Most men would hesitate at telling sucli a story of themselves. But I ani convineed tbat it will afford a suggostion of niercy toward sueh as do fall, and some may be turned away from temptation by its recital. I had been an under elerk in a largo establishment for many years. Naturally economical, my savings had attained to such a rispectiiblo sum that I ventured upon married lite, quite as much as u refuge from the monotony of my inexpensive style of living as m obedience to tliose yearnings of nature, which a man is very foolish or very bad not to heed in due season. Like most men, howcver, adventures of this kind are not followed by the comfort, and case which depend upon money for their possession. In the course of time I came to ropent the undertaking, for I was in debt, my faniily had increased, while my income had not kept pace with my expenses. My wife lacked the courage to practice the self-denial which would be consequent upon aretrenehment of our expenses. I was daily annoyed by duns. Ihadborrowed money in evoty available quarter, and a walk in the public streets was literally denied to me by the fear of encountering some one to whom I was indebted for my house expenses. Returning home late one night, jaded by a listless stroil through the town, 1 found the junior member of thefirin waitingforme. The house had received intelligence, after business kours, of a tranaaction entered into on their account, which required the immediate transmission, to an isolated inland town, of several tbausand dollars, together with cnrtain papci-s and statements necessary to conclude the affair. It was too important a matter to be entrustcd to the dolfiy and uncertainty of the mail at the time. Upon a consultation of the members of the firm, I had been selected to perfonn the necessary two days' journey. Í accepted the mission with ilacrity, for the rea8on,Jamong others, that it would be such a reercation as would divert my thoughts for a time from the perplexities of my miserable condition. With the usual foresight of the firm, everythitig necessary to my prompt do parture had been pre-arranged. The needful papers and accounts, and the indispensable mamey requisito to finish the transaction, were placed in my hands in an envelope addressed to the genteman who had acted as agent of the concern in the matter. A letter of instruction was likewise enclosed. I remember well the bright September morning on which I started on horseback and alone on my journev, of which I accomplished half the first day, arriving at a farm house, whose occupant unhesitatingly granted my petition for a share for the night, in its humble hospitality. The weather had grown colder as the evenint came on, and by tho timo I had reachrd tho house I experioneed a sensible chili. I had with me a flask of liquor, and furnished, at my request, at bed time, with a small quantity of hot water with which to compound a sort of punch, ai an antidote to the cold I apprehended having taken. I had removed the package of money from my pocket, and laid it on the table, with a view of putting it under my pillow before going t bed. As it lay on the table the address was ujipermost, on the left hand upper corner was a duin, " $5,000 inclosed." I was standing with my back to the door. Succeeding a a few moments of entire silence, I heard a Step bohind me, and I almost think ;i breath upon my face. Turning suddenly round I beheld my host with the hot water I had called for in a tumbler in his hand. He Was quite beside me, and his eyes restcd, or I fancied they rested, on the package upon the table. I must confess I was sensibly startled by this incident. My concern Was not diminishcd by observing that he had removed his boots from his f eet and was stonding as he had come up, in his stockings. My first impulse and act was to tako the water out of his hand. Not being quite ready to use it I put the envelope of money on top of it, asthomoBt convenieiit thing to keep it hot. I did not turn the superscription downward because I feared it would betray the suspicion which I now positively entertained, of evil intentions on the part of my entertainer, who had quitted the room as noiselessly as he liad entered ; I imagined a great many ways in which he could have becoine acquainted with the cause of my journey, and came rapidly to the conclusión that my employers' funds woro in dahger. That they were actually so, became evident before the night had passed. I recalled the man 's countenance vividly to my recollection, and examined from memory his features, so as to inake some estimato of the character with which I had to deal. Physically he was more than my equal. When first I alighted at the house, it struck me I had secn him before, and after some moments of further and profound reflection, I distinctly reoalled him to my mimi as a merchant who had dealt with our firra during my omly connection with it, and who had fciilud through the dishonesty of friends whom lio liad helped. I remembered him as having been spoken of as boing disgusted with trade, and having sought a home in the wildernc6s "with his family, and camine a. living, literally by tho sweat of his brow. There were but two bed-roouis in the house, both on the same floor, a passage which commencod at the head of tbr stuirs dividingthem. While the thoughts which I have related wcre passing through my mmd, I heard voices in the other room, und quietly opened the door whioh uiy host had olosed behind hiin. Standing out in Hu) passage, I could distinguish a inau's and woman'svoice. At first their language was unintolligiblo, but graduully in y MI beoOBM aceustonied to the (luty i endeavored to pilt it to, and 1 could ilistinijuish that the httrden of their ttilk WM their doincstie oxpt nses. and the TCttOial current of their thoughts was the difliculty of getting through with cortain imdertakings whioh thoy had in oontemplatton or had commenccd. It was evident that the man was more hopeful thuu the womnn. My excited iinagiuation at onoa framed the thcory that the treasure in my possession was designed by them to aolve tliis difficulty, and that tho roluctant man was being urged on bj tho leas sorupulous or braver woman. A sudden movement of one f tbcm toward the door caused me to retroat into the room. I heard the bolt of their door moved, and supposing it was to unfasten it, I hurried back to my own apartim nt and caught at the envelopei intending to liasten it out of sight. In my eagerness to grasp it, it feil tumbling with the wafered sido uppermost, and opened ! The wafers had beon so far dissolved by the heat and moisturo as to split in two, leaving one half of eaeh (there were three) on the flap, and the other half of each on the body of the envelope. Meanwhile, there was no sign or sound of inroad into my room, of whioh I hadseen it was impossible to lasten the door, save by moving some of tho furniture against it. I became convinced that as yet everything was safe, and yiekling to a í'ooling of euriosity I drew tho money from tho inclosuro and eountod it over. There were ten $1,000 bilis I I was astoundcd, and for tho timo forgot the foar that so reccntly hairaased me. I looked at tho memorandum on the back of tho envelope. It was "$ó,000." Tho letter was open before me. I read it over. It named tive thousand as the sum inclosed. There was evidently an error. I counted it over again. Ten thousaud dollars was the suin before me ' Again and again 1 counted it. I had been used to haudling large sums, and counting largo suma of money daily ; but I aotually found more difficulty in arriviug at tho actual oount of ten bank bilis boi'ore me, than I ever bofore or sinco encountered in counting any sum however large, or however numeróos tho notes. Finally, putting a ohair against the door, I spread the notes out singly on the 'ittle tablc, iu a row, and count d t'iem with my finger. Then made two rows oí five notes each, and again counted them. I tinally, though slowly, became satisfied that I had in my possossion doublé the amount of money 1 was expectod to delivex to my employers' i;. ent. Temptation entcred my soul. t'ive thousand dollars would relieve mo of all my debts. Here it was within my graap. I had but to seal up the envelope by re-wetting the wafer, inclosing but half the money, and doliver it sealed to the agent, and my trust would bc, to all appearanee, faithiully discharged. Once the thought oecurrod" that possibly it was a trap set tor mo by my employers. But their ponfidènce in mo was unbounded, and the suspicion was formed only to bc dismissed. 1 do not attemptto glaze over the dishonesty of what I contumplated. But I had been so unceasingly worried and annoyed by domostii: tjoublrs arising from limited resources, and so persecuted by oreditors that I almost argucd myself into the conviction that appropriating the money was simply authorized so)tdefonso. I would pay all my dobts, get olear of the world once moro, insist upon my wife's adopting my viows of living - save ritobey - get into business for mysolf- and linully pay back the suni. I coneluded to leiïvo the envelope unfastened until morning so as to give myself that mucli moro time before finally déciding upon an act which all my arguments with myself had not made entiivly reconcilable. "Arrived at this conclusión, my attontion again turned tomy host and his wife. I could hear his voicc alone now. It had been sounding along in a sdmewhat èlevated tone for somc moments. I cropt quietly to the partition dividmg their apartments from the passage. The bright autumn moon, which was on their side of the house, Bhone through th:ir window and tlirough the spacos bet ween the shrunken plant of the partition, and out into tho passage, and upon its floors in brilliant bars of light. It was easy for me to pe what was passing within the room. Man and wifewero knecling at their bedside in prayer. Tho man with uplif tod head and closed oyes, uttering an earaest supplication, his wife boside hiin, and one arm passcd affectionately through one of his, and her head resting against his shoulder. TIn y were knceling at the side of the bed opposito me, and his face was plainly visible. lts calm and pious expression was a sufficient rebuke to my unjust suspicions. I began to listen in time to hear liim say: "Pardon, O merciful Father, HOt only tho sins of Thy humble sorvant and his household, but turn the hearts of those who have done evil unto him, who have wished himinjury, and who havo harbored suspicions of him. Bless such, O Lord, and preserve them in order that they may turn from theirways and seek the path of rightcousncs." His serious, earnest and jnanly voice struck a chord in my beart, not only in sympathy with the honost and tender uppïioation that was passing from his Epa, Imt of contrition for the wrong I had done him by my suspicions. I involuntorily compared him, whatever wcre lus good or bad deeds, at least an humble penitent before his God, with the wreteh that I had deo.ided büt a feW moments ago to make of myself, by the misappropriation of my cmployers, money, and still hauntod, however, by the rolief it could obtaih for me, woüld hot quite give way to the feeling of repentance which v;is knocking for admission at my breast. I had half decided to turn away and drive these botter thoughts from ra y mind, when I observed something moving in a small erib that was placed at the side and toward the foot of their bed. lts oceupant, a grandehild, whoso jwivuts they had informed me wcre dead, awakened, probably, by its grandfather'ê voico, rose up, looked around, and scttlcd down upon its knees, and clasping its littlo hands as its grandfather'e were clasped, and lookitiji upWard, out throngb the window at tho woon, whose bright light feil upon its darling face bfegan moving its lips as if trying to repeat" tho words. Nothing so lik(! an angel over met iny sight. Tho grandfathei began the Lord's jnavi-r. The little fellow seemed to havo this' by heart. He repeatod it, word for word, his tiny, silvery Voice sotlnding in sweet accord. I oould not turn away, nor any longer resist the better cmotions which I had hitherto kept down. A rush pf repentant feeling passed througli m with an effeot tliat .sliook cvory fibre. I feil upon my knees, and with tears streaming from my eyes, joincd in the concluding words of tht; prayer. I need not say I changed my mind with regard to the money. I passed a quid night, and rose early, hastening awi toward my journey's ond, so as to give mysolf the least possiblo#time or opportunity for ehanging my new-formed resolution. In handing the package to the agent, I said to him, that as there wa money in it, it inight as well be opencd in ltiy prescnce, to seo that all was correct, oto. Hu, of course, discorered the error, and banded me back the amoüut that was over, with whieh I returned homo and dclivered it up to the proper owiier in duo time. lt was fortunóte for ino in every way ilial 1 puraued the oemne T had adopted. It appoared that the money had been obtained from the batik after bank hours in th( absence of' tho teller, from one of the officers. There were no looso notes otl hand of the larger denomiuations, but Khere Were sheets of thousands and five hundredsi signed by tho president and cashier. Either two sheets were picked ïip in mistake for one, or the wrong batch of sheets sclected from - that is thousands Were taken instead of fivohundreds. Tho notes were hurriedly lipped, strapped, and indorsed "$5,001),"" without recounting, and so enveloped and handed over to mo. The bank had disi on v,l the error, and no doubt was entertained but that tho. missing money was withme. WhBther I should have had the face to withstand the imputation, even with the apparcntly Undisturbed condition of the envelope iii my favor, is more than I ean say, but I doubt it, But tlin notes, in pur.suanco of a precaution still in use in some banks, were payable to tho order of one of the clerks, and had not boen indorsed by him. I oould not, therofore, have used them, or if so, they eould havo been traced back to mo. I found, also, that tho numbers had been carefully aacertained of all I had taken with me, and thua anothor chance of detoction existed. What an escapo ! Upon returning and entering the counting room I handed the surplus back to my senior, with a feeling somewhat of pride, but mixed up with other foelings not easily described. My precaution of having the money openod by the agent in my presenco was highly commended, and tho possibility of his misappropriating the undue amount - as very littlo personal knowledgo of him was possessed by the firm was duly diseussed. What was said on this point brought bluslies into my eheeks. In course of time ray senior accountant was taken into tho firm. I was put in his position, with his salary. I saved monoy, iinally got into business on my own account, and am now, as you know, rich. I never forgot my farmer host and his grandchild ; but at the deathof the former I took charge of the boy. He is now my partner and the husband of my daughter.