| Show I 1 A dollar on the conscience fifty five cents a yard I 1 believe yc you I 1 said the customer was opening her purse parse now fifty cents a yard was the price of i the goods and so mr levering had informed the lady she misunderstood him however i in the community air levering had the reputation of beina being C a conscientious high minded man he knew new that he was thus estimated and self complacently appropriated I 1 the good opinion as clearly his due it came instantly to the lips of mr levering I 1 to say yes fifty five the love of I 1 gain was strong in his mind and ever ready 1 to accede to new plans for adding dollar to dollar but bat ere the words were ut disturbing perception of something wrong wrong restrained him 1 I wish twenty yards said the customer taking taking it for granted that fifty five cents was the price of the goods mr L levering evering i was still silent though he commenced promptly to measure off the goods not dear at that price remarked the lady 1 I think not 12 said the storekeeper I 1 bought the case of goods from which the piece was taken low 94 twenty yards at fifty five cents just eleven dollars the customer opened her purse as she thus spoke and counted out the sum su in in glittering g liitt erine gold arold dollars that is right I 1 I 1 N believe gh ove and she pushed the money towards mr ar levering M who with a kind of a automatic movement of his hand drew forward the coin and swept it into the till send the bundle to no argyle street said the lady with a bland smile as she turned from the counter and the half bewildered storekeeper 11 stay madam there is a slight mistake the words were in mr leverings thoughts and on the point of gaining gai nino utterance but he had not the courage to speak he had gained alnea a dolar is in ti tbt translation beyond Vs flis due and already it was laying heavily his conscience willingly would he lave thrown it off but when about to do BO the quick suggestion came that in acknowledging now to the ane lady the fact of het her having paid five cents a yard too he might blight falter in his explanation and thus betray his attempts to do her a wrong and so BO he kept silent and let her depart beyond recall any thing gained at the price of virtuous self elf respect is required at too large a cost A single dollar on the conscience may press so heavily as to bear down a mans spirits md and rob him of alltha all the delight of li life I 1 e c it was ras so in the present case vain was it I 1 hat mr levering sought self jurisdiction k ague agu e the matter as he would he found it impossible to escape the smarting conviction ahat he had unjustly exacted a dollar from one of his custom rs many times through the day he found himself in a musing astr abstracted acted state and on rousing himself because conscious in in his external I 1 thought that it etwas was the dollar by which he was troubled I 1 im very foolish said he mentally as he walked vey homeward om eward after closing 0 his store for the evening very foolish to worry myself about a trifle like this the goods were cheap enough at fifty five cents and she is quite as well pon contented tinted with her bargain as if she had only paid fifty but bat it would not do the dollar was on I 1 i his conscience and he sought in vain to remove it by efforts of this kind t mr levering had a wife and three pleas I 1 j ant children they were the sunlight of his home when the business of the day was I 1 over he usually returned to his own fireside I 1 I 1 Z with buoyant feelings it was not so 0 on n this occasion there was a pressure on his i bosom a want of self satisfaction the kiss of his wife and the clinging arms of 1 his children as they were twined around his I 1 i I 1 I 1 neck did not bring the old delight 41 what is the matter with you yon this evening dear are you not well inquired mrs 1 I levering break breaking i n g in upon the th thoughtful P aught 11 mood 00 of her it husband u ib d as he sat bat in in unwonted 41 silence pm perfectly well he replied rousing I 1 ili himself insela and forcing a smile you look sober do 0 1 I 11 another forced smile I 1 something troubles you pm im afraid 5 i 0 O no its all your imagination J aare are you sick papa apa now asks a bright 1 mittle little fellow cla clambering dering upon his knee i why no love pm im not sick wity why did you think so I 1 4 0 because you dont play horse with me i oh dear is that the ground of your suspicions pic ions replied the father langhi laughing 1139 t come well soon scatter them to the f winds I 1 and mr levida levering in I 1 commenced a foxe of it 11 romps with the children buthe tired long before they grew weary nor did he from I 1 the beginning be 9 inning enter into this sport with his usual zest I 1 does your head ache pa 11 inquired the child who had previously suggested sickness as he saw his has father leave the floor II 11 and seat himself with iome some gravity of manner on a chair not this evening dear ai answered mr lev levering er ing why dont you play aay longer then oh pa 11 exclaimed another ched speaking I 1 from a sudden thought you dont 0 I 1 know what a time we had at school today to day ai I 1 I 1 ali ah what was the cause oh hardly believe it but bat eddy jones stole a dollar from maggy Enfiel dl stole a dollar ejaculated mr levering his voice was husky and he felt a cold chill passing along every nerve yes pay pa he stole a dollar oh it dreadful 11 perhaps he wm was wrongly accused suggested ted levering emma wilson saw him do it and they found the dollar in his pocket oh he looked so pale and it made me almost sick to hear him cry as if his heart would break they sent for his mother and she took him home it dreadful it must have been dreadful for his poor mother mr levering ventured to remark but more dreadful for him 11 said mrs levering will he ever forget his or crime line and dis disgrace grue will the pressure of that dollar on his conscience ever be removed he may never do so 90 wicked an act again but the memory of this wrong deed cannot be wholly effaced from his mind how rebuking fell all these words on th agars I 1 0 of f mr mc lovering levering ali ah what would be h n not th then en have given to have the weight of 01 thai dollar ar removed its pressure was so s great as to almost suffocate him it was wai all in vain that he tried to he be cheerful or 01 take an interest in what was passing immediately around him the innocent prattle of his children had lost its wanton charm and there seemed an excusing expression in ii the eye of his wife as in in the concern his changed aspect had occasioned she looked soberly upon him unable to bear all this sir mr levering went out something unusual for him abid walked the streets for an hour on his return the children were in bed and he had bad regained sufficient self control co to tc meet his wife with a less disturbed appearance on the next morning mr levering felt fell something better sleep had bad left his mind more tranquil still there was pressure on his feelings which thought could trace back to that unlucky dollar about an hour after going to his store mr levering saw his customer of the day previous enter and move along towards the place where he stood behind his counter his heart give a sudden bound and the color rose to his face an accusing conscience was quick to conclude as aa to the object of her visit but he soon saw that no suspicion of wrong dealing was in the ladys mind with a pleasant half recognition she asked to look at certain certai it articles from which she made purchases purit parit and in paying for them placed a ten dollar bill in the hand of the storekeeper that weight shall be off my conscience said mr levering to himself as he began counting out the change due his customer and purposely he gave her one dollar more than was justly hers in that transaction the lady glanced her eye over the money and seemed slightly bewildered then much to the store storekeepers deepers relief opened hr her purse and dropped it therein all right again was the mental ejaculation of mr levering as aa he saw the purse parse dygap disappear p ear in the ladys pocket while his 1 gibli tb a bebau ut of rellus the customer turned from the counter and had nearly gained the door when she paused drew out her purse and empt emptying yino the contents of one end and into her hand carefully noted the amount then walking back she said with a thoughtful air 1 I think youve made a mistake in the change mr levering acl 1 I presume not malam maam I 1 gave you four dollars and thirty five was the quick reply four wity thirty five said the lady musingly yes here is four thirty five cT hats right ves right mr levering s spoke oke somewhat t nervously the art article cle came to six dollars and six ty five cents I 1 believe yes yes that was it then three collars dollars and thirty five cents will be my right change said the lady placing a small gold coin on the counter you gave me too much the customer turned away and retired from the store leaving that dollar still on the conscience of mr te levering bevering vering ill throw it into the street said he to himself impatiently or give it to the first beo beggar C gar that bhat comes along but conscience whispered that the dollar his either to give away ot throw away such prodigality 6 or impulsive benevolence would be at the expense of another and this could not mend the bhe matter this is im all squeamishness said mr levering trying to argue against his convictions vict ions but it was of no avail his convictions vict ions remained as clear and rebuking 0 as ever the next day was the sabbath and mr levering went to church as usual with his family scarcely had ho he taken a seat in his pew when on raising his eyes they rested on the countenance conte nance of the lady from whom he had abstracted the dollar how quickly his cheeks flus hedl how troubled became instantly the beatings of his hearty heart U unhappy n h 9 mr levering he could not make the usual responses that day in the services and when the congregation joined coined in the willing hymn of praise his voice was heard not at the general thanksgiving scarcely a word of the eloquent sermon reached his ears except something about dishonest dealing he was too deeply engaged in dis cassing the question whether or no he should gt get rid of the troublesome dollar by dropping it into the contribution box at the close of the morning service to listen to the thel words of the preacher this question was not settled when the box came round but this di disposition tion of vie the money proved only a temporary palliative there was still a pressure on his feelings still a weight on his faia conscience that gradually became heavier poor pan man what was he e to do how was he to get et this dollar removed from his conscience we he could sot not send it back to the lady and tell her the whole truth such an exposure of himself would abt only be humiliating but hurtful to his character it would w be seeking to do right in the infliction of f a wrong wrong to himi himself elf i at last mr levering who had ascertain ed eal the ledys idya name and residence her 9 a dour dollar anonymously stating that it was her due that the writer had obtained it from hat her unjustly in a transaction which he did not care to name and could not rest until he had made restitution lit ah the humiliation of spirits suffered by mr levering in thus seeking to ge get ease for his conscience it was one of his bitterest life experiences the longer the dollar remained in his posses possession gion the heavier became its pressure until he be could andare it no longer he felt not only disgraced in his own eyes but humiliated in the presence of his wife and children not for worlds would he have suffered them to look into his heart if a simple act of restitution could have covered all the past happy would it have been for mr levering but this was not possible the deed was entered in the hook book of his life and nothing could efface the record though obscured by the accumulating dust of time now and then a hand sweeps unexpectedly over the page and the writing is revealed though that dollar has been removed from his e conscience and he is now guiltless of wrong yet there are times when the old pressure is felt with distinctness earnest seeker after this worlds goods take warning by mr levering and add beware how in a moment of weak yielding y you ou get a dollar on your conscience ono one or two avila must follow it gift pain and trouble or callous the spot where it rests and the latter of those evils is that which is most to be deplored go godels deys ladys book |
