Grey Highlands Public Library Digital Collections

Flesherton Advance, 7 May 1896, p. 7

The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

HAN OF BLOW) MD lEON. COLLEGE AND POLITICAL LIFE OF COUNT VON BISMARCK. lutrnitliiic FarU Abuul •â- >« of thr: CrratcKl Mm In Use Warld'H Hisfarjr- â- IH PatrlallKBiâ€" â- !» HcnUmrBta. When a student of Gottin^en on more than coo occasion, but more especially when the rector once sent for .and re- buked him in a paternal wa; for hia pu^acit;, Bismarck did not accept th« reproof. To the rector's astonishment, be made an indignant speech, expressing detestation ot Frenchmen, French prin- eiples, and revoluntionaxy Germans, whom he called Frenchmen in disguise. He prayed that the Bword of Joshna mijht be given him to exterminate all these. " Well, my young friend, you are preparing great trouble -for yourself," remarked the rector, with a shake of the head ; " your opinions are those of another age." " Good opinions blossom •gain like the trees after winter," wae Bismarck's answer. EXECUTION WITH POLITENESS. One day he wtus in a committee sit- ting of the Prussian diet. A democratio oppooent said to him : â€" " You alone of all your paxt7 have always treated us with politenees. Let us make a bargain. If we gain the upper band, we shall ^>are you ; but if fortune should favour Jcnx, you shall do the same to us." To this Bismartrk replied: â€" " If your party has its way. life will not be worth living; if oun is victorious, there will have to be executicms ; but they shall be conducted with poiileneas up to the last step of the Ladder." No wretched self-distrust cboracter- iaed Che young Biamaruk. In 1851 the King asked him if be would accept the place of Prussian ambassador at Frank- fort, to which he made the brief answer "Ja." His Majesty expressed a little â- urpriae that he made no enquiries or eonditiona, when Bismarck replied that " any thing which the King felt strong enough to propose to him, he felt strong •oougb to accept." NO PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT. Bismarck cheriBbed England as his own country, but he never allowed his MnlimenC to influenee his politics. When Che western powers met Russia in Crtm<%a, they were much exa«{.ierated that Prussia did not join them. But Bis- marck kept out, and when, afterward, he settle<i first Austria and then France, Russia said nothing. That was gmat politics. That was one of his master strokt's. When (he English Crown Princess. Vicloita's eldest daughter, married the Crown Prince of Germany, Bismarck had uuthing to say against it oo the ground of the principals' per- •onalities, but the outcome be deplured was the domination of an Engii^^h wo- man, should she even partly remain one, on tht' Prujssian throne. Kugliah influ- ence douiiuaUiig Ihf court without cor- rrspouding consideration for the Prus- sians. " TbH first lady in the land her- self an English woman. No petticoat government for us," he afterward said. UIS IMMORTAL DOCTRINE. Bisnmn-k's iiiimort^il doctrinf of " blooti and irun." wa--^ given puldicity pbruj^ed under the following circum- stances: â€" Ue was iut«nt on the mili- tary reform of I'ru^uiia as a prelimin- ary to un aggrfs«ive assertion of uuit- e<l Gertuun}'. It wjts a meeting of a ilosiile budget committee u( pai'liament. From his pocket lie look an olive leaf, aa.viug be hud brought it to the Kadi- calu as a symbol of peace, but that he found himself much too soon with it. Then, as they smiled, br- roused himself as follows: "Germany does not look to the liberaJism, but to the power of Prussia, and Prussia must pull herself together so as not again to mis.s the favourable inoiuenl. Not by speei-hi- fying and resolutions, as in 1848 and 1849, can the great question of the time be. decided, liut by blood and iron." Then he rrushed the withered olive leaf to dust. By " blood" it is to be undeistouil Bismarck meant soldiers. Here was one of hia working politicaJ principles: "When I wish to estimate the danger that is likely to accrue to roe from my adversary. I first of all subtract the mao'.s vanity from his oth- er qualities." NO LOVER OF BLOODSHED. This man of the state, this 'Titan in Civil government, who had tile ta*te •jud skill for wax and created his countryiuan's empire by means uf three cuitflicls. nevertheless, is no lover of bloodshed. And this is the evidence, this remark by the great ex-Chancellor; " He who has onoe gazed into the glazed eye of a dying warrior on the fieUt of battle will think twice before begin- ning a war." In 1880 he was shot at in the streets of Berlin by a fanatical Democrat. He went home, met his dinner guests, and at last whispered to his wife : " l bave been shot at, my child; but !iever mind, there's uo harm done. Let us go in to dinner." Latevr, when every one was talkiug of the attempted as- sassination in the drawing room. Countess Bismarck exclaimed that if "she were in heaven and saw the vil lain standing on the toi) of a ladder leading down to hell, she would have DO hesitation in giving him a push." Whereat Bismarik lapped her gently and said : "Hush, my dear; you would not be in heaven yourself, with such thoughts SA t hi'flO " ABOUT Pl'BLIC OPINION. 'Ihis is what Bismarck thinks alx>ut the mighty foi\t' of public opinion: "True public opinion is that wnich is the outcome of certain jiolitical. relig- ious and soi'ia.l convictions, of (i very simple kind, deep down iu the nation- al life, and to recognize and give effect !to thi^ is tbu task of. the true states- man. I might call it the undercurrent of public opinion. Hence it is that 1 have never reckoned with our v>arlia- menlary screamers, an<l that conse- •^uentlv I have always had the satisfac- tion oi having enlisted on my side the public opiuion by which 1 set my sloiv." HIS IDEAL WOMAN. And now a word or two about tb<' Bian and aspects of his politics in the Ipwds oi Mr. I.6we : " The name of wo- man rnrely ever crossed the latter's lips. His private life was sixitlessly pure. Frederick the Great tolerated no women at his court, and in this other respect also Bismarck was like Carlyle's pecu- liar hero. He was little subject to f*- inine beauty, hated clever women, and married a lady, weil born, yet plain, unpretentious, and country bred, who was the perfect type of a German baus- frau, or bousebolct goddess of the econ- omic kind. Apart from his only daugli- ter, who used to act as bis cipherer! his wife was the only wonuin who was ever able to exercise a subtle influence in politics and personal questions over him. But with Queen Victoria, when she went to Berlin to see her dying Bcn-in- law, he was 'greatly charmed^ as with one of ' the wisest statesman of the time." Yet it was the masculine more than the feminine element in the mind of her Majesty, which captivated the Iron Chancellor. " In diplomacy no one ever outwitted him, -and it was only in the field of domestic politics, where bis wisdom was less appurejit, andL indeed, was some- times little leas than folly, that hia opponent occa;3ionall^ got the better of him, recalling to mind the spectacle of Samson Agonistes, when be wag mode sport of by the Philistines." HIS PURE PATRIOTISM. " His patriotism was of the loftiest and purest kind, and everything that he SiA was for the {p>od of his country. After he was universally acknowledged to be the greatest man of his time, he accepted no invitations to the tables of others, imless, indeed, they came from court, and then they wwre in the na^ ture of a command. But otherwise, after reaching the zenith of his fame and power, the Iron Chancellor broke festive bread under no roof but his own. At no ball, or dinner or diplo- matic entertainment, or theatrical per- formance was his towering form ever seen. As far, iodei.d,, as the society of the capital was oonoemed, be might as well havo been dead. The Olympus peak on which the Jupiter of Eurotwan statesman sat enthroned was shrouded in a perpi=;tual veil of mist." TO WATCH FOR ANDREE'S BALLOON. laslraetlMis far At-rtlc ^Hllven Abasl the SwMliNk Palar Kx»««iili*a. All the whaling an<l sealing vessels sailing from the Pacific coast for the Arctic Ocean and all trading expedi- tions of every kind sl^rting for sum- mer tours in the polar regions are tak- ing with them notices to communicate to the nati.--* of the regions they visit, telling oi t>>« '•cssible appearance tbei« next fall of Prof. Andree's bal- loon, and informing them what kind of thing it i», and what to do and wliat not. to do to it and to the mien who are. expected to appear with it. Prof. Andree is to start from Spitz- bergeu with his balloon party some time in July next, and will try to float over the North Pole. There is no tell- ing just where the balloon may come down, and, above all, there is no tell- ing just what the natives of the polar regions might think of a balloon if they saw one. They might think it was an evil :ipiril and attempt to destroy it and the beingis it carried, or they might flee from it in terror. Either of these acts would be unfortunate. So the civilized people going up Behring Sea. way have been (.â- ommi>«ioned to give all the natives they come across elementary information on the subject of aeronautics and especial information as to what to do if an aeronaut comes their way. The Swedish Consuls at the various Pacific coast cities have Iwen at great pains to communicate with all parties going to the far north, and to tell them all about .\ndre«'s expedition and ask their a-Hsistance in his liehalf. The Geo- graphical Society of the Pacific couiii is also active in the same matter. The Pa- cific Steam Whaling Company sends vessels to practically all parts of the .\rctic Ocean reached through Behring Sea. and it has carefully instructed all its Captains, to do their best to instruct the natives. The Alaska Commercial Company will send like instructions to all its jxNits and to all points reached by its vessels. The Captains and agents are asked to make known to the in- habitants ot those itarts of Alaska. Bri- tish Columbia, and Siberia bordering upon the Arctic Ocean the possibility of the balloon rea*'hing their country, and to ask tbem to give the ballounists support and assistance, and help and direct them to the nearest white set- tlement. The natives will also be ask- ed to report any news whatever they may get of the balloon to the nearest white settlement, and especially to re- port if they see the l«llooa. OUR GOLD MINE& EaroNrnKlnx Krparl Fmim Ihe Jack V»«li Ba.v aa<t â- â€¢â€¢ PvrlMKr Ulnirlrlv. Mr. D. F. Burk of Port Arthur was in Toronto, the other day, and had much to say about the activity in mining circles up there. "The Empress mine, near Ja«'k Fish Bay is progressing fam- ously," be said. ".Mai'hinery for a ten- stamp mill was taken into the mine on the snow during the winter, and carp- enters are now at work prepariug the limbers for the building. They expect to be in full operation by the first of June. The Canadian Pacific Railway is now erei'ting new coal docks at Jack Fish, which will he used instead of those al; Rcies Port, and this, combined with the mining boom will make liusine.ss brisk. The Sultana and Regina mines, near Rat Portage, which werw sending out alK>ut |2,000 worth of cold a week a short time ago. are now ship- ping to the mint gold bricks of the value of over $4,000 a week, \york on the Spine River is also promising. At the Foley Camp a couple of shafts have been sunk to a depth of over 100 feet and Mr. Foley states that they aiv now in a position to put up a 30-stanip aiill." USEFUL AT LASr. You should have seen how regally .Miss De Frivolous swept down the av»v nue vestertlay! Well, that's the first time 1 ever heard of that girl doing anything u.se>- ful. There is no opposing biulal force to the stratagems of human reason.â€" L' E;st range. RCSES. The rose is justly called the Queen of Flowers. No plant is more popular and none gives better satisfaction when properly handled. Roses should be planted in a rich, loose soil, where they will receive full benefit of the morning sun. They should be cut back to a few buds when plant- ed, and should have a deep, rich soil and high cultivation; as they can only bloom un new shoots or growth. In the spring all dead shoots should be cut out down to the live wood, and all live wood should be out back from one- third to two-thirds of the previous years growrth. This, with high eulti<" vation produces a rank growth of new wood, and a'^ abundance of rich bloom. Most all roses, but particularly the Tea, Bengal, Noisette and Bourbon classes need careful protection if left out through the winter in this or simi- lar climates. This may be done by hilling up with earth, or by lying up with straw or evergreen branches. Many pe^rsons are deterred from planting roses from the fact that they suffer so from attacks of insects. But if proper attention is paid to soil planting, watering, etc., and a few simple instructions heeded, little trouble will be experienced. The Ap- his is among the most annoying foes, and particularly infest plants in the bouse. Ft'inigatinc with t joacco smoke is about the mxist effective remed,y. This can easily be done hy covering the plant with a paper cone and passing the smoke up underneath and about tbe plant. In the month of May. as soon as the leaves of garden roses have pushed out, the rose caterpillar makes his appear^ ance. He can reckiily be detected, for he glues a leaf or two together to form his shelter. The.se glued leaves should be pinched between the thumb and finger.so as to destroy the cater» pillar. This is the only simple and ef- fective reme«ly for thip* uiiilefactor. But for other in.sects, such aa tbe saw fly and Buoh as come at a later date than the caterpillar, an occasional syringing vigorously applied will prove an excel- lent remedy. A spraving with weak Paris Green is very eueciive. The red spider may generally l>e kept off, by keeping the plants daily syringed with water, as i hese enemie.s t hrive only in dry atmospheres. Bui when the plants have liecome badly infested, the fumes of sulphur alone will cli*{>erse them. This remecly will cause the foliage to drop off, iHit it is the only known remedy which is very effective, and if the foliage does drop off. it will come again. For the ruse bug, band picking is tbe only effective remedy. Like the red spider, it is proof against Paris Green, whalet-oil soap, and all such applico- tion,s. I might mention and detucribe a few of the best of the different classes. Class I., summer roses, or those which bloom in June and July. Gem of Prairr ie â€" Climljer, red, o«.Ta.sionally blotched with white, large (lat flowers, the only one of its class that is fragrant, tjueen of the Prairie.â€" bright rosy red, frequently with white stripes. Balti/- moi-e Belie,â€" pale blush, becoming nearr ly white, touip,ict and fine. The aliove are much the more valu- able among the now remontent climlv ers. They are rapid growers, and sur- pass all climlvi's for hardiness. The flowers are produced in large clusters late in the. s«>astm. when otner suui» mer ruses are gone. When it is desired to cover walls. unsightly buildings, etc., with roses none will be found to do the work so efficiently as the prairie roues. Aureti.â€" Fine, dark, velvety purple' globular and double. Harri-son's Yellow, â€"A very free bloomer, golden yellow, medium size, semi-double. Pei-sian Yellow,â€" A free bloomer, bright yellow, small, nearly full. It is desirabfe to grow more than one plant of this variety, and by pruning one this year and one next, annual crops of flowers may be had. Ma<lam f»lantier,â€" One of the best pure white roses; blooms in clusters. Russell's Cottage,â€" Brilliant red blooms in large clusters. The above five varieties require care- ful pruning. Remove weakly yvood ol- together. and only shorten a feyv inches the shoots left for flowering. If prun- ed close they will not bloom, as the tloyvers are protlui-ed from terminal 8h<x>ts of the old growih. Class IL. Moss Roe<-8. This is a favorite class with every one, on account of the tieautiful buds yvhich for Ixjuquets and cut floyvers are in- valuable. 'I'hev require close pruning and high cultivation and coreful win- ter protection. I bey amply repay core- ful attention by the jnorea.sed size and bt-auty of the floyvei-s. Princess Adelaide.â€" Pale rose color, ot fine form, foliage often blotched or var- iegated, good both in bud and floyver. Do not prune this variety very severely. The most vigorous of all the mos.ses. Glory of Mo,sses,â€" Pale rose color,very large, full and beautiful. Gen. Droiioh.â€" Deep <Timson, very motisv and a free bloomer, dyvarf habit, perpetual bloomer. Countess of Murinais.â€" White, slight- ly tinzed with flesh color. " .Siileli.â€" Clear rose wlor. very double, â€"of vigorous growth, and abundant blorin. a perpetual bloomer. Class ill., Remo!>tant or Hybrid Pei^- peluals. These are among the most sat isfactory of all the !\u«'s. They are constant bloomei-s, ot hardy habit, and require less careful attention than mo.st oth^ er varieties. But they will well re- pay high cultivation. .\» they bloom on neyv gniyvth, they should hf pruned back severely every spring. Gpu. .'ai'nu>m'n()i.â€" Brilliant crimson, large and extremely effect i%e. frag- rant and oft excellent hardy hal>it. Gen. Wii.shington.â€" Bright red, with crimson shAiie, Ur^e flat form, very full ojnd a v. ry tree bloomer. La Heine.â€" Glossy rose color, largo, moderately full, very free flowering and one of the most h.(r<ly. Paul NeyiTin.â€" Di'fji rose color, goal tuugh foliage, woo<l rather smooth. By far the largest varie'y in cultivation; a fine bloomer au.i itiy dvwrable. Vick'.'* Oiprice.â€" La<-(re. pinlr str>>>ed and dasheil with white and carmine, viforous and free blocming. La France. â€" Delicate silvery rose col- or, very large, full, fine, globular form; but rather slender, a most constant bloomer, the sweetest of ail roses, and unsurpassed for delicacy of coloring. Coquette de Blanche.â€" Pure white floyvers in clusters. Class IV. â€" Noisette Roses. These are the finest autumnal bloomr- ens and are distiaguished by flowering in clusters. They require careful pro- tection during yvinter. Augusta. â€" Sulphur yellow^, large and full, very fragrant, strong groyver. Narcisse.â€" Pale yellow, a beautiful tea scented rose. Cloth of Gold.â€" Rich, deep yellow, large, double, fragrant and a vigorous grower, W.J.KERR. f THE OLDEST UNIVERSITY. The " Hrbftal Fur the <«•â- Â« af tbe Ejuplre " in PektB. The City of Pelrin contains what is undoubtedly the oldest university in the world. It is called the Kwotsze- kiea or " School for the Sees of the Empire." The duties of the faculty are somewhat difficult, font ic addi- tion to the instruction of the scholars, they have to admonish the Emperor of that which is just and good, to re- prove him for his faults, and have the hereditary privilege of schooling the members of his family in the sciences and arts. During the last three hun- dred years, howeveu, the scope of their teaching bos been widened, and all those throughout the province who pur- chase degrees, and are of defective edu- cutiou hltcnd the Ewotszelrian. Tbe antiquity of the college is very great, and tbe granite register, consisting of stone columns, 320 in number, contains the names of 60,000 graduates of the highest degree. These inscribed col- umns constitute the university roll oi honour, and tbe record goes back mor« than 600 years. Tbe university also contains tbe " Thirteen Classics." en- graved on 182 massive granite columns, probably almost the ONLY STONE LIBR.\RY in existence. There is one in Sanganfu also, but that belonged to the Kwotsze- kian when Singau was the seat of Em- pire. Attached to the university is a mag- nificent temple of Confucius, and ad- joining the temple is the Imperial leo- tun^room, so called l>ecauae the Em- peror must attend there once every year and receive tbe instruction and exhortation of the college presiclents This ceremony is still kept up, though the majority" of the college buildings are in ruins, and its educational value is almost nil. 'The only use uf this ancient institution now is to enable the professors to bold a sham exam- ination [tericdically, and thus entitle them to draw their salaries. The emo- luments are not large. Each profes- sor draws 93 [wr month, tyvo suits of clothes, ,auil tyyo liusheJs of rice every year, and a fur jai'ket once in three years. 'I'here is, however, a certain amount of honour and social distinction attached to the office, so that the ap- plications are far more numerous than the vaj-ancies. There are six colleges for students, named as follows;â€" Hall for the Pur- suit of Wisdom. Hall of the .Sirnvre Heart, Hall of True Virtue, Hall of Noble Aspirations, Hall of Broad^ .â- Vc- quirements. and- Hall for the Guid- ance of Nature. Each college or hall has t wo professors and many assist- ants, and the faculty consists of tyvo pn-sideols, three vk'e-presidents, the re»-tcw, two directors ot instruction, two pix>t'tors. two secretaries^ and one \\b- rarian. Twice a month all these offi- cials assemble in full war paint and perform NINE PROSTRATIONS on the flag stones in front of the tem^ pie. Tbe gorgeous robes and imposing ceremony made this a rather impres- sive spectacle, but of late years even this has been done by proxy, and two or three members go through the pre- scribed genuflexions and then y\Tite the name ot the absent ones as well as t heir oyvn in the [wnderous ledger entitled the "Record of Diligence." The degrees can l)e purchased for a mo<lerate sum, and some years ago 100,000 diplomas were sent out into the provinces in one year. Perhaps not 20 i)er cent, of the recipients of the degrees had ever even seen the yvnlls of Pekin. The colleges mentioned date back to a very remote period, and in 1644 the Tartars added eight more colleges, one for each Tartar trilie. The whole fourteen buildings are no\v, hoyvever. in a very dilapidated condi- tion, and no instruction is given iu an.y of them. Every now ami then an atieuipt is made to rsvive these Gov- ernment sihools, but it never comes to anything. The last attempt was made by" WoOiu, the tutor of the Emperor and a bitter opponent of Western ideas. He died soon after his ai>- pointment as president of the univer- sity, and the ancient .\lma Mater of the early Chinese is .still merely a re- membrance of the proud institution which was in its glory before Plato was born. â€"New York Times. TUF, NOSE A MICROBE KILLER. According to some recent experiments there are alx)Ul. 15,1100 iiMcr<il)es in each pint of air which is inspired. In some localities this nuinlier may reach 1,0(00,000, but the average city number â- Â» alwut as stale<l. This microbe laden air is taken into the air passages. When the air is expired it is quite sterp ile. The air has further l>een found t« lie sterile in the ni;is<)-pii«ryngi"al Cttvit.v- The inference is, therefore, that the nose is a most poyverful niicrolie de- stroyer, and also that, in order to de- stroy the 15,000 miorolies, it. Is imi>ort- aul to draw the air through the nasal passages. NO AMATEUR WAN'rED. She â€" Ai'e you sure I am the first wor man you ever lovedt He â€" I swear it. She â€" Then you may go. After you have had some experience, cume to me I again- ORINKING LONDON. The AmuMtmg AntouBt of llqasr f^aasssM^ la «ireal BCIIaia. Tbe quantity ot liqusr oonsumad by this population of three-quartars of M million is almost incredible, says tlM London Siajulaxd. It is as follows:â€" Beer, 70,95S,lX)4 gallons; spirits, 11,< 205.627 gallons; and wine, 30,040 tons. Tbe wine may l>e omittsd, beoauae il is not certain what was meant by a " ton," but the others show the fol- loyving consumption per head : â€" Beer, 97 gallon* ; spirits, 14 gallons. In arda> to explain the significance ot these fig- ures, it need only be stated that the average consumption per head in ths United Kingdom during the last 90 years has been :â€" Beer, 28.4 gallons; spirits and yvine together, 1.48 gallons. The highest figures recorded daring ths period are :â€" Beer. 84 gallons. In 1874 i spirits and wise, 1.81 gallons, in 187S. It appears, therefore, that our worthy forefathers drank three times aa mucU spirits as we do in our most intemper- ate moments. There were 654 Inns and taverns, 5,975 ale-houses, and 8,690 " brandy-shops "â€"in aU 15,288 houses for the" consumption of liquor on the premises. That is to say, there was ons pot-house to every six houses and to every 47 persons. ' In 1891 the propor- tions were one to 63 and one to 580 respectively. Even if we take the toj tal number of retail licenses of all kinds, both for on .ind oft cousiunption including the so-called grocers' licenses and those for refreshment houses, they oiilv represent one to every 430 p«r« sons: so that public-houses in the last oenLury were nearly ten times as num> erous, relatively to the population, as all tbe establishments where liquor is â- old to-day put together. The major- itv of tbe"m. it yvill be ohservad. wers " bra ndv -shops." or spirit bars, and these mainlv existed in the tworer quar- ters to the' eastyvard at the city and on tbe Surrey side. In the west end and the citv they were comuuxatively few. Ale-houses, on the other hand, were more evenly distribute<i, and, if anything, rather more numerous in ths better quarters. This throyvs soms light on the babits of the yvorking classes, and completely disposes of ths idea that bar-drinking is a modern in- vention. The public-house was even less a place of real refreshment and more of a mere bar than it is to-^lay. As for tbe inns and taverns, yvhich our fancy peoples with honest folk refresh- ing themselves in a legitimate fashion after the day's toil, there were only 654 of them," against some 1.5(000 com- mon po; -bouses and bars. The coffee- houses numbered 551. And these were the "good old times." which are sup- posed to afford such an edifying con- trast to our own evil da.'s, when ihs "rising tide of liquor" threatens na^ lional ruin. It will bave to rise a long way befor* it reaches 97 gallons of beer and 4 of spirits per head, yvith a pot- house at every sixth door. A PATHETIC STORY. A Tsans nnn '•loir »>•â- > Hia Emplsyer ts SapiMirl HI*, yfvlhrr iiiiil Brulhrr* aad sli*trr«. A patlietic story was recently told in a Loudon police court by a layvyer yvho was defending a prisoner al the bar. The evidence convicting his client was too strong to be refuted, but tbe mo- tives which led to the crimes were in- spired by affection, anil sympathy was thus excited for a foolish and unfor- tunate man. The prisoner yvas a clerk in a large dry-g'Kxls stop. For eight years he had supported his mother and his younger brothers and sisters, who were depend- ent upon him after his father's death. It ha<l be*n a hanl struggle. There wert! many to feed and clotue. Other relatives had left him to bi'or his bur- djns alone. Misfortunes had multiplied. His moth- er bad broken doyy n under a most pain- ful, incurable disease, ami had requir- ed constant medical care and nursing during a long illness. Overwhelmed with largely increased family expenses the young "man liecame so desperate that "he Ijegan to cheat, his emplo.yer« that he might keep those whom he lov- ed alive. 1 .K- The method yvas ingenious, :ina IDS robberies escoped detection for A long lime. Customers in tbe shop often lelt behind the bills for goods which were handed to them yvith their change. Hui device yvas to secrete these bills, and to use them iu serving other custom- ers. One memorandum for a small amount yvould go to the cashier, and the customer would receive the correct staienient, the salesman iiocketing the diifei-ence Iwtyveen the two bills. This yveni on for months l»efore he w.is sus- pected of ili.vhonesty uud caught in the act. Ihe voung thief had no bad habits. He did" not waste the money which he stole, but took it home and used it in pavin« bous.-lK>ld expenses and doo- tofs' bills. When his mother died he had to provide for the funeral expenses and he did it by stealing from his em- plovers. â- fhes.' fads were brought out during the trial, while the prisoner hung his bead for shame. I'he magistrate sen- tenced him to t wo months ot hard la- tor in prison, hu\, expres.se'. regret that hi' yvas coiui^elied to make an ex- ample of so duiilul a son and so affec- tionate a brother. He remarked that tbe prisoner bad carried a heavier bur- den than ought t o have beeu put ujiou him, and that his ndatives had Ijeeii ser- iously, almost criminally at fault in not assisting him. The l)est motives of course did not excus*' or justify the young man's dis- honesty. After "eight years of devoted service for those dei)en(lent upon him he yvas convicted a thief, yvbose only txmsolalion vx>ujd lie the thought that: his in.)tlier hail not lived to witness his disrgace. Me deserve<l the light sen- temi- and the magistrate's syuiiiathy ; and the reltitives, yvh ohad left him to struggle on alone yvhen they might have' relieved hiui yvith timely aid. earn- ed the rebuke that was a.lniinistered to them. Too often some one member of a family is i.lTliged to carry the. bur- den of the support of father or mother, or of some other of its meiul.'ers. by relatives yvho fully deserve ^JUblic con- demnation for the selfish deliuquoneies.

Powered by / Alimenté par VITA Toolkit
Privacy Policy