I had,
besides hushing up the whole matter, kept him still in my store, he
might again have been tempted. But the comparatively light
punishment of dismissing him with a good character, will prove a
salutary check upon him."

"Don't you believe it."

"I will believe it, until I see evidence to the contrary. You are
too suspicious--too uncharitable, my good friend. I am always
inclined to think the best of every one. Give the poor fellow
another chance for his life, say I."

"I hope it may all turn out right."

"I am sure it will," returned Mr. May. "Many and many a young man is
driven to ruin by having all confidence withdrawn from him, after
his first error. Depend upon it, such a course is not right."

"I perfectly agree with you, Mr. May, that we should not utterly
condemn and cast off a man for a single fault. But, it is one thing
to bear with a fault, and encourage a failing brother man to better
courses, and another to give an individual whom we know to be
dishonest, a certificate of good character."

"Yes, but I am not so sure the young man we are speaking about is
dishonest."

"Didn't he rob you?"

"Don't say rob. That is too hard a word. He did take a little from
me; but it wasn't much, and there were peculiar circumstances."

"Are you sure that under other peculiar circumstances, he would not
have taken much more from you?"

"I don't believe he would."

"I wouldn't trust him."

"You are too suspicious--too uncharitable, as I have already said. I
can't be so. I always try to think the best of every one."

Finding that it was no use to talk, the neighbor said but little
more on the subject.

About a year afterwards the young man's new employer, who, on the
faith of Mr. May's recommendation, had placed great confidence in
him, discovered that he had been robbed of several thousand dollars.
The robbery was clearly traced to this clerk, who was arrested,
tried, and sentenced to three years imprisonment in the
Penitentiary.

"It seems that all your charity was lost on that young scoundrel,
Blake," said the individual whose conversation with Mr. May has just
been given.

"Poor fellow!" was the pitying reply. "I am most grievously
disappointed in him. I never believed that he would turn out so
badly."

"You might have known it after he had swindled you. A man who will
steal a sheep, needs only to be assured of impunity, to rob the
mail. The principle is the same. A rogue is a rogue, whether i