rman had a kind of way with him that won the boy's heart, and
naturally tended to make him judge of whatever he might do in a most
favorable manner.

"I wish he had corrected that error," he said to himself a great many
times when thinking in a pleased way of Mr. Carman, and his own good
fortune in having been received into his employment. "It don't look
right, but it may be in the way of business."

One day he went to the bank and drew the money for a check. In
counting it over he found that the teller had paid him fifty dollars
too much, so he went back to the counter and told him of his mistake.
The teller thanked him, and he returned to the store with the
consciousness in his mind of having done right.

"The teller overpaid me by fifty dollars," he said to Mr. Carman, as
he handed him the money.

"Indeed," replied the latter, a light breaking over his countenance;
and he hastily counted the bank bills.

The light faded as the last bill left his fingers.

"There's no mistake, James." A tone of disappointment was in his
voice.

"Oh, I gave him back the fifty dollars. Wasn't that right?"

"You simpleton!" exclaimed Mr. Carman. "Don't you know that bank
mistakes are never corrected? If the teller had paid you fifty dollars
short he would not have made it right."

The warm blood mantled the cheek of James under this reproof. It is
often the case that more shame is felt for a blunder than a crime. In
this instance the lad felt a sort of mortification at having done what
Mr. Carman was pleased to call a silly thing, and he made up his mind
that if they should ever overpay him a thousand dollars at the bank,
he should bring the amount to his employer, and let him do as he
pleased with the money.

"Let people look after their own mistakes," said Mr. Carman.

James Lewis pondered these things in his heart. The impression they
made was too strong ever to be forgotten. "It may be right," he said,
but he did not feel altogether satisfied.

A month or two after the occurrence of that bad mistake, as James
counted over his weekly wages, just received from Mr. Carman, he
discovered that he was paid half a dollar too much.

The first impulse of his mind was to return the half-dollar to his
employer, and it was on his lips to say, "You have given me half a
dollar too much, sir," when the unforgotten words, "Let people look
after their own mistakes," flashing upon his thoughts, made him
hesitate. To hold a parley with