that originated with "the agent."

The cases brought before his notice rather disposed him to regard the
people as wily and treacherous, false in their pledges and unmindful
of favours; and many, doubtless, were so; but he never inquired how far
their experience had taught them, that dishonesty was the best policy,
and that trick and subtlety are the only aids to the poor man. He
forgot, above all, that they had neither examples to look up to, nor
imitate, and that when once a people have become sunk in misery, they
are the ready tools of any wicked enough to use them for violence, and
false enough to persuade them, that outrage can be their welfare; and,
lastly, he overlooked the great fact, that in a corrupt and debased
social condition, the evils which, under other circumstances, would be
borne with a patient trust in future relief, are resented in a spirit
of recklessness; and that men soon cease to shudder at a crime, when
frequency has accustomed them to discuss its details.

I must not--I dare not dwell longer on this theme. Leslie felt all the
accusations of an awakened conscience. He saw himself the origin of many
misfortunes--of evils of whose very existence he never heard before.
Ere Owen concluded his sad story, his mind was opened to some of the
miseries of Ireland; and when he had ended, he cried, "I will live at
home with ye, amongst ye all, Owen! I will try if Irishmen cannot learn
to know who is their true friend; and while repairing some of my own
faults, mayhap I may remedy some of theirs."

"Oh! why did you not do this before I came to my ruin?" cried Owen, in
a passionate burst of grief; for the poor fellow all along had given
himself up for lost, and imagined, that his own plea of guilt must bring
him to the gallows. Nor was it till after much persuasion and great
trouble, that Leslie could reconcile him to himself, and assure him,
that his own fortunate repentance had saved him from destruction.

"You shall go back to your mountain-cabin, Owen; you shall have your own
farm again, and be as happy as ever," said the young man. "The law must
deal with those who break it, and no one will go farther than myself to
vindicate the law; but I will also try if kindness and fair-dealing will
not save many from the promptings of their own hearts, and teach men
that, even here, the breach of God's commandments can bring neither
peace nor happiness."

My object in this little story being to trace the caree