hers.

There appears to be a strange misapprehension, in the minds of many, in
regard to this point. There are few who will not admit, in theory,
whatever may be their practice, that they ought to be faithful to their
parents. And by far the majority of the young doubtless perceive the
propriety of being faithful to their masters; so long at least, as they
are present. I will even go farther and admit that the number of young
men--sons, wards, apprentices, and servants--who would willingly be so
far unfaithful as to do any thing positively wrong because those who
are set over them happen to be absent, is by no means considerable.

But by faithfulness to our employers, I mean something more than the
mere doing of things because we are _obliged_ to do them, or because we
_must_. I wish to see young men feel an interest in the well being and
success of their employers; and take as good care of their concerns and
property, whether they are present or absent, as if they were their
own. The youth who would be more industrious, persevering, prudent,
economical, and attentive in business, if the profits were his own,
than he now is, does not in my opinion come up to the mark at which he
should aim.

The great apology for what I call unfaithfulness to employers, is,
'What shall I get by it?' that is, by being faithful. I have seen many
a young man who would labor at the employment regularly assigned him,
during a certain number of hours, or till a certain job was completed,
after which he seemed unwilling to lift a finger, except for his own
amusement, gratification, or emolument. A few minutes' labor might
repair a breach in a wall or corn crib, and save the owner many
dollars' worth of property, but it is passed by! By putting a few
deranged parcels of goods in their proper place, or writing down some
small item of account, which would save his employer much loss of time
or money, or both, a faithful clerk might often do a great service.
Would he not do it, if the loss was to be his own? Why not then do it
for his employer?

Those who neglect things, or perform them lazily or carelessly, because
they imagine they shall get nothing for it, would do well to read the
following story of a devoted and faithful domestic; which I suppose to
be a fact. It needs no comment.

A Mahratta Prince, in passing through a certain apartment, one day,
discovered one of his servants asleep with his master's slippers
clasped so tightly to hi