r of ten dollars in the calculation which they have made
against themselves; and another of ten dollars in the footing."

"Also against themselves?"

"Yes, sir."

The merchant smiled in a way that struck the lad as peculiar.

"Twenty dollars against themselves," he remarked in a kind of pleased
surprise; "trusty clerks they must have!"

"Shall I correct the figures?" asked the lad.

"No; let them correct their own mistakes. We don't examine bill's for
other people's benefit," replied the merchant. "It will be time to
correct those errors when they find them out. All so much gain as it now
stands."

The boy's delicate moral sense was shocked at so unexpected a remark. He
was the son of a poor widow, who had taught him that to be just is the
duty of man, and that "honesty is the best policy" always.

Mr. Carman, the merchant, in whose employment the lad James had been for
only a few months, was an old friend of James's father, and a man in
whom he had the highest confidence. In fact, James had always looked
upon him as a kind of model man. When Mr. Carman agreed to take him into
his store, the lad felt that great good fortune was in his way.

"Let them correct their own mistakes." These words made a strong
impression on the mind of James Lewis. When first spoken by Mr. Carman,
with the meaning which he gave them, as we have said, he felt shocked.
But as he turned them over again in his thoughts, and remembered that
this man stood very high in his mother's estimation, he began to think
that perhaps the thing was fair enough in business. Mr. Carman was
hardly the man to do wrong.

A few days after James had examined the bill, a clerk from the house
which had sent it, called for settlement. The lad, who was present,
waited with interest to see whether Mr. Carman would speak of the error.
But he made no remark. A check for the amount of the bill as rendered,
was filled up, and a receipt taken.

"Is that right?" James asked himself this question. His conscience said
no. The fact that Mr. Carman had so acted, bewildered his mind.

"It may be the way in business"--he thought to himself--"but it doesn't
look honest. I wouldn't have believed it of him."

Mr. Carman had a 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 congratulating himself upon his own