grew confident that I should not trust in God and my
own innocence in vain--and so it happened: one of my fellow-laborers
proved to be the person who had picked up the note after I had dropped
it, having come a few minutes after me along the same road to his work,
and hearing that the suspicion had fallen altogether upon me, he was
tempted to turn the accident to his own advantage, and conceal the
property; which having kept in his own box for a few weeks, till he
thought no suspicion would rest upon him, he went and offered the note
for change, and being then suspected, my master had him taken up, and
I was released.

"The second change, from so much misery to happiness, was almost too
much for us. My master sent for me, and with many expressions of concern
for what had passed, made me give him an account of the means by which I
had collected the little fund that fixed his suspicions so strongly upon
me. I accordingly related the history of it as I have now done; and when
I came to that part where I checked my children for their inconsiderate
joy on finding the note, he rose with much kindness in his looks, and
putting the bank-bill into my hand, he said,

"'Take it; the bank-note shall be theirs. It is the best and only
return I can make you, as well as a just reward of your honesty; and
it will be a substantial proof to your children of the goodness of
your instructions, for they will thus early see and feel the benefit
of honesty and virtue.'

"This kind and worthy gentleman interested himself much in the
purchase of my boat, which, in less than a week, I was in full
possession of. The remainder of my master's bounty, and the additional
advantage of the ferry, has placed me in comfortable circumstances,
which I humbly trust God will continue to us as long as we continue
our labor and honest diligence; and I can say from my long experience,
that the fruit of our own industry is always sweetest. I have now also
the pleasure of being able to help others; for when a rich passenger
takes my ferry, as my story is well known in the neighborhood, he
often gives me more than my fare, which enables me to let the next
poor person go over for half price."

The lady and gentleman were extremely pleased with the waterman's
story, and willingly joined in calling him the happy waterman. They
passed over in his ferry-boat for the sake of making him a handsome
present. And from this time becoming acquainted with his family, they