often taking up incidents that
occurred in school, to illustrate the principle he wished to establish.

It so happened that on the Monday morning after the occurrence just
related, the subject of the moral lesson was dishonesty. The various
forms of dishonesty,--theft, robbery, fraud, &c.,--were explained, and
the distinction between them pointed out. The teacher then proceeded
as follows:

"A gentleman was riding in the cars, one evening, when a newsboy passed
through the train, and he purchased a paper, giving the boy by mistake
a gold eagle instead of a cent. The boy noticed the mistake, but said
nothing about it. Albert, you may tell me what you think of that boy's
conduct."

"It was dishonest," replied Albert; "because he knew that the money did
not belong to him, and yet he kept it."

"But did not a part of the blame belong to the man who made the
mistake?" inquired the teacher.

Albert, after thinking a moment, replied:

"He was to blame for his carelessness, but not for the boy's
dishonesty."

"You are right," said the teacher. "The boy was guilty of stealing,
just as much as if he had picked the man's pocket, or broken into his
house. But suppose, instead of the mistake being to the amount of ten
dollars, it had only been a few cents,--how then?"

"It would have been just the same," replied the boy.

"But what if the man was very rich, and would never feel the loss,
while the boy was poor, and needed the money?"

"That would have made no difference," replied Albert.

"Very good," continued the teacher; "when an honest man discovers a
mistake in his own favor, he always hastens to rectify it. He will
receive only what he is entitled to. Robert," he added, addressing an
other pupil, "how is it with regard to lost articles?"

"When we find anything that has been lost," replied the boy addressed,
"we should try to ascertain the owner, and return the article to him."

"Is there any guilt in neglecting to do this?"

"Yes, sir, it is a kind of dishonesty."

"You are right," added the teacher; "the courts often punish men for
this very offence, for it is a species of theft. And how of borrowing
articles, and neglecting to return them,--is that honest?"

"It is not," replied Robert.

"Oscar," continued the teacher, "you may give your opinion of this
case: suppose one of your acquaintances wants a certain article
belonging to you, and by way of barter, offers you a finger-ring for
it. You