The Two Clerks | AdventAI

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Aug 30, 1877

The Two Clerks.

Boys are apt to think they are kept too strict, having to get such perfect lessons and to work, and to go to Sabbath-school, and having to be so punctual, and so particular, and not allowed a great many amusements and indulgences which they would like so much. “What’s the use?” they often discontentedly ask. Well, boys, there is a great deal of use in being brought up right; and the discipline which sometimes seems to you so hard, is precisely what your parents see that you need in order to make you worth anything; and I will tell you an incident, which has just come to my knowledge, to illustrate it.

William was the oldest child of a widowed mother, and she looked upon him, under God, as her future staff and support. He was trained to industrious habits, and in the fear of God. The day-school and Sabbath-school seldom saw his seat vacant. Idleness, that rust which eats into character, had no opportunity to fasten upon him.

By and by he got through being a school-boy, and succeeded in getting a situation in a store in this city. William soon found himself in quite altered circumstances; the stir and bustle of the streets was very unlike the quiet of his village home; then the tall stores, loft upon loft, piled with goods—boxes and bales now, instead of books and hay; then the strange faces of the clerks, and the easy manners and handsome appearance of the rich boy, Ashton, just above him in the store. William looked at Ashton almost with admiration, and thought how new and awkward everything was to himself, and how tired he got standing so many hours on duty, and crowding his way through the busy thoroughfares. But his good habits soon made him good friends. The older clerks liked his obliging and active spirit, and all had a good word for his punctuality.

But William had his trials. One morning he was sent to the bank for money; and returning, laid the pile on the counting-room desk. His master was gone, and there was no one in the room but Ashton. Mr. Thomas soon came back. “Two dollars are missing,” said he, counting the money. The blood mounted to poor William’s face, but he answered firmly, “I laid it all on your desk, sir.” Mr. Thomas looked steadily into the boy’s face, and seeing nothing but an honest purpose there, said, “Another time put the money into my hands, my boy.” When the busy season came on, one of the head clerks was taken sick, and William rendered himself useful to the book-keeper by helping him add up some of his tall columns. Oh, how glad he was now for his drilling in arithmetic, as the book-keeper thanked him for his valuable help.

Ashton often asked William to go and ride, or to visit the oyster-saloons, or the bowling-alley, or the theater. To all invitations of this kind William had but one answer, and that answer was, No. William always said he had no time, or money, to spare for such things. After the day’s work was done, he loved to get back to his chamber to read. He did not crave perpetual excitement, or any more eating and drinking than was supplied at his usual meals.

Not so with Ashton. Ashton had indulgent parents, and a plenty of money, or it seemed so to William; and yet he ate it, or drank it, or spent it in other things, so fast and so soon that he was often borrowing from the other clerks. Ashton joked William upon his stiff notions, but the truth was that William was far the happier of the two. At last a half bale of goods was missing; searching inquiries were made, and the theft was traced to Ashton. Oh! the shame and disgrace of the discovery; yet, alas, it was not his first theft. Ashton had been in the habit of petty pilfering, in order to get the means of gratifying his taste for pleasure; and now that his guilt had come to light, he ran off, and before his parents were aware of it, fled to a far country, an outcast from his beautiful home, from his afflicted friends, from all the comforts and blessings of virtuous life.

William is rapidly rising in the confidence and respect of his employers, fearing God, and faithful in duty. There is nothing new in all this; such things are happening every day; and what I want to do, boys, is to mark the lesson which they teach, that vicious indulgences will certainly lead to shame and ruin, while true religion and solid worth have an exceeding great reward.