CHARLEY AND HIS SHILLING.
CHARLEY showed the shilling he had got to some of his companions. It was a bad one. They asked him why he didn't pass it. He said he wouldn't do that, because it wasn't right. The boys laughed at this, and asked him to come to old Dame Jones's little shop at the corner of the lane, and spend the shilling on nuts and candy. “You may be sure the dame will never notice it,” said Harry Morgan, the biggest boy in the company, “for she can't see very well; and then you can treat us all round, and that will be jolly.” Charley's conscience told him that this would be very wrong, and he said he couldn't do it. But the boys got round him, and coaxed him so much, that at last he yielded to the temptation. His conscience gave the alarm when he reached the shop. He drew back; but the boys urged him on. So he went in and passed the counterfeit for a good shilling. The boys thought it was real fun. They enjoyed the treat. But it was no fun to Charley. He could think of nothing but the mean, wicked thing he had done. When he went to bed at night, he could not sleep. Conscience put a thorn in his pillow, and there was no sleep for Charley. The next day, in going to school, he met Harry Morgan, who asked him to do his sums for him. “I can't stop now,” said Charley. “But you've got to,” cried Harry. “If you don't I'll tell on you for passing counterfeit money, and you'll have to go to jail.” Poor Charley was terribly frightened. How he wished he had never seen that counterfeit shilling! He felt that it was very hard, for the boys, who had tempted him to do wrong, now to turn against him in this way. But he saw he was in their power, because he had done wrong. During recess, there was a quarrel among the boys. One of them was angry with Charley, and said, “Pooh! a fellow that would cheat a poor old woman, would do anything.” This was too much for Charley to bear. But what could he do? On his way home, in the afternoon he met his cousin, Thomas Downs, who had given him the shilling. “Hallo, Charley,” said Thomas, “let's see that shilling I gave you.” “Haven't got it,” said Charley, turning quickly away. “Stop; did you lose it, or give it away?” “Well, where is it? You haven't passed it, have you?” It was on the end of his tongue to say “No;” but conscience had thus far kept him from lying; and, great as the temptation was, he would not begin now. “O!” he cried, overcome with grief and shame, “why did you give me that counterfeit piece? It has been a dreadful temptation to me. I have passed it, and what shall I do?” The boy looked as wretched as he felt. His cousin was surprised and sorry. He took him gently by the hand, and they walked down the lane where they could talk by themselves. Charley told his cousin all about it, and asked what he was to do. Thomas answered that there was but one thing to do; and that was to carry a real shilling to the old woman in place of the counterfeit one, and confess what he had done. “Couldn't I go and put it under the shop door?” said Charley. “It would be just the same to her; she would get it, and not lose by the counterfeit.” “Just as well for her,” said the cousin; “but not so well for you, Charley. You know you have done wrong. If you are really sorry, confess your fault, not only to Mrs. Jones, but to God. Here, go like a man; be honest about it. You have injured your conscience by doing wrong; you must heal it by doing right. Now, take this shilling. I give it to you for my share in your trouble. It will teach me a lesson about putting temptations in the way of the young. Go to the woman, and own your fault. Ask her to forgive you, and give her the good shilling in place of the bad one.”11 Charley did so. When he got the counterfeit shilling, he went down to the shore, and threw it into the sea. Then he felt a great load lifted from his conscience, and said, “Thank God, I'm free again. I am not afraid of anybody now.”