Page:History of Charles Jones, the footman (2).pdf/8

4 the following manner : Having been one day ordered to carry a bottle of wine to a siek man, one of my master's parishioners, I aeeidentally broke the bottle, and of course lost the wine, What was to be done ? Should I confess my misfortune and aeknowledge my carelessness, or coneeal in a lie ? After some deliberation, I resolved upon the lie. I therefore had made up my story how the poor man sent his duty to my master and thanked him a thousand times, and that he was a little better, and that his wife said she thought this wine would save his life.' Being thus prepared, as I was returning home, I met a pedlar, of whom I bought for penny a little book, containing a story of a woman at Devizes who was struck dead on the spot for telling a lie. To be sure it was Heaven sent the pedlar to me, to save me from the sin I was going to commit ' If this woman was struck dead for a lie, (said I to myself) why may not I ?" I therefore went direetly home, and made a confession of my negligenee and misfortune. And it was well for me I did ; for the sick man, whose duty and thanks had wiekedly intended to earry to my master, was dead, as I understood afterwards, three hours before the bottle was broken. From this time, therefore, I began to see, what I am now fully convineed of, that besides the sinfulness of being, it is always more for the interest and lasting comforts of servants to confess the truth at nee, than to conceal a fault by falsehood, When a servant has told a lie, he is always in danger of being found out, and sooner or later it