THE THIEF AND HIS BENEFACTOR.
"CIRCUMSTANCES made me what I am," said a condemned criminal to a
benevolent man who visited him in prison. "I was driven by necessity
to steal."
"Not so," replied the keeper, who was standing by. "Rather say, that
your own character made the circumstances by which you were
surrounded. God never places upon any creature the necessity of
breaking his commandments. You stole, because, in heart, you were a
thief."
The benevolent man reproved the keeper for what he called harsh
words. He believed that, alone, by the force of external
circumstances, men were made criminals. That, if society were
differently arranged, there would be little or no crime in the
world. And so he made interest for the criminal, and, in the end,
secured his release from prison. Nor did his benevolence stop here.
He took the man into his service, and intrusted to him his money and
his goods.
"I will remove from him all temptation to steal," said he, "by a
liberal supply of his wants."
"Have you a wife?" he asked of the man, when he took him from
prison.
"No," was replied.
"Nor any one but yourself to support?"
"I am alone in the world."
"You have received a good education; and can serve me as a clerk. I
therefore take you into my employment, at a fair salary.
Pages:
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242