THE title of this book—"WORDS FOR THE WISE"—is too comprehensive toneed explanation. May the lessons it teaches be "sufficient" aswarnings, incentives and examples, to hundreds and thousands who readthem.
"THERE is one honest man in the world, I am happy to say," remarked arich merchant, named Petron, to a friend who happened to call in uponhim.
"Is there, indeed! I am glad to find you have made a discovery of thefact. Who is the individual entitled to the honourable distinction?"
"You know Moale, the tailor?"
"Yes. Poor fellow! he's been under the weather for a long time."
"I know. But he's an honest man for all that."
"I never doubted his being honest, Mr. Petron."
"I have reason to know that he is. But I once thought differently. Whenhe was broken up in business some years ago, he owed me a little bill,which I tried to get out of him as hard as any one ever did try for hisown. But I dunned and dunned him until weary, and then, giving him upas a bad case, passed the trifle that he owed me to account of profitand loss. He has crossed my path a few times since; but, as I didn'tfeel toward him as I could wish to feel toward all men, I treated himwith marked coldness. I am sorry for having done so, for it now appearsthat I judged him too severely. This morning he called in of his ownfree will, and paid me down the old account. He didn't say any thingabout interest, nor did I, though I am entitled to, and ought to havereceived it. But, as long as he came forward of his own accord andsettled his bill, after I had given up all hope of ever receiving it, Ithought I might afford to be a little generous and not say any thingabout the interest; and so I gave him a receipt in full. Didn't I doright?"
"In what respect?" asked the friend.
"In forgiving him the interest, which I might have claimed as well asnot, and which he would, no doubt, have paid down, or brought me atsome future time."
"Oh, yes. You were right to forgive the interest," returned the friend,but in a tone and with a mann