The $30,000 Bequest, and Other Stories

very fond of them. The Brants were always saying: "Be pure, honest, sober, industrious, and considerate of others, and success in life is assured." The children heard this repeated some thousands of t

times the Brants changed the wording a little, and said: "Be pure, hon

n Baby Benton wanted candy, he cried for it until he got it. Baby Mills took care of his toys; Baby Benton always destroyed his in a very brief time, and

g, and all sorts of things which boys delight in. But no answer was sufficient for Georgie; he had to be humored in his desires, or he would carry them with a high hand. Naturally, no boy got more swimming skating, berrying, and so forth than he; no body ever had a better time. The good Brants did not allow the boys to play out after nine in summer evenings; they were sent to bed at that hour; Eddie honorably remained, but Georgie usually slip

ey praised him, so did his master; but George ran away, and it cost Mr. Brant both money and trouble to hunt him up and get him back. By and by he ran away again-more money and more trouble. He ran away a third time-and s

to protect him from ruin. Edward, as a boy, had interested himself in Sunday-schools, debating societies, penny missionary affairs, anti-tobacco organizations, anti-profanity associations, and all such things; as a man, he w

e," such was not the case with Edward. The property was left to George conditionally: he must buy out Edward's partner with it; else it must go to a benevolent organization called the

pirited girl for some time. They loved each other dearly, and-But about this period George began to haunt her tearfully and imploringly, and at last she went crying to Edward, and said her high and holy duty was plain before her-she must not let her own selfish desires interfere with it: she

ople strove with George-they were always at it, in fact-but he calmly took such efforts as his due and their duty, and did not mend his ways. He added a vice, presently-that of secret gambling. He got deeply in debt; he bo

d hurt to see how quickly the ancient interest which people had had in him faded out and disappeared. Still, he must get work; so he swallowed his chagrin, and toiled on in search of it. At last he got a job of carrying bricks up a ladder in a hod, and was a gratefu

gged and drunk, in the gutter one morning. A member of the Ladies' Temperance Refuge fished him out, took him in hand,

es, they got him his situation again. An account of this, also, was published, and the town was drowned in happy tears over the re-restoration of the poor beast and struggling victim of the fatal bowl. A grand temperance revival was got up, and after some rousing speeches had been made the chairman said, impressively: "We are not about to call for signers; and I think there is a spectacle in store for you which not many in this house will b

, every time, and good situations were found for him. Finally, he was taken around the country

ccessful-he was "sent up" for only two years. When, at the end of a year, the tireless efforts of the benevolent were crowned with success, and he emerged from the penitentiary with a pardon in his pocket, the Prisoner's Friend Society met him at the door with a situation and a com

of a steady and sufficient salary, as the respected and trusted cashier of a bank. George Benton never came near him, and was never hea

nation," so that they could get into the safe. He refused. They threatened his life. He said his employers trusted him, and he could not be traitor

y and heroism of the murdered cashier by coming forward with a generous contribution of money in aid of his family, now bereft of support. The result was a mass of solid cash amounting to upward of five hundred dollars-an average of nearly three-eights of a cent for each

ould do was done to save him, but it all failed; he was sentenced to death. Straightway the Governor was besieged with petitions for commutation or pardon; they were b

ll of girls and women and fresh flowers; all the day long there was prayer, and hymn-singing, and thanksgiving, an

a wailing audience of the sweetest and best that the region could produce. His grave had fresh flowers on it every

nscription: "Be pure, honest, sober, indu

e order to leave it that

of appreciative people, who were not willing that an act so brave and true as his should go