But in his blindness and his sorrow
  He looks to yesterday and to-morrow.

[Illustration:  “Laid the pile of bills on the counting room desk.”]

THE TWO CLERKS

Boys are apt to think that their parents and teachers are too strict; that they ought not to be obliged to get such perfect lessons, or to go to Sabbath school, to be so punctual and so particular.  They wonder why they are not allowed a great many amusements and indulgences which they would like so much.

“What’s the use?” they often discontentedly ask.

Well, boys, there is a great deal of use in being brought up right; and the discipline which sometimes seems to you so hard, is precisely what your parents see that you need in order to make you worth anything.  I will tell you an incident, to illustrate it, which has just come to my knowledge.

William was the oldest child of a widowed mother, and she looked upon him, under God, as her future staff and support.  He was trained to industrious habits, and in the fear of God.  The day-school and Sabbath school seldom saw his seat vacant.  Idleness, that rust which eats into character, had no opportunity to fasten upon him.

By and by he got through school and succeeded in securing a situation in a store in the city.

William soon found himself in quite altered circumstances; the stir and bustle of the streets was very unlike the quiet of his village home; then the tall stores, loft upon loft, piled with goods—­boxes and bales now, instead of books and bat; the strange faces of the clerks, and the easy manners and handsome appearance of the rich boy, Ashton, just above him in the store,—­all these contributed not a little to his sense of the newness and strangeness of his position.

William looked at Ashton almost with admiration, and thought how new and awkward everything was to himself, and how tired he got standing so many hours on duty, and crowding his way through the busy thoroughfares.  But his good habits soon made him many friends.  The older clerks liked his obliging and active spirit, and all had a good word for his punctuality.

But William had his trials.  One morning he was sent to the bank for money; and returning, laid the pile on the counting room desk.  His master was gone, and there was no one in the room but Ashton.  Mr. Thomas soon came back.

“Two dollars are missing,” said he, counting the money.

The blood mounted to poor William’s face, but he answered firmly:—­

“I laid it all on your desk, sir.”

Mr. Thomas looked steadily into the boy’s face, and seeing nothing but an honest purpose there, said, “Another time put the money into my hands, my boy.”

When the busy season came on, one of the head clerks was taken sick, and William rendered himself useful to the bookkeeper by helping him add some of his tall columns.  Oh, how glad he was now for his drilling in arithmetic, as the bookkeeper thanked him for his valuable help.