present. And from this time becoming acquainted with his family, they
did them every service in their power, giving books and schooling to
the little ones, and every comfort to the old father and mother-in-law
as long as they survived. They were very desirous of knowing what
became of the unfortunate fellow-laborer, who had so dreadfully gone
aside from the principles of honesty, and they learned that he was,
after a short imprisonment, set at liberty by his master at the
earnest entreaty of the honest waterman, as he said it was partly
through his carelessness in losing the note, that the temptation had
fallen in his fellow-laborer's way; he had, moreover, a very large
family. His master also was so good as to consider that he was a man
who had not been blessed with a good education in his youth; so that
having little fear of God before his eyes, and having a great
temptation in his way, he had been the more easily led to commit this
very wicked action, by which he would have enriched himself at the
expense of an innocent man.

I have great pleasure in adding, that the thought of what he had done,
together with the generosity of the waterman, had so strong an effect
upon this poor fellow, that he afterwards had it written upon his
cottage door, DO AS YOU WOULD BE DONE UNTO. And he has resolved to
follow this rule himself in future, and also taught it to all his
children. Indeed, it became a rule well known over the whole parish;
for every little child having been informed of this story, was told
that he ought to consider, before he did any action, whether he would
like his brother, or sister, or school-fellow to do the same by him;
and if not, that the action was wrong, and not to be done, let the
profit be ever so great. Surely, then, those who have lived long, and
seen much of life, and have had much religious instruction also,
should never depart from this simple and certain rule. And it is the