"I perfectly agree with you, Mr. May, that we should not utterly condemn and cast off a man for a single fault. But, it is one thing to bear with a fault, and encourage a failing brother man to better courses, and another to give an individual whom we know to be dishonest, a certificate of good character."
"Yes, but I am not so sure the young man we are speaking about is dishonest."
"Didn't he rob you?"
"Don't say rob. That is too hard a word. He did take a little from me; but it wasn't much, and there were peculiar circumstances."
"Are you sure that under other peculiar circumstances, he would not have taken much more from you?"
"I don't believe he would."
"I wouldn't trust him."
"You are too suspicious—too uncharitable, as I have already said. I can't be so. I always try to think the best of every one."
Finding that it was no use to talk, the neighbor said but little more on the subject.
About a year afterwards the young man's new employer, who, on the faith of Mr. May's recommendation, had placed great confidence in him, discovered that he had been robbed of several thousand dollars. The robbery was clearly traced to this clerk, who was arrested, tried, and sentenced to three years imprisonment in the Penitentiary.