﻿HEAR BOTH SIDES. 259 



N 



" Now, Ma, I '11 just tell you how it was. You know our teacher 

 took us to walk. One of the boys bought some apples, and gave me 

 four. I gave one to our teacher ; one to a boy who had given me a 

 piece of cake ; I could do no less than give one to the boy who 

 walked with me, and I offered Frederic the half of the one I had 

 left. Now, do you think that I ought to have given him any more ? " 



" Frederic, is this so ? " 



" I don't know, ma'am." 



" Have you any reason to doubt it ? " 



"No ma'am." 



" Did not Charles offer you half of the only apple he had left ? ' 



" Yes, ma'am ; but I think he might have given me a whole 



one.' 



" I do not. I think he acted very properly in the distribution of 

 the apples, and very generous in offering you the half of what he 

 had reserved for himself. Your partial representation was most 

 unjust, and made me judge Charles wrongfully. I regret having 

 condemned him unheard, and for your unfair representation, I shall 

 insist that you forfeit your apple, so that instead of getting two you 

 will have none ; and I hope this circumstance may teach you ever 

 after, that, even in this world, honesty is the best policy." 



For my own part, I laid the lesson to heart, and regarded it as one 

 more illustration of the obligation we are under to " hear both 

 sides." 



THE Earl of S. kept an Irish footman. My lord having sent him 

 one day with a present to a certain judge, the judge, in return, sent 

 my lord half a dozen live partridges, with a letter. The partridges 

 fluttering in the basket upon Teague's head, as he was bringing it 

 home, he set down the basket and opened the lid of it to quiet them; 

 whereupon they all flew -away. " 0," said he, " I am glad you are 

 gone." When he came home, and his lordship had read the letter, 

 " Why, Teague," said he, " I find there are half a dozen partridges 

 in the letter." " Now, arrah, dear honey," said Teague,"! am 

 glad you have found them in the letter, for they are all flew out of 

 the basket ! " 



