320 HONESTY THE BEST POLICY. CHAP. xix. 



quarter-loaf always contained four pounds full; whereas 

 the loaves of many of the other bakers were short by 

 about four ounces. Their two-pound loaves were short 

 by about two ounces. Thus, cheating had the advan- 

 tage over honesty, of six per cent on every loaf of 

 bread sold. That was a profit by itself; but few people 

 had the means of weighing their bread, to detect the 

 honesty or dishonesty of their baker, and therefore the 

 cheating went on to Dick's ruin. Yet he never 

 relaxed his principle of giving full weight. " Honesty's 

 the best policy," continued to be his maxim. He felt 

 that it was better to die than be dishonest. 



In a letter written to his sister at this disconsolate 

 period of his life, he says : 



" I have not much of a hopeful kind around me, and 

 yet, as I have a sun and moon of my own, I am gener- 

 ally very cheerful. I often take some hearty laughs 

 when no one is near me. I am nearly indifferent to the 

 whole world. But that won't do either. I keep always 

 moving never indulging in idleness or lying in bed in 

 the morning. Up at four o'clock, or half-past four at 

 latest ; sometimes at three o'clock. 



"There is a baker here that lies in his bed till seven 

 or eight, and his two apprentices keep knocking at his 

 door until he rises. He goes dabbling on till eight or 

 nine at night. Besides parridge, wife, and bairns, he 

 knows no more. That's not worth living for. People 

 came into the world for something better. 



"I am working at my plants perseveringly ; and 

 whatever is to be the end, I keep moving. . . . Nor am 



