36 FORTY-FOUR YEARS OP 



and fair day's work. And if anything goes wrong, either 

 owing to your neglect or accidentally, never tell a lie to 

 screen yourself; but speak candidly, and acknowledge the 

 truth of the whole matter. This will give your employer 

 couGdence in you. But, on the contrary, if you undertake 

 to lie yourself out of it, you will be sure to be detected in 

 so doing, and then you will be disgraced. Take it for 

 granted, Meshach, that all good people despise a liar as 

 much as they do a thief; and let me tell you, boy, a good 

 name is the best thing that a young man can have. If 

 you will take ray advice, and never tell a falsehood, under 

 any circumstances whatever, you will in the end find that, 

 in any and every place, truth is far better than a lie. And 

 now, Meshach, I do not blame you for leaving your uncle 

 John ; and I wish you may have good luck in your under- 

 taking, and that you may become a good and an honor- 

 able man." Here he ceased speaking, being called to 

 supper, which ended the discourse. 



Supper being over, the old peoj)le went into another 

 room, and left me to talk with my cousins. I was taxed 

 strongly by Lina, for that was the name of the daughter 

 whom I had left with so much unwillingness, and had cried 

 in the road about, when I was driving the cows. She 

 said she had heard I was deeply in love with Polly 

 McMullen. I replied, it did not seem much as if I was in 

 love with any one when I was then on my way to the West, 

 perhaps never to comeback again. "But," said I, "let 

 ma tell you, girls, that Mary McMullen is one of the 

 sweetest girls in all this country ; and if I was old enough, 

 and was as well situated as your brother Jesse is, I would 

 like very well to marry her. Marry her ! yes, indeed. 

 Lord ! wouldn't I like to take such a pretty little bird as 

 Mary is 1 " 



This was said in a joke ; but my feelings were such that 

 I feared that Lina would see something in me that would 



