LITTLE DUTIES.
A LETTER-CARRIER in one of our large cities, a few months ago, found on reaching the post-office, after a long round of delivery, a letter in his bag that he had overlooked. It would have taken him half an hour to return and deliver it. He was very tired and hungry. The letter was an ordinary, unimportant-looking missive. He thrust it into his pocket and delivered it on his first round next day.
What consequence followed? For want of that letter a great firm had failed to meet their engagements; their notes had gone to protest; a mill was closed, and hundreds of poor workmen were thrown out of employment.
The letter carrier himself was discharged for his oversight and neglect. His family suffered during the winter for many of the necessaries of life, but his loss was of small account compared to the enormous amount of misery caused by his single failure in duty.
Another case. A mechanic, who had been out of work a long time in New York, went last September to collect a small sum due to him. The gentleman who owed it, being annoyed at some trifle, irritably refused the money. The man went to his wretched home, and, maddened by the sight of his hungry wife and children, went out to the backyard and hanged himself.