Mr. L , President of one of our banks, called

on me just after the close of the school term one year to
look up the record of one of the boys who had just
graduated saying: "If his record shows up well, I'd
like to take him into our bank. I hope you will, as I
know from the past you will, give me a fuU account of
him, for if he is of the right stripe, I'm anxious to give
him the position ; but it would be a serious mistake for
me to put him into the place if he is not all right. Now
tell me what you know about him, please,"

I replied: "Samuel has an unusually fine mind;
he stands in scholarship in the highest fourth in his
class and with little effort. If he had applied himself
as some members of the class did the past school year,
he could have stood at the very head; but he did not



BTEALnra 115

care to do it. Still to rank in scholarship in the hest
fourth of his class, is an honor. He ia something of a
leader among the school boys and girls, and is well libed
by all scholars and teachers. His deportment in school
all the years he has been with us has been good ; bat at
the early part of the school year just closed, I learned
he was becoming quite a gambler to the extent that he
was bragging a little unguardedly of the money he was
winning. He was spending considerable time of eve-
nings in some of the 'called' gambling places of the
city. My information came so direct that I could not
question it, so I called Samuel into my ofBee and told
him what I had heard, giving the facts as they had been
given to me."

"He made na denial of them, but said that he would
not engage in the practice any more."

"I said to him: 'You are a senior, and. nothing
should come up to prevent your graduating next Jxine ;
but Sam, ' said I, ' if I' should learn that you still ei^age
in gambling after our- conference today, I will refuse to
sign your diploma. The. diploma^ certifies that the
bearer is of good moral character. 