lled；　they　at　once　return　in　　allegiance　to　the　common　duty　of　all　citizens；　and　hasten　to　　denounce　themselves；　and　value　at　an　equal　rate　their　just　　crime　and　their　equally　just　submission　to　its　punishment。
  The　evading　of　the　police　will　not　long　satisfy　an　active　　conscience　or　a　thoughtful　head。　　But　to　show　you　how　one　or　　the　other　may　trouble　a　man；　and　what　a　vast　extent　of　　frontier　is　left　unridden　by　this　invaluable　eighth　　commandment；　let　me　tell　you　a　few　pages　out　of　a　young　man's　　life。
  He　was　a　friend　of　mine；　a　young　man　like　others；　generous；　　flighty；　as　variable　as　youth　itself；　but　always　with　some　　high　motions　and　on　the　search　for　higher　thoughts　of　life。　　　I　should　tell　you　at　once　that　he　thoroughly　agrees　with　the　　eighth　commandment。　　But　he　got　hold　of　some　unsettling　　works；　the　New　Testament　among　others；　and　this　loosened　his　　views　of　life　and　led　him　into　many　perplexities。　　As　he　was　　the　son　of　a　man　in　a　certain　position；　and　well　off；　my　　friend　had　enjoyed　from　the　first　the　advantages　of　　education；　nay；　he　had　been　kept　alive　through　a　sickly　　childhood　by　constant　watchfulness；　comforts；　and　change　of　　air；　for　all　of　which　he　was　indebted　to　his　father's　wealth。
  At　college　he　met　other　lads　more　diligent　than　himself；　who　　followed　the　plough　in　summer…time　to　pay　their　college　fees　　in　winter；　and　this　inequality　struck　him　with　some　force。　　　He　was　at　that　age　of　a　conversible　temper；　and　insatiably　　curious　in　the　aspects　of　life；　and　he　spent　much　of　his　time　　scraping　acquaintance　with　all　classes　of　man…　and　woman…　kind。　　In　this　way　he　came　upon　many　depressed　ambitions；　and　　many　intelligences　stunted　for　want　of　opportunity；　and　this　　also　struck　him。　　He　began　to　perceive　that　life　was　a　　handicap　upon　strange；　wrong…sided　principles；　and　not；　as　he　　had　been　told；　a　fair　and　equal　race。　　He　began　to　tremble　　that　he　himself　had　been　unjustly　favoured；　when　he　saw　all　　the　avenues　of　wealth；　and　power；　and　comfort　closed　against　　so　many　of　his　superiors　and　equals；　and　held　unwearyingly　　open　before　so　idle；　so　desultory；　and　so　dissolute　a　being　　as　himself。　　There　sat　a　youth　beside　him　on　the　college　　benches；　who　had　only　one　shirt　to　his　back；　and；　at　　intervals　sufficiently　far　apart；　must　stay　at　home　to　have　　it　washed。　　It　was　my　friend's　principle　to　stay　away　as　　often　as　he　dared；　for　I　fear　he　was　no　friend　to　learning。　　　But　there　was　something　that　came　home　to　him　sharply；　in　　this　fellow　who　had　to　give　over　study　till　his　shirt　was　　washed；　and　the　scores　of　others　who　had　never　an　opportunity　　at　all。　　IF　ONE　OF　THESE　COULD　TAKE　HIS　PLACE；　he　thought；　　and　the　thought　tore　away　a　bandage　from　his　eyes。　　He　was　　eaten　by　the　shame　of　his　discoveries；　and　despised　himself　　as　an　unworthy　favourite　and　a　creature　of　the　back…stairs　of　　Fortune。　　He　could　no　longer　see　without　confusion　one　of　　these　brave　young　fellows　battling　up…hill　against　adversity。　　　Had　he　not　filched　that　fellow's　birthright？　　At　best　was　he　　not　coldly　profiting　by　the　injustice　of　society；　and　　greedily　devouring　stolen　goods？　　The　money；　indeed；　belonged　　to　his　father；　who　had　worked；　and　thought；　and　given　up　his　　liberty　to　earn　it；　but　by　what　justice　could　the　money　　belong　to　my　friend；　who　had；　as　yet；　done　nothing　but　help　　to　squander　it？　　A　more　sturdy　honesty；　joined　to　a　more　even　　and　impartial　temperament；　would　have　drawn　from　these　　considerations　a　new　force　of　industry；　that　this　equivocal　　position　might　be　brought　as　swiftly　as　possible　to　an　end；　　and　some　good　services　to　mankind　justify　the　appropriation　　of　expense。　　It　was　not　so　with　my　friend；　who　was　only　　unsettled　and　discouraged；　and　filled　full　of　that　trumpeting　　anger　with　which　young　men　regard　injustices　in　the　first　　blush　of　youth；　although　in　a　few　years　they　will　tamely　　acquiesce　in　their　existence；　and　knowingly　profit　by　their　　complications。　　Yet　all　this　while　he　suffered　many　indignant　　pangs。　　And　once；　when　he　put　on　his　boots；　like　any　other　　unripe　donkey；　to　run　away　from　home；　it　was　his　best　　consolation　that　he　was　now；　at　a　single　plunge；　to　free　　himself　from　the　responsibility　of　this　wealth　that　was　not　　his；　and　do　battle　equally　against　his　fellows　in　the　warfare　　of　life。
  Some　time　after　this；　falling　into　ill…health；　he　was　sent　at　　great　expense　to　a　more　favourable　climate；　and　then　I　think　　his　perplexities　were　thickest。　　When　he　thought　of　all　the　　other　young　men　of　singular　promise；　upright；　good；　the　prop　　of　families；　who　must　remain　at　home　to　die；　and　with　all　　their　possibilities　be　lost　to　life　and　mankind；　and　how　he；　　by　one　more　unmerited　favour；　was　chosen　out　from　all　these　　others　to　survive；　he　felt　as　if　there　were　no　life；　no　　labour；　no　devotion　of　soul　and　body；　that　could　repay　and　　justify　these　partialities。　　A　religious　lady；　to　whom　he　　communicated　these　reflections；　could　see　no　force　in　them　　whatever。　　'It　was　God's　will；'　said　she。　　But　he　knew　it　was　　by　God's　will　that　Joan　of　Arc　was　burnt　at　Rouen；　which　　cleared　neither　Bedford　nor　Bishop　Cauchon；　and　again；　by　　God's　will　that　Christ　was　crucified　outside　Jerusalem；　which　　excused　neither　the　rancour　of　the　priests　nor　the　timidity　　of　Pilate。　　He　knew；　moreover；　that　although　the　possibility　　of　this　favour　he　was　now　enjoying　issued　from　his　　circumstances；　its　acceptance　was　the　act　of　his　own　will；　　and　he　had　accepted　it　greedily；　longing　for　rest　and　　sunshine。　　And　hence　this　allegation　of　God's　providence　did　　little　to　relieve　his　scruples。　　I　promise　you　he　had　a　very　　troubled　mind。　　And　I　would　not　laugh　if　I　were　you；　though　　while　he　was　thus　making　mountains　out　of　what　you　think　　molehills；　he　were　still　（as　perhaps　he　was）　contentedly　　practising　many　other　things　that　to　you　seem　black　as　hell。　　　Every　man　is　his　own　judge　and　mountain…guide　through　life。　　　There　is　an　old　story　of　a　mote　and　a　beam；　apparently　not　　true；　but　worthy　perhaps　of　some　consideration。　　I　should；　if　　I　were　you；　give　some　consideration　to　these　scruples　of　his；　　and　if　I　were　he；　I　should　do　the　like　by　yours；　for　it　is　　not　unlikely　that　there　may　be　something　under　both。　　In　the　　meantime　you　must　hear　how　my　friend　acted。　　Like　many　　invalids；　he　supposed　that　he　would　die。　　Now；　should　he　die；　　he　saw　no　means　of　repaying　this　huge　loan　which；　by　the　　hands　of　his　father；　mankind　had　advanced　him　for　his　　sickness。　　In　that　case　it　would　be　lost　money。　　So　he　　determined　that　the　advance　should　be　as　small　as　possible；　　and；　so　long　as　he　continued　to　doubt　his　recovery；　lived　in　　an　upper　room；　and　grudged　himself　all　but　necessaries。　　But　　so　soon　as　he　began　to　perceive　a　change　for　the　better；　he　　felt　justified　in　spending　more　freely；　to　speed　and　brighten　　his　return　to　health；　and　trusted　in　the　future　to　lend　a　　help　to　mankind；　as　mankind；　out　of　its　treasury；　had　lent　a　　help　to　him。
  I　do　not　say　but　that　my　friend　was　a　little　too　curious　and　　partial　in　his　view；　nor　thought　too　much　of　himself　and　too　　little　of　his　parents；　but　I　do　say　that　here　are　some　　scruples　which　tormented　my　friend　in　his　youth；　and　still；　　perhaps；　at　odd　times　give　him　a　prick　in　the　midst　of　his　　enjoyments；　and　which　after　all　have　some　foundation　in　　justice；　and　point；　in　their　confused　way；　to　some　more　　honourable　honesty　within　the　reach　of　man。　　And　at　least；　is　　not　this　an　unusual　gloss　upon　the　eighth　commandment？　　And　　what　sort　of　comfort；　guidance；　or　illumination　did　that　　precept　afford　my　friend　throughout　these　contentions？　　'Thou　　shalt　not　steal。'　　With　all　my　heart！　　But　AM　I　stealing？
  The　truly　quaint　materialism　of　our　view　of　life　disables　us　　from　pursuing　any　transaction　to　an　end。　　You　can　make　no　one　　understand　that　his　bargain　is　anything　more　than　a　bargain；　　whereas　in　point　of　fact　it　is　a　link　in　the　policy　of　　mankind；　and　either　a　good　or　an　evil　to　the　world。　　We　have　　a　sort　of　blindness　which　prevents　us　from　seeing　anything　　but　sovereigns。　　If　one　man　agrees　to　give　another　so　many　　shillings　for　so　many　hours'　work；　and　then　wilfully　gives　　him　a　certain　proportion　of　the　price　in　bad　money　and　only　　the　remainder　in　good；　we　can　see　with　half　an　eye　that　this　　man　is　a　thief。　　But　if　the　other　spends　a　certain　proportion　　of　the　hours　in　smoking　a　pipe　of　tobacco；　and　a　certain　　other　proportion　in　looking　at　the　sky；　or　the　clock；　or　　trying　to　recall　an　air；　or　in　meditation　on　his　own　past　　adventures；　and　only　the　remainder　in　downright　work　such　as　　he　is　paid　to　do；　is　he；　because　the　theft　is　one　of　time　and　　not　of　money；　…　is　he　any　the　less　a　thief？　　The　one　gave　a　　bad　shilling；　the　other　an　imperfect　hour；　but　both　broke　the　　bargain；　and　each　is　a　thief。　　In　piecework；　which　is　what　　most　of　us　do；　the　case　is　none　the　less　plain　for　being　even　　less　material。　　If　you　forge　a　bad　knife；　you　have　wasted　　some　of　mankind's　iron；　and　then；　with　unrivalled　cynicism；　　you　pocket　some　of　mankind's　money　for　your　trouble。　　Is　　there　any　man　so　blind　who　cannot　see　that　this　is　theft？　　　Again；　if　you　carelessly　cultivate　a　farm；　you　have　been　　playing　fast　and　loose　with　mankind's　resources　against　　hunger；　there　will　be　less　bread　i