Several of the other men
were working up on top of the wharf, as Willis could tell by the
sounds, but the boy's thoughts were with those three or four other
men who were idling. Were not those men employed to work as steadily
as his father?
"It isn't fair for them to stop and you to have to keep on,"
objected Willis. "I should think those, men would be discharged."
"They may and they mayn't," said his father. "They are appointed by
different Harbor Commissioners, and as long as the Commissioners
don't know, I suppose the men will keep their places."
"One man told me you thought the State was looking at you every
minute," said Willis.
"My boy," answered Mr. Sutherland, fitting a block into place, "it's
true that I'm employed to work for the State, and I feel just as
much that I must do honest work for the State as if I were working
for some individual. But it isn't thought of the State that makes me
faithful. A Christian ought to give an honest day's work. Some
people don't seem to think cheating the State is as bad as cheating
another person. But it is."
Willis climbed upon the wharf again. He saw when the men who had
been eating crabs came back to work. He noticed they did not work
very heartily.
"My father doesn't work that way," thought the boy.
"An honest day's work." The words followed Willis as he went away
from the wharf.
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