The Black Forge Mills by William P. Chipman

There are three astonishing things in this world; I presume there may be many more, but there certainly are _three_. First of all, it is astonishing how fast evil tidings will travel. Ray Branford was not arrested until Saturday evening, and it was well on toward midnight when he was locked up in the Afton jail; yet by far the greater portion of the citizens of that thriving town knew of his arrest, and were discussing it, when at their Sunday morning breakfast tables.

Then it is astonishing how ready the average human mind is to accept _all_ evil tidings, and _especially_ those that are injurious to one's character, as the unvarnished truth. There were probably not a half dozen families in the town that morning which had heard of the arrest, whose members did not believe the boy to be guilty. Some who had been bitterly opposed to the reception of the lad into the membership of the First Church, now came forward with that old saw, which has been repeated from time immemorial, and I presume will be repeated so long as human judgment is imperfect, "I told you so. " Then others, who had felt that the boy must be received, and yet in heart had regarded him as scarcely worthy of it, now shook their heads sagely, and said: "It has turned out about as we expected. " While others, who had really believed in the boy's conversion, and had watched his progress with pleasure, now sadly remarked: "How we were deceived in him! " Yea, some who had only the Friday evening before at the prayer meeting listened to that boy's prayer, and had been so moved by it as to comment upon his growth in grace, now suddenly reversed their opinion, asking, "How could that boy have prayed like that, and then have gone right out from that prayer room to help rob that store? He must be a hardened wretch, after all. " Among them all hardly one was found who asked: "Is he guilty? " All unhesitatingly, and that, too, upon the slightest circumstantial evidence, pronounced him guilty of the crime for which he had been arrested. I do not attempt to account for the fact; I only know it existed.