Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1845-11-29
The BegRsr ana BsuKer.

"ne ous'iitiS scenes OefoW me, ht my lodging.
Your honor will plesee recolect," replied q
sharp but somewhat indignant yoice--"your
honor viii please to recoiiect that lam beg.
gsr. and have as much right to the road as your.
self ".4nd am banker" wssretorted still
more sngrily. Amused a; this strange dialogue,
] leaned over the easement, and beheld two cit
sens in a position which puCilist would de-
nomin% squared. their countenances somewhat
menacing and persons presenting a contrast at
once 'udicrous and instructive. The one was
Il purse -proud, erdIy hammered man, apparently
ia silk, and protecting carcase OF nearly the
circumference of hcgshead the other ragged
and dirty, but an equally impudent and sei.im-
portant parsonage; and from comparison Of
ther countenances It would have puzzled the
,noet profound NJ. d. which of their rotundties
waa stored hapitually with good vctnals and
drink.
Upon a close observation, however, of the
connenance the banker, discovered, almost
as soon as my eye fell upon it, line bespeak.
ing something of humor, and awakened curios.
ity. and he stood fixed and eyed his antagonist :;
and this become more clear aud conspicuous
when he lowered his tone and said, "How will
you make right appear :" said the Seggar,
''Why listen moment, and will teach you
In the first place do you take notice. God has
given to me eoul and body just as good for
all the puposes Of eating. thinking, and drink.
ing, and taking my pleasure as he has YOU
and then you may remember Dives and Laza.
rus as we pass. Then, again, it is a free coun.
try, and here too, we are on an eqnality-Gor
you must know that here even beggars dog
fnay look gentleman in the face with as much
indifference as he would brother. ! and you
have the same common master are equally
free and live equally easy are both travel.
ling the same journey, bound TO the same place,
aud have both to die and be buried in the end"
"But," interrupted the banker, ''do you pre-
tend there is no difference between the beggar
and a banker ~ Not in the least as to essen
iials. You swagger and drink wine in compa-
nv Of your own choosng-I swagger and dring
uesr, which like better than your wine, in
company which like better than your compa.
ny. Nou make thousands a day, perhaps-I
make ah.l'jncs, perhaps if you are contented,
lam--we are equally happy at night. You
dress IN new clothes; am Just as comfortable
them from soing; if ! have less property than
you, have less to care about if fewer friends,
have less friendship to lose aud if | do not
make as great figure in the world. make as
great shadow on the pavement; ! an as great
as you. Besides, my word for it, have few
er enemies, meet with fewer losses, carry
as light heart and sing as many songs as the
best of you."
"And then" said the banker, who had all
along tried TO split in word edgewdy, sis the
contempt of the world nothing!"
"The envy of the world is as bad as its con-
,empt-you have, perhaps, the one, and |
share of the ether. We are matched there,
too. And besides the world deals in this mat
ter equally unjust with us both. You and | live
by our wits, instead OF living by our industry +;
snd the only difference between US in this par
tIcuIar worth naming is, that it costs society
more to maintain you thaa it does mel am
content with little, you want great deal
Neither Of US raise grain or potatoes, or weave
CLOTH or manufacture anything useful we there
fore add nothing 10 the common stock, we are
only consumers, and if the world Judge with
strict impartlality; therefore, it seems to me
would be pronounced the ceverest fellow
Some passer-by here interrupted the conver
sation. The disPutants separated apparently
good friends, and drew in my head circulating
play, "Is there no difference between the beg
ger and the banker"
But several years have since passed away,
snd now both these person have paid the last
debt of nature. They died as they lived, the
one beggar and the other banker. exam
ined both their graves when | next visited the
city. They were ofa similar length and bre adth
the grass equally green above each, and the
sun looked as pleasantly on one as on the other.
No honors, pleasures, or delights, clustered
round the grave of the rich man. They were
both equally deserted, lonely, and forgotten! |
thought, too, Of the destinies that had passed /;
of that state in which temporal distinctions ex.
ist not; temporal honors are regarded not.
Where pride and all the circumstances which
surround this life never find admittance. Then
the distinctions of time appeared, indeed, as an