American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1845-03-21
THE BEGGAk AND BANKER.
a stony roR TIE MINT.

'otdnu Jul vi NY way S"'u n ipuSh 'oi'S
under my window, one day as sat musing sver
the busting scenes below me, at my lodgings.
"Your honor will please to recolect," replied
a sharp but somewhat indignant voice-"your
honor will please to recollect that am beg
gar and have as much right to the road as
yourself" ''And ] am banker" was retort-
ed still more grutfiy and apgrily Amused at
this strange dialogue, leaned over the case, and
bcheld two citizens in the position which pu-
glst would dcnominate squared, their counten-
ances somewhat menacng, and their persons
presenting contrast at once ludicrous and IN
structive. The one was purse proud, lordly
hammered man, apparently IN silk, and protect
ing CARCASS of nearly the circumference of IA
kcg.head; the other Il ragged and dirty, but
equally lmpudent and self-important parsonage;
and lrom a comparison of their countenances, 1t
would have puzzled the most profound Nj. ID.
which Of their rotunditeS was stored habtually
with good vctuals or drink.
Upon close observation, however, OF the
countenance ofthc banker, discovered, almost
as soon as my eye fell upon it, Il line h2speak-
ing something of humor, and awakening curio-
sity as he stood fixed aud eyed his antagonist;
and this became more clear and conspicuous
when he lowered his tone and asked-"How
will you make right appear?" Said the beggar,
"Why listen moment, and I'll teach you In
the first place, do you take notice, God has
given me soul and body Just as good for all
the purposes Of thinking, eating and drinking
and taking my pleasure as he has you-and
then you may remember Dives and Lazarus as
VIC pass Then, again, it is a free country, and
here, too, we arc Oh an cquality-for you must
know that here even bcggar's dog may look
a gentleman in the face with as much indifler-
encc as he would brother. | and you have
the same common master; are equally free; live
equally easy; and both travelling the same jour
ney, bound to the same place, and both have to
die and be buried in the end"
'But,' interrupted the banker, ''do you pre-
tend there is no difference between beggar
and banker?" Not in the least as to essen
tials. You swogger and drink wine in conpa-
ny of your own choosing swagger and drink
beer, which like better than your wine, in
company which like better than your compa-
ny. You make thousands a day perhaps-l
make shilling pcrhaps-if you are contented,
| am--we are equally happy at night. You
dress in new clothes; am just as comfortable
in old ones and have no trouble III keeping
them from soilng; if have less property than
YOU | have less to care about; if fewer friends,
| have less friendship to lose; and if do not
make as great figure in the world, make as
great shadow on the pavement am as
great as you. Besides, my word for it, have
fewer 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 slip word in edgeways, us
the contempt of tie world nothing?n
"The envy of the world is as bad as its con-
tempt-you have perhaps the one, and a
share of the other. We are matched there, too.
And besides, the world deals in this matter
equally unjust with us both. You and live
by oar wits, instead of living by our industry
and the only difference between us in this par
tiCulir worth naming is, that it costs society
more to maintain you than it does mel am
content with little, you want a great deal
Neither of us raise grain or potatoes, or weave
cloth, or manufacture any thing useful, we
therefore add nothing to the common stock; we
are only consumers; and if the world Judge
with strict impartiality, therefore it seems TO
me, would be pronounced the clevcrest fell
low"
Some passcrs-by here interrupted the CONVEX
sation The disputants separated apparently
good friends, and drew in my head ejacula-
ting, somewhat in the manner Of Alexander in
the play-"ls there then no difference between
the beggar and the banker"
But several years have since passed away
and now both these persons have paid the last
debt OF nature. They died as they lived, the
one beggar the other banker. ! examined
both their graves when next visited their CITY,
They were Of similar length and BREADTH
the grass grew equally green above each, and
the sun looked down 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 destines to
winch they had passed; of that state in which
temporal distinctions exist not; temporal hon.
ors are regarded not. Where pride and all the
circumstances which surrounded this life never
find adnittance. Then the distinctions oftimc
appeared indeed as an atom in the sunbeam
compared with those which are made in that
changeless state to which they both had pass
ed.