Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1846-11-19

He was an old reprobate,' said another, 'and
the devil has got him at last 8 His life was
worse than blank, remarked third, and no
one regrets that the old fellow is dead.
Mr.. Jacobs had been dead few days when
the minister of the parish called few OF his
friends together, to examine the contents of
the trunk, for there, they we're led to suppose
his will was deposited, and other important doc
uments
Judge of the surprise of the gentlemen, when,
on opening the papers, they found for the last
fifty years of his life, Mr. Jacobs hid distributed
annually from fifteen hundred to two thousand
dollars among the poor Of his native PLACED
There we're the documents and receipts to show
this fact. lie had gone through the city I'M
known and in disguise, and distributed his mon
ey where he found want and poverty. 1t was he
who sent the money in letter to the gentleman
who solicited charity OF him with such apparent
ill-succesS, when so many Lecame homeless, on
account Of disastrous FIRE. 1t was he who
sent the poor widow -four, tea, &c, after she
had paid him her rent. 1t was he who had re-
peatedly sent to benevolent societies, hundreds
Of dollars through the post office; and it was he,
too who had furnished the means of educating
Edward Mason, the Lawyer, who had treated
him SO unhandsomey He spent many hun
bred dollars for his benefit After leaving
few thousand dollars a piece to his sons, in his
will the remainder of his property, amounting
to about one hundred thousand dollars, was to
be kept as permanent fund, the interest OF
which was to be distributed yearly among the
poor of his native city.
When these facts were announced, the cur
rent of public opinion changed in moment
He whom they had looked upon as a mean
wretch, now appeared little less than an angel,
and no language was too exalted to speak of the
public benelactor.
On further examination of his papers they
found hundreds of little slips, of varuurS dates,
for more than two score years back, for cash re-
ceved of A. B, and G, for various sums Of from
five to hundred dollars each. Thus had this
gentleman gone about and in secret distributed
his money helping the sad and desponding-
while hundreds were denouncing him--poInlIng
the finger of scorn, and calling him every bad
| name Iney C0ulu lHInh OIL IIC ouhGl Gu lHC IC-
proach and contumeIy Of his fellow citizens, with
out murmuring word, and those too, who had
received countless favors from his hands
After his death every body was anxious to do
Justice to the man who, when living all pretend
ed to dispise, and no one exerted himself more
than young Mason the lawyer A large monu-
ment was erected over his sleeping body, on
which was inscribed his name and age, and the
day Of his death with the following line be-
meath:
Judge not from Appearances.
Since the death of Mr.. Jacobs, the inhabit-
ants of the town in which he lived have been ex-
tremely careful how they Judge their fellow
creatures. If man has the appearance of be-
ing mean and misery, and word is lisped tC
to his dlscredit dozen voices will excldm
{ Don't Judge him till he is dead-remember ole
Jacobs The old are respected and reverenced
No young man, for many year, has been know
to speak disrespectable word to the grey-head
ed and in6rm. The singular life Of Mr.. Jacobs
HIS exerted happy influence throughout the
place, and hundreds every year, who receive
comforts from the interest of the property he