Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1847-11-10
iThe B ad Banker.
a suoa zee MIND. !.

.Tgie Beg ad Banker. |
"A .yzsreas.saat lalsE MIND.
q.stand out Of my way, said q rough |
surly voice, under my window, e1day as
I sat musing over the bustling scenes below
me, at my lodgings in Chestnut Street,
':Your honor will please to recollect," re-
piled sharp and somewhat indignant
voice-ssyour honor will please to recollect
that am a beggar, and have as much right
to the road as YOURSELF" "And am a
banker" was retorted still more grufly and
angrly. Amused at this strange dialogue,
leaned over the case, and beheld q couple !
of citizens in the position which u pugiiist
would denominate squared, their coun-
tenances somewhat menacing, and their
persons presenting a contrast at once ludic-
rous and instructive. The one was al
purse-proud, lordly hammered man, apparel
ed in silk, and protecting canvass of
nearly the circumference Of a hogshead;
the other ragged and dirty, but equally
impudent and selfimportant parsonage;
and from comparison Of their countenan-
ces, it would have puzzled the most pro-
| found M. D. to determine which Of their
rotundities was stored habitually with good
victuals and drink.
Upon a close observation, however, of
the countenance ofthe beggar, | discovered,
almost us soon as my eye fell upon it 4
line bespeaking something Of humor and
awakened curiosity, as he stood fixed and
eyed his antagonist; and this became more
clear and conspicuous when he lowered his
tone and asked-"How will you make that
right appear?'' said the beggar. "Why
listen a moment, and Pll teach you. In
the first place do you take notice that God
has given me soul and body just rs good
for all the purposes Of thinking, eating, or
drinking and taking my pleasure as he has
you--and then you may remember Dives
and Lazarus just as we pass. Then again,
it is free country, and here, too, we are
on an equality-for you must know that
here, even beggar's dogmay look gentle
man in the face with as much indifference
as he would brother. | and you have
the same common master; are equally free;
live equally easy; and both travelling the
same Journey; bound to the same place,
and both have to die and be buried in the
end.'
aBut,' interrupted the banker, ssdo you You
fprefsnd there Is no renee between Q
bteggar ana bankerg N Of in the least
as 10 esseptials. Y Oh sisagger, and drink
wine ii: m:eompany Of yoglr own choosing
l swa:gger and drink beer, which Hike
better than your wine, inscompany which
like better than yotsr. COM anya, You make
thousands day, perhaps-l make a shill'
ing, perhaps-if you are contented l an1--
we are equally happy at night. You dress
in new clothes; | am just as comfortable in
I, old ones, and have no trouble in keeping
them from soiling; if have less property
: than you, I have less to care about; i
fewer friends, have less friendship to lose;
and if do not make as great figure IL
: the world, make as great shadow on the
. pavement-I am as great as you. Besides
nv word for it, | have fewer enemies, NEE
= with fewer losses, carry as light heart
' and sing as many songs as the best OF YOU
'And then,' said the banker, who hat
. all along tried to slip q word in edgeways
sis the contempt Of the world nothing?'
: '''The envy Of the world is as bad as it
> contempt-you have perhaps the one, ant
" I share Of the other. We are matches
= there, too And besides, the world deals il
. this matter equally unjust with us both
- - You and l live by our wits, instead O
u u living by our industry; and the only differ
. ence between us in this particular, wort
- naming, is, that it costs society more t
:, MAINTAIN you than it does mel contcn
=, with little, you want a great DEAL
. Neither of us raise grain or potatoes, Q
weave cloth, or manufacture anything use
II full; we therefore add nothing to the commo
:, :, stock; we are only consumers; and if tn
~ ~ world judge with strict impartiality, there
~ =, fore, it seems to me, would be pronount
:" ed the cleverest fellow"
a. ~ Some passers by here interrupted III
~ ~ conversation. The disputants separated
~ apparently good friends; and drew in N
head, calculating somewhat in the manne
Of Alexander in the play-"Is there the
IT, no more difference between the begg'
y and banker?''
But several years have since passed
ed way-and now, both these persons hav
oe paid the last debt of nature. They died {
n. they had lived, the one banker and tt
as other beggar. l examined both the
at graves when next visited their city. The
rs were of q similar length and breadth--tf
I'd grass grew equally green above each, ar
tn the sun looked down as pleasantly on tt
lis one as on the other. No honors, pleasure
ro or delights clustered round the grave of tn
W rich man. No finger OF scorn was pointe
ed to that of the poor man--They were bot
ne equally deserted, lonely and forgotten!
e. thought, too, Of the destinies to which the
We had passed; Of that state in which temp
", raj distinctions exist not; temporal homo
at are regarded not Where pride, and
We the circumstances which surround this lii
as never find admittance. Then the distin
ed tions of time appeared indeed as an ato
i'd in the sunbeam. compared with those whic
le are made in that changeless state to whic
te they both had passed.
lis PERSONAL Webster has joint
IN the Wings.
70 Mr.. Polk has given in his adherence
er the Democratic party, and proclaims hin
tie self in favor Of the war.
10 John Jacob Astor has not been seen
ed an omnibus for some time.