Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1849-07-12
| .MISCELLA NIE0US.
THE USES or POVERTY

| 4 Give me neither poverty nor riches . was
the prayer of Agur. And yet, it may be
| said, that each of these conditions has its
benefits as well as its temptations To be
rich, is to have the ability III mot to attain. at
least to confer happiness In this country
| wealth ensures its posscssorI other advanta.
ges, which add to Hts general attractions
| Power, friends, rank, and exemption, iri a
| great degree, from punishment for; crime,
follow in its train
| II is somewhat more difficult task to
discover the advantages of poverty Yet,
byIa little reflection, il may be possible, with
allIits thorns, TO extract SOME medicine from
this nettle
Poor men hayc!the common privilege of
breathing the same air, and walking the
same earth, with the rest of mankind =
They, like others, may feast their eyes up
the lilies of the field, arrayed in that rich
apparel which Solomon, in all his glory,
could not rival They may look out at night
upon the magnificent canopy above, and Ibe
struck with the insignifcance Of man, though
clothed in purple and fine linen, in the midst
Of this countless multitude Of the great
works Of God. Poor men may worship with
out rebuke in the great temple Of nature,
whose blessings are dispensed, as were those
Of Revelation in primitive times, without
money and without price. <
Poor men have none of the cares or per
plexities of wealth What is it to them,
That Z riches often take wings and fly pway2"
They lie down at night, fearless of robbers
and CONGREGATIONS. The winter wind howls
at their doors, but they have no ships upon
the seas, and though the blast may cause
them to SILVER slightly, they can draw their
covering more closely about them, and forget
their want III pleasant dreams
Poor men are not afflicted with those bodi-
Nv ailments which often torment theIrichl-
Their digestive. orgaus are never deranged
by high living Their stomaehs never re-
volt at superintendent pressure of cham.
| payne and oysters They do not know the
| meaning of govt and dyspepsia They keep
/ the feast daysof religion in spiritual sense,
| and its fasts in literal sense Hence, with
them the body rarely gets THE mastery of the
soul Physicians tell us that occasional alb
| stinence is an advantage to the physical sys-
| tenn Poormen practice upon this principle.
H There are other advantages ofpoverty. II
4 presents every motive to morality and good
Il citizenship. Thelaws of the land were made
4 for the benefit Of the poor. They know, they
4 feel from their cradles, that the Law is nc
II dead letter for them If they steal, they are
( logged or Imprisoned; if they murder, they
will inevitably bel hung. Hence it becomes
/! them to be cautious, and To abide faithfully
BY the requisitions Of the statute book. .
/ Poor men have other privileges They
may work on the public roads; they may
tillfarms of whose OVERLOOKING fruits scahty
portion comes to their humble boards; they
may navigate ships amid burning suns and
polar ice, looking death in the face by day
and night, that they may bring home ricf
| cargoes to satiate the greedy nav of ava
rice they mar fight the battles of theirna
i've land, as witness the muster rolls Of every
army which has ever unfurled its STANDARD
10 the breeze. They may die beneath th,
banners folds, their warm, brave hearts
| giving generously the last drop to country
\ Which leaves them to fall aunhonored anc
unsungsn while y lavishes its smiles AMI
plaudits Upon official rank.
H Yet Poverty, barren as she seems, Is |
Il fruitful mother Of great deeds. She lead
toindustry, economy, perseverance,, and then
1t last, to wealth., 50 that, after Al, il will b
generally acknowledged that this Il toad
hath z jewel in its head. \
III But, If al the efforts Of poor men fail
and they are unable to lay up treasures 81
earth, It certainly is some consolation thai
in doing their duty here, they secure an in
herit4nee hereafter, where the rags IF Lazs
rus win Be exchanged for garments NOR
glorious than those Of Dives, and the eros
81 earthly articulation for crown Of im5nol
4 tal felicity Il may Be some source Of graz
ifcatious that III despite Of seeming ov
dences 70 the contrary, they are the psculia
favorites Of Heaven--that He who has i.
deemed them took npon him the form /
Poverty; thst the great Monarch Of Gre:
ton disdained not 70 labor with his hands
that the FINAL Judge hath said, z BLESSED Il
the poor Rietilond RsPrtEicaa