Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1849-01-03
"Yes. l will give you two cenls."

l
ITO whom would you sell?'
"l'd find n purchaser
| sat an advance!'
ga triae." a g. as1
| The inquiries of the old man created a
suspicion that he wished to Know who was
to be the second purchaser, in order that he
might to him and get better price than
was offered. This was the cause of the
brief answers given to bis questions. He
clearly .comprehendedewhat was passing in,
the others mind, but took no notice 81 az
swhafs plir3ors wodld fhes indfoi6dsil
who purchased from you buy?" he pursued.
"To sell again. -
CAT further advance, of course!"
"Certainly." s
"And to some one, in all probability who
would be deceived into purchasing worth
less article.'
GAS likely as not, but with that have
no concern. sell it for what it is and ask
only what it is worth.'' 5 "
"lsi it worth anything?''
"Why-yes-I can't say-no.'' The
first words were uttered with hesitation:
the last one with a decided emphasis
"But then it has market value, as every
article has," t.=-.
Il cannot sell it to you,my friend" said
the old man, firmly.
"Why not? | am sure you can't do
better"
81 am not willing to become party in
wronging my neighbors. That is the rea-
son. The article has no real value, and
it would be wrong for me to take even a
farthing' per pound for it. Yon might sell
it at an advance, and the purchaser from
you at still further advance, but some one
would be cheated in the end, for the article
never could be used.'' -.s .-
s'But the loss would be divided. 1t is MT
right that one man should bear all. In
the end it would be distributed amongst q
good many and fall lightly upon each.
The good old man shook his head.-
"My FRIEND" he said, laying his hand gent
ly upon his arm--"Not very long since |
heard you indulging the most ardent antc-
ipntions of Heaven. You expected to get
there one of these days. Is it by acts Of
over-reacbing your neighbor that you ex-
Pect to merit Heavens VIII becoming q
party to wrong make you more fitted for
the company of angels who seek the good
Of others, aud love others more than them
selves? fear yol are deceiving syenrseH.
All who come into Heaven love God and I
would ask with one of the apostles, eff
man love not his brother whom he hath
seen, how can he love God whom he hath
not seen?'' You have much yet to learn,
my friend. OF that true religion by which
Heaven is formed in man, you have not
vet learned the bare rudiments."
There was calm earnestness in the
manner of the old man, and an impressives
ness in the tone of his voice,that complete
ly subdued his auditor He felt rebuked
and humbled, and went away more serious
than he had come. But though serious, his
mind was not free from anger, his selflove
had been to deeply wounded.
After he had gone away, the property a.
bout which so much had been said, was ta-
ken and destroyed as privately as it could
bedone. The fact, however, could not
be concealed. A friend ola different Or
der from the pious one last introduced, in
quied of the old man why he had done tn is.
His answer was as follows:
''No man should live for himself alone
Each one should regard the common good,
and act with view to the common good.
If oil were to do so,you can easily see that
we should have heaven upon earth, from
banished. Our various employments are
means whereby we can serve others-eur
own good being natural consequence. If
the merchant sent out his ships to distant
parts to obtain the useful commodities of
other countries. in order to benefit his fel-
low-citizens, do you not see that he would
be far happier when his ships came in laden
with rich produce, than if he had sought
only gain for himself? And do you not
also see, that he would obtain for himself
equal, if not greater advantages. If the
builder had in view the comfort and conve.
nience of his neighbors while erecting a
house, instead Of regarding only the money
he was to receive for his work, he would
not only perform that work more faithfully,
and add to the common stock Of happiness
but would lay up for himself n source oI
perennial satisfaction. He would moi, latter
receiving the reward of his labor in just
return Of the worlds good, lose all Interest
in the result of that labor; but would instead
have feeling Of deep interior pleasure
whenever he looked at human habitatior
erected by his hands, arising from o con
sciousness that his skill had enabled him to
add to the common good. The tillers of th'
soil, the manufacturers of its products int
useful articles, the artisans of every class
the literary and professional man, al
would, if moved by regard for the wei
fare Of the whole social body, not only &C
more efficiently in their callings, but woul'
derive therefrom q delight now unimagin
ed except by a very few. Believing thus,
, could not be so blind as not to see that tn
only right course for me to pursue was t.
destroy worthless and injurious commod
ty, rather than sell it at any price to on
} who could, for gain, either himself defrau
, his neighbor, or aid another in doing it,
'AsI have said before, if every ma
: were TO look to the good Of the whole, in
t stead of turning all his thoughts in upo1
himself, his own interests whould be bette
served, and he would be far happier
< That is beautiful theory remarke
. the friend, 'but never can be realized i
actual life. Men are loo selfish. Ne