Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1850-05-15
Mercy as Obligatory as Justice.
From the PHILADELPHIA Saturday Gacehe.
THE POOR DEBTOR.
BY T. s. ARTHUR.

There is one honest man in the world
| am happy to say remarked rich mer-
chant, named Petron. to friend who hap
pened to call in upon him.
"Is there, indeed am glad TO find ou
have made discovery Of the fact. " no
is the individual entitled 10 the honorable
distinction ~
"You know Moale, the tailor ?"
eyes. Poor fellow he's been under the
weather for long time.'
81 know he hes. But he s an homes,
man for all ihat.''
81 never doubted his being as homes, a
man as ever breathed, Mr.. Petron."
II have reason TO know that he is. But
once had my doubts. When ne was bro
ken up in business, some years ago,tc owed
me little bill, which tried 10 get out ol
him as hard as ever man did try for his
own. But dunned and dunned him until
I got weary, and then giving him up as a
bad case, passed the ,rife that he owed me
to account Of profit and loss. He has
crossed my path few times since hut,
as didn't feel towards him as could wish
to feel towards all men, treated him with
great GOODNESS. | am sorry for having
done so, for it now appears that judged
him 200 severely. This morning he called
in Of his own free will. and paid me down
the OLD account. He didn'! say anything
about interest, nor did !, though am en-
titled to, and ought 10 have received it.
But. as long as he came toward Of his own
accord and settled his bill, after / had CIV
ea upa'l hope Of ever receiving it,l though,
| nigh, afford to be little generous and
no, say anything about the interest, and
so gave him receipt in fell. Didn't | DO
right 7"
"Tn what respect 7" asked the friend.
"In forgiving him the interest, which
might have claimed as we'll as not, and
which he would, no doubt, have paid me
down. or brought me a, some future time" ]"
"Oh, yes. You we're right to forgive
the interest,"" returned the friend, but in a
tone and with manner that struck the
merchant as rather singular. mo man
should ever take interest OIL money due
from an unfortunate debtor"
"Indeed, Why mol t.? Is not money
always worth its interes, :" said the sur
prised Mr.. Petron.
$50 it is said. But the poor debtor has
no money upon which TO make an interest
He begins the world again with nothing bu
his ability to work and, if saddled with
an old debt-principal and inlerest-h':
case is hopeless. Suppose he owes ten
thousand dollars, and after struggling hard
for three or four years. gets into position
that will enable him TO pay off thousand
dollars a year. There is some chance fol
him to get out Of debt in ten years. Blu
suppose interest has been accumulating al
the rate or some five hundred dollars 6
year: his debt, instead Of being ten thousand
dollars, will have increased 10 twelve, by
The time he is in a condition TO begin tG
pay off anything; and then. instead of being
able to reduce the amount a thousa nd doll:
year, he will have to let five hundred g
(or The annual interest on the original debt
Four years more would have ic pass before
under this system he would get his deb
down to where it was when he was broker
up 10 has business. Thus. at the end Of eigh
years. hard struggling, he would not reaII..
hsve advanced step out of his difficulties
A deb, of ten thousand dollars would still
be hanging over him. And if, perseverinl
TO the end, he should 60 on paying tn
interest regularly and reducing the princl