The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1850-11-07


morose, he lay snarling on the threshold
ho- was too poor to bark aloud. Aud se
there was some mysterious sympathy, aom'
misery Of bis own to brood over. which
premises was a COW. She was very pic
ture, and chewed tho perpetual cnd Of des
pair. Her bones were eloquent. Th'
milk which generous creature yields VI
without stin. and willingly, appeared il
her case a very robbery. And at last tht
horn dis,emper seized on her, and she wen
down to death. lie took what lie coull
take--her skin; and that was dcprivins
her rafting bones Of all which they pos
sessed. What a COW! Had she fed in tho
Pon,ine marshes? So any nne might have
thought. Yet she starved xiibn sight O
the neigbboring plenty, and when every
breeze waited the smell of clover 10 hel
nostris. From that time no milk ever
moislened the lips of the miscr. lie had q
fountain Of brackish water, aud in that be
dipped his ear,hen mug.
At premises 50 fofbidding ia their aspect
the unfortunate man and the beggar scarce.
| ~ had tho hardihood 10 apply. On bis
portals were written, as in blazing charac-
ters, Begone! To unloose his purse strings
would have been more hard than to relax
the polar ices, or to unlock the iron grasp
of death. Three score years and ten did
he live, and in aliihat time be never knew
the luxury Of doing good lie never fed
the hungry, clothed tho naked, nor listen
cd TO the impor,unate voice of despair.--
Did the sick or the dying man lio in his
pathway, and nccost him, he etnrned a deaf
car TO his supp'ications, aud leaving him
to some good Samaritan, passed BY on the
other side
A sister lay in a neighboring town, bed
ridden, needy, and ready TO die. She pro-
nounced the endearing word, 'brothcr,' and
said give, give But The genial current
Of bis soul was frozen. With brows con-
trac,ed. fists cIenchcd, lips compressed, he
shook bis hoary head. and slowly turned
npon his heel in few DAYS after. she
was carried 10 the grave. He followed on,
aud shed Tear; bright sparkling, afiec-
tomato tear.
With his neighbors he never mingled in
social intercourse. They bchell him only
in HE distance, and with scorn. What ca
red he for crops whose harvest was already
gsrnered! When The Sunday bells rang
cheerlly, and ite old and the Young, their
faces benming with gratitude, iocked 10
the temple Of God, he tlcyontly worshippcd
at home. lie had an a!.ar there, glitter
ing n',ar. With greater. rapture than the
| Christian bows down to his Goa, did he
worship Iis gold and the prayer which he
offered up was this, that it would never
leave him nor torsake him.
| He lit no lamps, he burned no OIL Was
there moi light enough in the daytime 70
perform the litln business Of his liie?-
| When night camo On, aud the cold winds Of
winter whislIed through the c-annics, he
covered up the emElers with wise economy,
and SUNK away into bed. Twenty times
! in the night would he wake ~ IN ,repda-
lion. He thought he heard the step o. the
robber. II might not be. and yet il might be.
It were better 10 set his mind Ut resi-. 81
he rose up shivering from his couch, laid
his hand upon his treasure, then soothed his
heart with the wa,chman's cry, sAll's well,
ali's we'll
Old ago at last stole upon him, and the
time arrived when in the course of nature
he must die. But the ruling passion was
strong in dea,l, lie only Rugged his lraas-
urcs The closer. They became his hed-leI-
lows. As the sick and petulani man, who
cannot bear 10 be alone, he said TO them
Leave ne moi! stay with me, for have
but short timc 10 i've His hands could
still count them over, and when his hands
were pa'sied, his glaring eye could stu
drink in their spendor. IN dellrinm hls
mind wandered, but not from his gold. He
said ,ha, he was going into far county
be must make great preparations; he must
provide sacks and an escort OF armed men,
for there were robbers by the way. Then
he murinured know not what, coninsedly,
of treasures of earth ---ah! how much bet
Ter to have provided treasures in heaven.
and departed to his own abode. lis iaa-
lures retained their expression IN death, as
if a sculptor had carved them from the f'gg-
! id marble. Thus no lived despsed; thus
he died unlanen,ed. His negative vinne
was his positivo crime. lie had done nt
evil, he had effected no good. M Trend
hung with solci,nde over his sick bed Inc
mourner followed him TO the grave. None
ever had occasion to remember bln win
affection. and the best charity was TO Tor
get tha, he lived.
Such a life who would lead? such
character who would envy? Oihof vices
admit tho exercise of redeemlng virtues
aud their victims we love, we pity, We con
denim. THIS we cannot u wraps NJ 'n'
whole soul; it lies at the fountain head !"
all henavolence, nrt like other wees eHoi'
, tering the waters, but actually !orb'da'nt
, them 10 fow. Few indeed arc 90 ont'rei,
the slaves Of Tho accursed lust oi gold e
/ Charity suggests that even these are labor
mo under a monnnla MIA, men,s! desease
/ ,.,3 th.t ,,-n ~, Tho .apapt al nlaU