Hillsdale Whig standard. (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1846-1851, 1850-04-30
HILLSDALE, APRIL 30, 1850.


| Necessity requires it to be DONE he said
recovering himself. 'And go it is of no avai
this unmanly weakness. But for this ole
debt, we might have been comfortable EN-
ough, and able TO keep our children arounC
us until they were of more fitting age L
go from under their parent roof. Oh! wha
a curse is debt
Yes. Several hundreds of dollars but i
! fail as have for year past, | will breal
down before | get through
Let us think of our family, William
They have the first claims upon us. Thos,
TO whom money is owed are better off THAI
we are. They stand in no need of it,
But is IL not justly due, Alice enquifeC
the tailor in a rebuking voice.
mo more justly due than is food and raj
ment, and Il home To our children!' replied
the tailor's wife, with more thun her usua
decision Of tone God has given US these
children, and he will require an account oI
the souls committed to our charge Is mol
the human soul Of more importance than dol.
larsr A few years and it viii be out Of our
power to do our children good They will
grow up and bear forever the marks of neg
! ligence and wrong
Alice! Alice for heavens sake DO no;
talk in this way exclaimed the tailor much
disturbed
William said the wife, Il am a mother,
and mothers heart can feel right Ma ture
tells me that it is wrong for US 10 thrust out
our children before they are old enough 10
go into the world. Let us keep them home
longer
we cannot pay Oft this debt
Then let the debt 20 unpaid for the pres
ent. Those to whom it is owed can receive
no harm from waiting; but our children
will
Just then man brought in letter, and
handing it to the tailor, withdrew. On
breaking the seal, Mr.. Moale found that it
contained fifty dollars, and read as follows;
'Sir:-Upon reflection, feel that ought
not to receive the money that was due to me
when you became unfortunate somo years
ago. l understand that you have large
family, that your health is not very good, and
that you are depriying the one of comforts
and injuring the other by paying off your
old debts, TO cancel these obligations wo'd
be all right--nay. your duty--if you could
do so without neglecting higher and palmer
duties. But you cannot do this, and ! can
not receive The money you paid me this
morning. Take ii back and let it be expen-
ded in making your family comfortable.
have enough, and more than enough for all
my wants, and will not deprive YOU OF
sum that must be important to you, while to
me il will be OF little consequence gained or
lost. EDWARD PERTON.
The letter dropped from the taiors hand.
He was overcome with emotion. His wife,
when she understood its report. burst into
tears.
The merchants sleep was sweeter that
night than II had been for some time, and SD
was the sleep OF the poor debtor.
And the next day Mr.. Moalo called to sec
Mr.. Perton, TO whom az the instance Of the
latter, he gave full detail of his actual cir
cnmstances. The merchant was touched By
his story, and prompted by true benevolence
to aid him in his struggles He saw most of
the tailor's old creditors, and induced those
who had not been paid in full, to voluntarily
reIinquish their claims. and some of those
who had received money since the poor mans
mistortunes, to restore it as belonging of right
to the family. There was not one of these
creditors who did not feel happier by their
act of generosity; and no one can doubt that
both the tailor and his family were also han
pier. John and Henry were not compelled
to leave their homes unt il they were older
and better prepared to endure tho privatons
that usually attend the boys entrance into
the world and help for The mothers arduous
duties could be afforded.
No ono doubts that the creditors, whose
money is not paid to him. has rights. But
TOO few think Of the poor debtor, who sinks
into obseurity, aud often privations, while
his heart is oppressed with sense of obli-
cations utterly beyond his power to cancel