The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1851-05-07
Poverty.
by HARRY FRANCO.

who all his life lJas lived poor, poverty is
not a very terrible evil it is his naturs
condition, TO which he has instinctively
moulded himself, and his wants are no
greater than his means OF satisfying them;
his appetite is good, bis sleep refreshing,
his cares few, and his friends sincere
for no one thinks il worth his while to
play the hypocri,e to man who has
nothing TO give or to lend the sun
shines i,r him with as bright an aspect
as for the rich-the fresh breeze kisses
his cheek aud plays with his locks, as
though he we're par, Of the elements
the whole out of door is open to him,
and the outsdes of the houses Of the
rich, not unlrequently their best parts,
are as much source Of pleasure 10 him
as to their owners. His children are
very dear to him, and almost always rise
to a condition above their fathers; and
his vile, although compelled 10 labor
hard and endure what other women
nigh. consider grievous burdens, is al
ways lrue 10 him, and loves him better,
as he does her, for the very toll and pri-
vation she has had 10 encounter for the
sake Of him and his children. When
poverty first comes to his dwelling the
first glance a, her meagre image almost
drives him mad-indeed, it no, unfre-
quently happens that her cold frown kills
him outright. Blu, if he can Withstand
the first shock Of her presence, the dan
ger will soon be over, and day by day
the unwelcome aud hated visitant will
grow less and less repulsive, until al last
the poor man will marvel why she should
have terrified him in the beginning. Alb
solu,e, unmiligated want. like pain and
disease, must affect all alike-but this IS
no, the kind Of poverty we mean--such
condition is hardly known in our hap-
py land, where there are few cases OF
suffering from want, except amongs! the
dissolute and ide-and they are always
wretched, whether rich or poor.
The sudden breaking up and over
turning in the family of merchant, when
overtaken by bankruptcy. cannot be fully
understood, except by those who have
experienced it. 1t is like clipping the
wiors of birds, shutting him in cage, to
beat his breast agains; the cruel wires OF
his prison, while he catches glimpse OF
the blue ether, where his mate and his
companions are soaring with outslretch-
ed pinions above him. The real depri>
yation of The luxuries or even comforts,
in which lie had been used TO inGulge. IS
not the chief cause of suffering with The
poor bankrupt, is the altered tone oil
those with whom he associated IN his
pos,eri,y. which gives him his keenest
pang. The easy air of familiarity oil his
equal. the deferen,ial respect OF his de-
pendents, and above all, the manner OF
his creditor, are suddenly changed IN
night-his companion becomes cold, his
dependent grows insoleni, and his cred~
itor looks at him with suspicious glance,
which seems to accuse him of embezzle-
uent and fraud. OF a sudden he feels
that his responsibility has oozed away
from him-and when he finds that lie
has got nothing but his character 10 de-
pend upon, he begins to dlstrnst his own
virtue - as he discovers iha, II Will
neither give him credit for dollar, nor
insure him the respect of his acqnain-
tances-apd he almost wishes he had
taken better care Of himself when he
had it in his power to do so. But he has
given up to his creditors the las, copper
in his pocke,-and he meets with no
compassion from them if they get cop
per less than their dues. He remem-
bers in his trouble how differently he had
rea'ed those who were indebted 10 him,
and takes comfort in the recollection,
but he wonders why men will continue
10 treat their ellow.beings according TO
their possessions, and not according 10
their merits.