Daily American telegraph., 1851-12-27
The Poor Helping Themselves.

Some ten years ago, u merchant in New
York came home on Saturday evening to his
family He had worked his way up from in
digence to competency; and after supper he
was thinking Of the way in which good Provi-
dence had led and prospered HIM
"Here | am, with my healthy and happy
family; our present wants are all supplied and
my increasing business promises future abund-
ance. How many who started in life with me
are either IN the grave, or worse off than am
What reason for gratitude!
Thus his mind was running, but now he
thought aloud: "My dear. believe I'll go and
see that family in H street hear they
are very poor; may be they are suffering"
He put on his hat, and quick step soon
brought him to the humble dwelling of Welsh
family, consisting of father and mother, and
six or seven children. 1t was basement. As
he descended the steps, he listened, and heard
them singing their evening song "No distress
here, but III go in' He found the tenement
neat as wax, and every eye frightened up even
to see stranger He hoped he had not spoil
ed their song, and was glad to find them
happy =
but - and tears chokcd his utterance-" but
could get no work this week"
"Oh, If i could get anything to do, these
poor babes should not 60 to bed without their
suppers"
"But have you nothing to eat -
"Not mouthful in the house, sir; but we
couldn't do without our evening song!"
Can't you get any work 2"
ave are all willing, and the larger ones are
able to do little and we had rather live on
fifty cents week, than have dollar in
charity" n u
By this time tho merchants eve moistened
He went home quicker than he came, and soon,
returned with a well-flled basket Shortly,
he found place for the father in a mechanics
shop, where he did well for about twelve months,
when he died He also procured employment
for the mother and eldest daughters. in making
shot bags The compensation was small but
80 many hands engaged brought not only their
daily bread and good appetite, but self-re-
spect, industrious habits and o conscious inde-
pendence Moreover in this way the girls
were prepared essentially to aid Their mother
in the support Of the family after the death Of
their father. The eldest son for while be-
came wayward, but the good merchant looked
after him. found him employment, and he is
now an excellent man.
The daughters-one Of them is the wife of a
worthy mechanic in Pennsylvania another is
the wife of young minister who is just COM
mencing the work of preaching the gospel to
hiscountrymen in the Welsh language; another,
with her needle, is earning at an average of
seventy-fyc cents a day through the year. for
the support of her mother and the younger chill
dren at school while all the members Of this
interesting. family are members Of the Welsh
church. Thus was deserving family saved
from suffering and despair, and perhaps some
of them from life of infamy and ruin Thus
were they made useful members of society and.
ornaments in the Christian church. That
merchant is daily receiving compound interest
on all the capital invested in this good work
Never win he forget that Saturday evening
visit and song and never is he weary Of telling
how to encourage the poor to help themselves,
Youths Cabinet