Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1852-05-12


g., uesty in the world. TINT it would find fit re-
&c in that young bosom: and the early hour. and
| he direction in which she was coming, led him
o hope that he might sing Eureka at last When
he entered the shop. Leah stood behind the ceun-
ter, as usual, looking very staid aud demure; but
all she said was, 'Good-morning; and when he in
quired if anybody had been there, she quietly an
! swered s'No: nobody"
| Mr. Benjamin was confirmed in his axiom but
he consoled himself with the idea, that as the
girl doub less very poor, the guinea, might
be of some use to her. In the meantime, Mary
was boiling the Cruel for her fathers break
fast, the only food she could afford him. till she
got few shillings that were owing to her for
neede-work.
WELL father, dear, how are you this morn
ing q
Il scarce know, Mary. I've been dreaming;
and it was 50 like reality, that | can hardly be-
lieve vet it was dream: and his eyes wandered
over the room, as if looking for something.
What is it, father Do you want your break
fast7 It vii! be ready in five minutes.
I've been dreaming of roast fowl and glass
of Scotch ale, Mary. L thought you came in
with the fowl. and bottle IN your hand, and
sad See, father, this is what I've bought with
the guinea we found in the mea!''
But couldnt do that, father, you know. 1t
wouldn't have been honest to spend other peo
pies money
Nonsense = answered John. Whose money
is it, | should like to know? What belongs to no
one, we may as we'll claim as anybody ese.'
But it must belong TO somebody; and, as |
knew it was not ours, I've carried it back to Mr..
Renamin.'
You have g said Gegg, sitting up in bed.
Yes, l have, father Don't be angry. I'm
sure you won't when you think better of it.
But John was angry indeed. He was dread
fully disappointed at losing the delicacies that
his sick appetite hungered for, and which, he
fancied, would do more to restore him than all
the doctors stuff in London; and, so far, he was
perhaps right. He bitterly reproached Mary for
want of sympathy with his sufferings, and was
peevish and cross all day. AT night, however,
his better nature regained the ascendant, aud
when he saw the poor girl wipe the tears from her
eyes, as her nimble needle few through the seam
of a shirt she was making for cheap warehouse
in the Strand, his heart relented, and, hold
ing out his hand, he drew her fondly towards
him.
You're right, Mary said he, 'and I'm wrong,
but I'm not myself with this long illness, and
often think if [ had good food I should
get WE'LL and be able to do something for my
self. 1t falls hard upon you, my girl; and often
when [ see you shaving to support my useless life,
I wish l was dead and out of the way; and then
you could do very well for yourself, and I think
that pretty face of yours would get you hus-
band perhaps And Mary flung her arms about
his neck, and told bin how willing she was to
work for him, and how forlorn she should be
without him, and desired she might never hear
any more of such wicked wishes. Still, she had
ardent desire to give him the fowl and the ale
he had longed for, for his next Sundays dinner
but, alas she could not compass it, But on
that very Sunday, the one that succeeded these
little events, Leah Leet appeared with smart
new bonnet and gown, at a tea party given by
Mr. Benjamin to three or four of his intimate
friends. He was in the habit of giving such small
inexpensive entertainments, and he made it
point to invite Leah; partly because she made thu
tea for him, and partly because he wished tt
keep her out of other society, lest she should &c
married and leave him-a thing he much depre
Gated on all accounts. She accustomed t.
his business, he was accustomed to her, and
above ALL she so honest
But there are various kinds Of honesty. Mar,
Glegg's was of the pure sort, it was such as ma
ture and her mother had instilled into her: it wa
the honesty of high principle. But Leah wa
honest because she had been taught that honest,
is the best policy; and as she had her living t.
earn, it was extremely necessary that she SHOULD
be guided by the axiom, or she might come t.
poverty and want bread, like others she saw, VIII
lost good situations from failing in this particu
lar.
Now, after all, this is but sandy foundation
for honesty; because person who is not actuatet
by higher motive, will naturally have no OBJ
lection to little peculation in safe way-tha
is, when they think there is no possible chance Q
being found out. In short, such honesty is but
counterfeit and, like all counterfeits, it will no
stand the wear and tear of the genuine article
Such, however, was Leah's, who had been bret
up by worldly-wise teachers, who neither laugh
nor knew any better. Entirely ignorant of Mr.
Benjamns eccentric method of seeking, wha
two thousand years age Diogenes thought i
worth while to look for with lantern, she consi
dered that the guinea brought back by Mary wa
a wait, which might be appropriated without thu
all e r
1t had probably, she thought, been dropped int
the meal-tub by some careless customer VIII
would not know how he had lost it; and, even
it were her masters, he must also be quite igno
rant of the accident that placed it where it wa
found. The girl was stranger in the shop; sh
had never been there till the day before, ant
might never be there again; and, if she were, i
was not likely she would speak to Mr. Benjamin
So there could be no risk, as far she could see
and the money came just appropos to purchas
some new attire that the change of season rem
dered desirable.
Many of US now alive can remember the begin
ming OF what is called the sanitary movement
previous to which era, nothing was said abou
the wretched dwellings of the poor, nobody
thought CT them, nor were the ill consequences
OF their dirty, crowded rooms, and bad ventila
ton at all appreciated AT length the idea STRUCK
somebody; who wrote a pamphlet about it, which
the public did not read; but the author sen
it to the newspaper editors, they borrowed tn,
hint, and took up the subject, the importance o
which, by slow degrees, penetrated the Londor
mind Now, amongst the sources of wealth
possessed by Mr.. BEN amin were great many
houses, which, by having money at his command
he had bought cheap from persons who could no
afford to wait; and many of these were situated
in squalid neighborhoods, and were inhabited BY
miserably poor people; but as these people die
not fall under his eye, he had never thought o
them-he had only thought of their rents, which
he received with more or less regularity through
the hands of his agent. The sums due, however
were often deficient, for sometimes the tenants