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

TWO KINDS OF HONESTY.

min: ne kept seed shop, in which he likewise
carried on-not common thing, we believe, in
London-the sale of meal, and had risen from
the lowest dregs of poverty, by industry and
selEdenial, till he grew to be an afluent trades
man. He was, indeed, a rich man; for as he had
neither wife nor child to spend his money, nor
kith nor kin to borrow it of him, he had great
deal more than he knew what to do with Lavish
it on himself he could not, for his early habits
stuck to him, and his wants were few. He was al
ways clean and decent in his dress, but he had no
taste for elegance or splendour in any form, nor
had ever the pleasures of the table any charms
for him; so that, though he was no miser, his mo.
ney kept on accommodating, whilst it occurred to
him now and then to wonder what he should do
with it hereafter. One would think he need not
have wondered long, when there were so many
people suffering from the want of what he abound
ed IN; but Mr.. Benjamin, honest man, had his
crotchets like other folks. In the first place. he
had less sympathy with poverty than might have
been expected, considering how poor he had once
been himself; but he had theory, just in the
main, though by no means without it's exceptions
that the INDECENT have generally themselves to
thank for their privations. Judging from his own
experience, he believed that there was bread for
verybody that would take the trouble of earning
and as he had had little difficulty in resisting
temptation himself, and was not philosopher
enough to allow for the varieties of human char
acter, he had small compassion for those who in
jured their prospects by yielding to it. Then he
had found, on more than one occasion, that even
to the apparently well-doing, assistance was not
always serviceable. Endeavour was relaxed, and
gratuites, once received, were looked for again.
Doubtless, part of this evil result was to be
sought in Mr.. Benjamin s own defective mode of
proceeding but repeat, he was no philosopher
and in matters of this sort he did not see much
farther than his nose, which was, however a yerv
long one.
10 public charities he sometimes subscribed
literally; but his hand was frequently withheld
by doubt regarding the judicious expenditure
of the funds, and this doubt was especially forti
fled after CHANGING to one day, as he was pas
sing the Crown and Anchor Tavern concourse
of gentlemen turn out, with very flushed faces,
who had been dining together for the benefit of
some savages in the Southern Pacific Ocean, ac-
cused of devouring human fesh-a practice so
abhorrent to Mr.. Benjamin, that he had sub
scrlbed for their conversion. But failing to per-
ceive the connection betwixt the dinner and that
desirable contamination, his name appeared hence
forth less frequently i'll printed lists and he felt
more uncertain than before as to what branch of
unknown posterity he should bequeath his for
tune.
In the meantime he kept on the even tenor of
his way, standing behind his counter, and serv.
ing his customers, assisted by a young woman
called Leah Leet, who acted as his shopwoman
and in whom, on the whole, he felt more interest
than in any body else in the world, insomuch that
it even sometimes glanced across his mind, wheth-
er he should not make her the heiress of all his
wealth. He never, however, gave her the least
reason to expect such thing, being himself inca
pable of conceivng, that if he entertained the no.
ton, he ought to prepare her by education for
the good-fortune that awaited her. But he neith-
er perceived this necessity, nor, if he had, would
he have liked to lose the services of person he
had been so long accustomed to.
AT length, one day new idea struck him.
He had been reading the story of his namesake,
Benjamin, in the Old Testament, and the ques-
ton occurred to him, how many amongst his
purchasers of the poorer class-and all who came
to his shop personally were of that class-would
bring back piece of money they might find
amongst their meal, and he thought he should
like to try a few Of them that were his regular
customers. The experiment would amuse his
mind, and the money he might lose by it he
did not care for. So he began with shillings
slipping one in amongst the flour before he hand
ed it to the purchaser But the shillings never
came back-perhaps people did not think so
small sum worth returning SO he went on to
halfcrowns and crowns, and now and then, in
very particular cases, he even ventured guinea
but it was always with the same luck, and the
longer he tried, the more he distrusted there be-
ing any honesty in the world, and the more dis.
posed he felt to leave all his money to Leah Leet
who had lived with him SO long, and to his belief
had never wronged him of a penny.
whats this you have put into the cruel,
Mary?' said pale, sickly-looking man one eve
ming, taking something out of his mouth, which
he held towards the feeble CLEANS emitted by a
farthing rush-light standing on the mantel-piece.
'What is it, father Z? inquired a young girl,
al en- thao ,o1
It's good enough, replied the man; but here S
something in it: it shilling, believe
Its guinea, declare = exclaimed the girl,
as she took the coin from him and examined it
nearer the light.
"A guinea repeated the man well, that S
the first bit of luck I've had these seven years
or more. 1t never could have come when we
wanted it worse. Shew it us here, Mary
But it's not ours, father said Mary. Il paid
away the last shilling we had for the meal, and
here's the change
God has sent it us, girl He saw our dis
tress, and he sent it US in His mercy said the
man, grasping the piece of gold with his thin,
bony fingers.
1T must be Mr.. Benjamin's,' returned she.-
He must have dropped it into the meal-tub that
stands by the counter.
How do you know that 2 inquired the man
with an impatient tone and half angry glance.
A1oW Cdu yOu IcA nOW III Cdiuc luIO tu6 Sruel :
Perhaps it was lying at the bottom of the basn
or at the bottom of the saucepan. Most likely
it was.'
% no, father said Mary: it is long since we
had guinea
"A guinea that we knew of; but I've had plen-
ty in my time, and how do you know this is not
one we had overlooked! 2
We've wanted guinea too much to overlook
one, answered she. But never mind, father /;
eat your Cruel, and don't think of it your cheeks
are getting quite red with talking so, and you
won't be able to sleep when you go to bed
4 don't expect to Sleep, said the man peeyish-
ly; Il never do Sleep
4 think you will, after that nice cruel = said
Mary, throwing her arms round his neck, and
tenderly kissing his cheek.
and guinea in it to give it relish too p re-
turned the father, with faint smile and an ex-
preston of archness, betokening an inner nature
very different from the exterior which sorrow and