Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1852-06-10
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Better TO Work than to Beg.

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following interesting fact, ever de-
spair Of making a respectable living.
A gentleman was once walking
down one of the streets Of Petersburg
when a beggar loudly crayed "a few
coppers for nights lodging The
gentleman looked earnestly at the
poor man, and inquired,
Why do you not work? You
should be ashamed Of begging.
ooh, sir, | do not know where to
get employment
NONSENSE. replied the gentleman,
you can work if you will. Now list
en- to me. l was once a beggar like
you. a gentleman gave me crown
piece, and said to me, Work and do
not beg; God helps those who help
themselves ] at once left Peters
burg, and got out of the way of my
old companions. / remembered the
advice given me by my mother be-
fore she died, and | began to- pray
God to keep me from sin, and to give
me his help day by day. l went
round to the houses in the country
places, and with a part Of my five
shillings bought old rags. These l
took to the paper mills and sold at
q profit.
i was W ling to gi We a fair pnce
for the things | bought, and did not
try to sell them for m ore than | be-
Ilieved they were worth | determined
to be honest, an d God prospered me.
My purchases and profits became
larger and larger, and now | have got
llnore than ten thousand crown pieces
| that l can call ny own. One great
thing that has contributed to my sue
cess is this, ! have kept from strong
drink and tobacco
1 AS the gentleman spoke, he took
out his purse a nd drew from it d
crown piece, and ha nding it to the as
tonished beggar, said: Nov you have
T the same chance Of getting on in the
world that ! had. Go and work, and
never let IN see you begging again
If [ 90, l will hand you over to the
police
i Years passed away. The gentle.
man had forgotten the circumstance.
until, one day, when passing through
Petersburg, he entered a respectable
looking booksellers shop, in order to
, purchase some books that he wanted
i He had not been many minutes in
conversation with the bookseller,
f before the latter, eagerly looking into
the face Of his customer, inquired
'Sir, are not you the gentleman, who.
several years ago, gave a FIVE shilling
piece to poor beggar at the end o.
the street?
yes, / rememb Yer it well
Then, sir, this no use, this vel
, stocked shop, are the fruits Of thai
FIVE shilling piece. II
Tears Of gratitude trickled down
his cheeks as lie introduced the gen
tleman to his happy wife and chill
dren. He v as regarded as their ben
efactor. When gathered round tht
table to partake of a cup Of tea, tht
) bookseller recounted his history
from the above eventful day. 1t waE
similar to that Of the w lcome visitor
By industry, honesty, and depend
: ence upon Gods help, he had risef
step BY step, from bu ying rags, Il
, selling papers and tracts in the street
then keeping an old bpolk-sttlop,, ataat5
, ultimately to be the oN ner Of one Of
the best circulating Libraries in tho
/ place. Before the ha ppy party sep
arated the large family Bible was tai
ken down, out of W ieh psalm Of
, Thanksgiving was re- I'D and then all
bent round the family altar. Words
, could not express the feelings of those
| who formed that group For some
, moments, silence, lnterlningled with
subdued sobs, evinced the gratitude
to the Almighty Disposer of al
events whichwas ascending to heaven
| When they rose and babe each
other far bwell, the bookseller said
Thank God, ! have fo uhd your words
to be true. God helps those who
! help themselves. 1t is better tc
work than to beg
I Loewo6D. This is the woo ID Of q
r tree, native Of America, and which