Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1853-11-25


t claimed Mr. Jonas. "Pve just foun
a them out. They're lazy vagabond set.
"You are certain Of that? ?"
+ Morally certain. Mr.. Caddy says b
knows them like book, aud that they
! rather want than work. With him,
think little wholesome starvation will
E them good"
r Notwithstanding this rather discourag
: ing testimony, Mr.. Prescott made memo
; randum of the street and number of th
: house in which the family lived, remark
. ing as he did so:
81 have just heard where the service
of an able-bodied man were wanted. Per
haps Gardiner, as you call him, may b
glad to obtain the situation"
ole won't work that's the character
1 have received of him." replied Mr.. 10
mas, whose mind was very much reused
against the man. The pendulum of biz
impulses had swung, from slight touch
to the other extreme.
"a dollar earned is worth two received
in charity" said Mr.. Prescott; "because
the dollar earned corresponds to services
rendered, and the man feels that it is bis
own-:hat he has an undoubted right to
its possession. 1t clevates his moral char.
actcr, inspires selfrespect, and prompts to
new efforts. Mere a.ms-giving is demor.
alizing for the opposite reason. 1t blunts
the moral feelings, lowers the selfrespect,
aud fosters inactivity and idlcncss, opening
the way for vice to come in and sweep
away all the foundations of integrity.
Now, true charity to the poor is for US to
help them to help themselves. Since you
left me short time ago, have been
thinking, rather hastily over the matter,
and the fact Of hearing about place for
an able bodied man, as just mentioned,
has led me to call around and suggest your
making interest thereof in behalf Of Gar
diner. Helping him in this way will be
true benevolence.
otis no use," replied Mr.. Jonas, in a
positive tone of voice. "He's An idle,
good-for-nothing fellow, and I'll have no.
thing to do with him"
Mr.. Prescott urged this matter no fur
Useless. ;s1 s. On lis way home, on leaving bis
store, he called to see Gardiner He found,
in two small, mcagcrly furnished rooms,
man, his wife and three children. Every
thing about them indicated extreme power
ty: and worse than this, lack Of cleanliness
and industry. The woman and children,
had look of health, but the man was evil
IDENTIFY the subject of some wasting disease.
His form was light, his face thin and
rather pale, and his languid epes deeply
sunken. He was very far from being the
able-bodied man Mr.. Prescott expected to
find. As the latter slept into the misera-
bic furnished room where they were gath
cred, the light of expectation, mingled with
the shadows of mute suffering, came into
their countenances. Mr.. Prescott was a
close observer, and saw at glance, the as
sumed sympathy-exciting face Of the men,
dicant in each.
"You look rather poor, here" said be,
as he took chair, which The woman dust
ed with her dirty apron before handing it
to him.
Mndecd, sir, we are miserably off," re-
piled the woman, in a half-whining tone.
'Johu, there, hasn't done stroke of work
now for three months; and"
"why not7" interrupted Mr.. Prescott.
"My health is very poor" said the man.
ri suffer much pain in my side and back,
and am SO weak most of the time, that l
can hardly creep about"
"That is bad, certainly" replied Mr..
Prescott, every bad" And as he spoke
he turned his eyes to the woman's face, and
then scanned the children very closely.
"Is that boy of yonrs doing anything'"
be enquired.
"No, sir" replied the mother. "He's
too young to be Of any account
"He's thirteen, if my eyes do not de-
,ieve me-"
"Just little over thirteen"
"Does be 90 to school :"
"No sir. He has no clothes ft to be
seen at school,"
"Bad-bad," said Mr.. Prescott, Every
bad. The boy might be earning two dol
ars week, Instead Of which he is growing
Up in idleness, which surely leads to vice."
Gardiner looked slightly confused at this
.emark, and his wife did not feel very
comfortable under the steady, observant
Eyes that we're upon her.
"You seem to be in good health" said
Mr.. Prescott, looking at the woman.
"Yes sir, thank God! And if it wasn't
,or that Iedon'k knov vhat "a ehonld al