Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1853-01-21
The Good Man.

An angel looked Down III th. sun n, and .miled,
But sh, saw not the angel, that autifoi child!
From The Boston Commonwealth
The Good Man.
"a passage i'll tho Eul"gy Of AMOS
LAWRENCE, from IA sermon on '.Thc Means
Of Living and the Ends of Life" preached
at the new Masonic Hall, Jan. ., 1858, By
Rev. Theodore Parker.l
Only two days AGO, there died in .hi:
city, a man rich in money, but far more
rich in manhood. l suppose he had hi.
faults, his deformilies of character. Ol
course he had. Ittakes many men to make
complete man. Humanity is so wide
and deep that all the world can not drink
it dry. He came here poor, from little
country town. lie came with nothing
nothing but himself l mean and man i.
not appraised, only taxed. He came ob
scure; nobody knew Amos Lawrence forty
five years ago, nor cared whether the hand
kerchief in which be carried his wardrobe
trudging to town, was large or little. H.
acquired large estate; got it by industry
forecast, prudence, thrif,-honest industry
forecast, prudence, thrift. lie earned villa,
he got and great deal more. He was
proud Of his life; houorably proud that
he made his own fortune, and started with
g nothing but bis hands" Sometimes he
took gentlemen to Groton, and showed
them ha!f.a.milc Of stone wall which the
boy Amos had laid on the paternal home
stead. That was something for q rich mer
chant to be proud Of. :
lie knew what few men understand
when to stop aecumulating. At the az
when the summer Of passion has grown
co9l, and tfs winter Of ambition begins
seriously to.set in, when avaticc and love
of power, Of distinction, and Of Office, BE-
gin to take hold Of men, when the leave.
Of instructive generosity fall Of, and The
selfish bssk begins to tighten about tho
lnan-some twenty years ago, when be hac
large estate, he said to himself " enough
No more accumulation Of that sort, K
make me miscr and my children worst
than misers." So be sought to use nobly
what he had manfnlly won. He didu''
keep
"a brave old house, at beautiful rase,
a IA fusc of anfa Tn wait At
He lived comfortably, but discrsetly.
His charity was greater than his estate
In the last twenty or thirty years, be has
given away to the poor larger fortune
than he has left to his family. But hs
gave with as much wisdom as generosity.
His money heightened his arm, because b.
had a good heart in his bosom. lie lookee
up his old custom ers whom he had known
III his poor days-which were their ricl
ones-aud helped them in their need. III
sought the poor Of this city and its neigh
borhood, aud gave them his gold, his at
teution aud the sympathy Of his homes
heart. Ii: pray ed tor the poor, but prayee
gold. He built churchcs-uot for his ow,
sect alone, for he had picty without narrow
ness, and took religion i'll natural way
churches for Mcthodists, Baptists, Calvin
lists, for poor, 4rscss,d black men, fugi
tive slaves in Cauada. He helped :ollcsc
gave them libraries aud philosophical Up
paratus. He scug ght out young men .
talents aud character, but poor, aud s;rug
Cling for education, aud made lcns arm
to reach down to their need, sending par
GELS Of books, pieces of cloth to make
scholars jacket or cloak, or money to pa
the .erm bills. He lent money, when til
loan was better than the gift. That bou,l
tiful hand was felt on the shore Of the IA
ci6c. He was his own executor, and til
trustee Of his own charity funds. II
didu'nt leave it for his heirs to dis,ribut
his benevOlence at their cost. At his Ow
cost, be administered tue bencfactions {
his testament. At the end Of fortuna,
year he ouce found $3U,0U0 more than b
had looked for as his share Of the annu;
profits. In Que month be had invested
all-in various charities. He couldn't e;
his morsel alone-the good man.
His benevolonce came out also in small'
things in his daily life. He let the bc..
cling on behind his carriagc-grown nut
did so, but iuvisibly: he gave sleish'rid'
, to boys and girls, and had gentle wol
and kindly smile for all be met.
; He coveted no distinction. He had |
title, and wasn't "General," "Colouel
5 q" Captain" or Honorsble"-only pla
Mister" Esquire" and Deacon"
J. the end: