Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1855-06-27
JUNE Il.
Rich and Poor.

Yonder is a gorgeous palace rearing its
proud walls and columns aloft, the embodi-
ment of pride and wealth. Were the life of
the owner faithfully written, the strides be
made to attain the position he now holds, it
would be a dark history, Of crime, oppres-
sion and wrong. Each stone in the p~rincely
palace would tell a tale Of sorrow-oach
wall would DO found corroded with the tears
Of the helpless-each pillar would speak of
orphans wronged that the rich man might
become richer. The rich man r~eclines on a
downy bed Of ease, and mocks his God by
assuming sanctifed airs in His temples.
Yonder is q miserable hovel, within a
stones throw Of the rich mans palace. A
poor widow and three sickly orphans live
there in misery and want. She is needle
woman and buys bread for her sickly or
phans with the labor of her own hands,
She was once rich and happy. Her husband
was a ~high-minded gentleman, but he looed
strong drink. He became besotted and in
volved in debt-the rich man came with a
smile on his face, loaned him money to re-
lieve him from debt, took his bonds, seized
the property, placed the wretched man in
prison, and then, still urged on to more iend-
like deeds by the burning thirst for gold,
went to the poor wife weeping for her hus-
band in prison and she signed a paper for
his liberty. lie was liberated-he breathed
pure air beyond the prison walls again, but
Ill L. .w,wawtx, 4nrnIhor Nth tho xrico1c
patrimony was in the rich friend'S Golfers !
The poor man died with q broken spirit
the rich man gave himself glory for what he
had done for him in life-the widow and
orphans wept in bitterness.
Yonder is a great factory where the raw
material is converted into the finest fabrics.
There, among the dust and heated air, are
two little children with pale faces and Bonded
forms. Their father was q relative of the
rich man, and he became their guardian
lie placed them in the factory to earn their
bread, while he bought stocks with their leg
ocy. They will not live long their hands
are unused to toll and they have hitherto
breathed the pure air of heaven. The guar
dian revels in a palace-the orphans rot in
the gravel
Yondor goes the auctioneer's cart. In il
is the furniture of a poor family being carried
away for rent. A poor woman sits on the
curb stone by the door, with little frightened
children clinging to her faded gown. Hel
eyes rests upon q ~favorite old bureau, the
gift Of mother in the grave, as the cart
rolls away, and there are tears in her eyes,
No wonder she woeps for her memory is
away back to the old home by the river
where the pet birds twittered and the daffo
dis grew, when and where her heart wa,
always in the springtime Of love. BY he
side reels her once fond husband, now reel
ing and staggering under the influence o
the intoxicating draught. 1t was not always
50. lie was once moral, loving, true anC
honorable. His fame and honor are nov
swept away by the damning current flowing
from the grog shop. His furniture has beer
taken TO pay their rent, and they are denied
a shelter longer.
The rich man slept soundly on a velve
bed. The poor family crept among straw
and litter in a garnet, and thought Of brighte
days forever fled.
But yonder is q land where the distinction
Of rich and poor never enter to mar the peac
and destroy the harmony of that better land
X