The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1858-03-19
THE POOR MANS ANGEL

dark angel, with heavy wings, stood /
sne SIDE Of an Atheist. The room was II
nome OF poor man; the poor man looked yer
bright angel. ~
"Don't know, jake" said the poor mar
r crouching closer to the little brazier Of Goals
''out II seems to me this worlds mighty mea
place." ''e1
! "lhe worlds good enough it's the peopl
that is in it, said the PHILOSOPHER Jake.
well, | don't know, | tell vop.,, said III
poor man 'shere's this cold weather, ia ma,
amt got no work, jest see how il freezes him
mere am pInched up with the cold, no over
Ooa'' no warm thlck clothes, and when I %
out Il seems as II the wind owed me spite ant
JEST "hstled through my bones cause it know,
! hufts. lhen there's the earth you crack ur
So DON'T yield me nothing; only them that car
| pays get Tue corn and the potatoes. III should
ask anythiAg OF IT, 1t would only give me a
pawn, stone 'cordin' to Scripter The nature
that you talk about and call the great essence.
ana All that, IS mighty putty sometimes, if a
| mans got time to enjoy 1t, but then it rains.
halls' thunders, and SHOWS, and nature likes to
arp down my cracks in the wall, and little
sP1e lnlier than IT does on the ground. Nature
dont give me coat to wear, and make me a
Pair-oi Pantaoons. Nc, Jake, I'll give in I
amt got as much larnin as you have, but Ill
oe bliStered If don't think there's better place
than tbs somewhere. Praps you're honest
when you say there's no God, and natures our
mother, an all that but il don't give moor fel-
low any consolation when he amt eoi any bread
and butter. That's SO Now when | was
niue Teller, had good mother-yes, Jake |
mad SO have known the time when she was
that hungry she jest up and cried for herself
and me too. And then remember she lest down
and prayed TO the LORD thai He would send her
some bread, and he sent it, He did SOL
"Don't believe IT All a yarn! Well, II
guess II you'd gone hungry twenty-four hours
you'd believed that bread was bread, and not
yarn, when you got hold of it, [ tell YOU. /
brought basket chuck full of bread
and meat, and knocked at our door and pushed
II IN, and didn't say nothing. Then saws my
mother, says she Bob don't never forgit 10
pray but ] haven't minded her once" and the
'ongh man drew closer 10 the smoking Goals (
md hid his face in his hands while the bright
angel drew closer 10 him.
"No. 'tn,on't 10 for YOU TO talk 10 me that
ire way, jake, tR2HghJ kRoa.s-ps,r,r-a Ilio Sight
d}s w ny u w d. ltt ~ liS d u ii7' hN PNoi ,
hing | hadn't been altogether kind TO her,
lake; It were my sprefng habits, you see, jest /
,egularly given myseifover 10 the old one, for /
uighty poor pay, ! tell you. Well, l give her
he rough word many's the time, poor soul, and
made the tears come into her eyes often. But /
when she died, she jest said the loveiest things !
about heaven and forgive me every wicked thing +
I'd did, and said she saw angels, and was going
ap 10 her Father in glory and looked SO happy ! (
You may laugh at me if you like for talking on
like baby, but that wasn't no sham, that dy- /
ng bed.
'.Look how God has taken care ofme? Bet
ter say look how I've took care Of myself Bet
Ter say, Bob, you've spent enough money IN
drink and cigars, and betting, and treating, and
fooling, to have little house over your head,
and living wife, too, by gosh there that's the
last oath ever you'll hear out OF my head
ami going TO be drawn INTO believing your
wicked notions, cause kHol0 there is God,
and | mean TO know Him better nor | do.-
There, ] feel warmer now, and more comtorta-
bic, and Pm going right over 10 the preacher
VI hat came when my poor Mary died and III
tell him want 10 meet her there, and ask hum
TO show me the way"
The dark angel covered his face with his
wing, and the bright angel scared IN triumph to
heaven.