Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1859-03-26
What's the Difference.
BY MRS. NJ. a. DENISON.

A poor man sat at his window-no
i am wrong; it was the window of
his hired house. "A small mansion,-a
little tenement painted white, and sur
rounded by richer establishments that
seemed to look down with a sort of
crimson contempt UPON their humble
nelghbor. The occupants of those
stately homes were very much ANNOYED
by the simple little house, and the SIM
pie little children that played on the
steps, and generally kept it's curtains
down OH the side that looked toward
them.
But, as | said before, poor man sat
at one Of the windows overlooking the
street. He was a thoroughly noble
looking man too, with handsome Ro-
man features, and All eve like hawk.
With the exception of his clothes, he
was much more gentlemanly and dig
niied in his appearance than any mer-
chant Ill that pIincely row.
A pile of bricks has been emptied
quite near his doorway; they were for
repairs. AS that man locke d out, he
saw two or three children with his own
little ones, humming and buzzing about
the bricks. Their dainty little hands
were eager to fashion houses and
bridges, and all sorts Of momentary ar
chitecture. Suddenly the poor man
hethought him of a pastime of his own
when be was child, and his heart
having retained the pure and sweet
emotions Of youth through the cares
and hardships of mature life, he hastily
threw on his hat and going down he
taught them new trick. 1t was this,
to place row of bricks on end, quite
near to each other, forming long line;
by touching the last one an impetus is
given to every brick by its next neigh
Dor, and the row is presently swept
down in regular order The children
clapped their hands, and shouted so
loudly that some of the rich neighbors,
coming to their windows, saw how the
little ones were employee taking lessons
III amusement from a poor and almost
unknown man.
"What a fool!' said one sneeringly;
81 should think the man was an over
grown baby See him laugh! See
him play. Shame on him; grown
man; we must call our children in.
And from those windows went the
laugh and the sneer. Men with gold
tasseled caps sat on perfumed lounges
laughed the poor man to scorn; women
in beautifully embroidered robes turned
down the corners Of their pretty lips,
and the children were speedily called
in.
Years pas.ed-the poor man had
grown rich. Wealth had come to him,
not through toll; but it did not corrup,
his good heart, his good tastes. Still
he loved children and their sports
He built himself splendid mansion,
however, and lived in the style his great
revenues permitted.
Again, as in days Of yore, there wa:
great load Of brick left in the vicinity
Of his home. Again little children
gathered to "play house," and agair
the man sat watching them at the win
dow. Yes, it was his window now:
window whose glass was costly plate
and he sat there no longer the tenan
Of q hired house, in coarse clothes, bu
.t,ired in the richest broadcloth.-
Aeain, as he looked at the busy, beau
.;f;,}i group below, his heart kindlet
w;tl, the memories of old, and he fel
himself compelled to SO down ant
each the Juveniles his brick game