The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1859-08-03

many years, and hope have not spent
them in vain 1 trust have done some
little good, and hope may dc some
more"
The minister was struck with astonish-
ment at his language He must be
wandering" SAID he 10 himself Every.
body knows that he has been oppressive
to the poor, aud saved every mill that
came into his hands,"
"Thi5 is a wearisome life" continued
the sick man, land we are not rightly
/ judCed,-Our motives few can under
stand. They are deceived in US"
True" replied the pastor, man can
not look into the heart Of his neighbor."
Thus far have eudeavorod to live a
useful life, and I hope to be at rest in
heaven; not on account Of my own righ.
teousness, but I trust in the mercy Of
| God"
Just as the pastor was about to reply,
Mr., Jacobs remarked" Is I do not ex.
pect to continue long in the world, wish
to entrust to your care several papers,
which you will find in small trunk in
my desk The keys are lying by the
window
The minister assured him he would do
as requested, and took the trunk from the
desk
In day or two after the old gentle
man died, and was buried, it was singu-
lar to hear the remarks that were
made upon his decease. g" He vas no
benefit to any one while he lived, one
remarked, and am not sorry he is
dead" He was an old reprobate," said
another, " and the devil has got him at
last. His whole life was worse than a
blank, remarked a third, and no one re.
grets that the old fellow is dead"
Mr. Jacobs had been dead few days
when the minister of the parish called 4
few of his friends together, to examine tho
contents of the trunk, for there, they were
led TO suppose his will vas deposited, and
other important documents.
Judge Of the surprise Of tbe gentlemen,
when, on opening the papers, they found,
that for the last fifteen years Of bis lite,
Mr. jacobs had distributed annually from
fifteen hundred to two thousand dollars
among the poor Of his native place
There were the document and receipts to
show this fact.-He had gone through the
city unknown, AMI in disguise, ami distri.
buted his money where he found want and
poverty. It was he who sent the money
in letter to the gentleman who soliciter
charity Of him with such apparent Ill
success, when so many became homeless,
on account Of disastrous fire. 1t was
he who sent the poor widow the -four, tea
&C., after she had paid him her rent. 1t
was he who had repeatedly sent to bene-
VIOLENT societies hundreds of dollars through
the post Office; and, it was he, too, who
furnised the means of educating Edward
Mason the lawyer, who treated him so
unhandsomely. He spent many a hun
dred dollars for his benefit. After lcay-
ing few thousand dollars apiece to his
sons, in his will, the remainder of his
property, amounting to about one hun
dred thousand dollars, was to be kept as
a permanent fund the interest of which
was to be distributed yearly among the
poor of his native city.
When these facts we're announced, the
current of public opinion changed in .;
moment He whom they lad looked upol
as a mean wretch, now appeared little
less than au angel, aud no language wa
too exalted to speak Of the public Oene
factor
On a further examination OF MS paper.
they found hundreds OF little slips, Of yari
GUS dates, for more that two score year
back, for cash received Of A. B. c., SC.
for various sums Of from Eve to han
dred dollars. Thus had this gentleman
gone about and in secret distributed hi
money, helping the sad and desPonding-
VIII lie hundreds were denouncing him
pointing the finger Of scorn and calling
him every bad name they could think Of
He suffered the reproach and contumely
of his fellow.citizens without 4 murmur
ing word, and those, too, who had receive,
, countless favoTs from his hands.
After his death everybody was anziou
to do justice to the man, who, when livinl
all pretended to despisei and no one oz
, erted himself more than young Mason, tn
lawyer, A large monument was erecte
, over his sleeping body, on which was il
soribod his name and ace, and the day O
% his death, with the following line be