Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1862-01-09
THE BAG OF BEANS.
A TRUE INCIDENT.

lawyer and physician, both inte
lipent, educated men; both member
Of the same church. They have bot
passed away, but not without doln
some good in the world.
Just three years ago this month"; on
frosty morning, there walked into tina
village little boy, looking very tire.
and desolate. His garments were old
but neatly patched; his hands and fac
were clean, and his hair smooth.
combed; withal, there was about him
most attractive air of decent poverty
So thought DR.. A. as he drew near thu
lad, who had seated himself upon
stone opposite his gate.
What are you thinking about, my
little man? he kindly asked.
The boy started, stared at the doc
tor with his great brown eyes, as mucf
as to say, can it be that such as yor
take any interest in me? then the tear
began to trickle over his bronEed cheeks
and fell fast upon his patched garments
The doctor was moved. He patted
the boy gently on his head; again asked
what be was thinking of. The child
seemed treasured, and, despite lis
choking sobs exclaimed:
l was thinking, if God would only
open a way for me to become great and
good like you, how l might help my
dear mother, who is working her life
out to get bread for her children.
The doctor himself now brushed a
tear from his eye, and softly said, still
keeping his hand upon the boys head,
"Good you can certainly become; great
too in virtue; and all other greatness
God is able to add thereto. Take heart,
my son-act if you would be.
Oh, sir, if you would only help me.
exclaimed the lad, springing up and
confronting his new found friend with
glowing face and sparkling eyes.
The graceful attitude of the child,
the vigor of his expression, the SEEM
ing 6rmness of his purpose, turned the
scale with the Doctor. ] do not need
you, child, he said, but ! will take you
and give you start; may God help
you do the rest. You may be my chore
boy. No thanks, lad; but take my
horse there to the stable, and tend him
carefully.
The boy silently obeyed. and his bene-
factor turned away. The hearts of
both were full of gratitude-the cbild's
for his new found home, andits donors
for the rich assurance that he was but
doing his Makers bidding.
Neither the boy nor his patron had
even reason to regret the decision of
that morning. The one proved kind
and considerate master, the other a
careful, diligent servant. His evenings
the boy eagerly spent in study, and
quickly mastered all the branches
taught in district schools. Here he
might have stopped, despite his long
ings. and have passed the rest of his
days in humble, honest poverty, had
not most trivial incident turned the
whole current of his life.
One morning the good doctor, in his
daily visits to his stable, while rum
maging in his hay NOW, stumbled upon
a bag full of beans-a half-bushel of
nice, fresh beans. Here was a amystery.
How came they there? To whom did
they belong? Was there anything
wrong about it? His wife could tell
him nothing; so he next had recourse
to James. The boy colored. hesitated,
stammered, and then was silent alto
gether.
A faint suspicion flashed across the
doctors mind. Could it be? No! he
flung the idea from him at once. Hon
esty was stamped upon every feature of
that manly face.
The boy seems to read, by intuition,
his very thought. Again he put him
self in the half-trsgic attitude of his first
appeal to the doctor, and exclaimed,
ga thief! No; I'd sooner die than
touch what did not belong to me-
Those beans my mother saved to help
me buy Latin grammar with. Do
you think 1 could be untrue to such a
mothers teacbings?"
No, my lad, said the doctor, firmly
grasping his hand, "and your mother
may well be proud Of such son.
Henceforth the way to learning shall
be no thorny one to you, if friends can
help you"
So it proved. The physician and
lawyer went hand in hand in such works
OF benevolence; the large heart of the
one and the abundant means of the 9th
er went well together. Their kindly
interest and good advice cheered on the
struggling boy. Books he had in abun-
dance, and when the time came for
him to begin his student career amongst
new scenes and faces, their influence
found him place where his native
powers could begin to carve out his
destiny.
b' That destiny is now well assured
The forlorn, distrusting chore boy is
now given him a comely person, and the
graces have been kind to him. His
home is amongst the educated, the pol
ished, and the refined; yet is he not
untrue to his mothers teachings, and
now even he grasps her homely hand
Just as warmly as he did on the day
when he took from it the bag of beans
vwherewith to buy his first grammar.
As we have said before, his kind
patrons have gone to their reward;
went before the poor lad whom they
cheered and rewarded. By his achieYe-