Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1872-12-03

and | should be saving somethin
by doing it. did not think ther
would he any difficulty in payin
back the borrowed money, but tn
first year my wife and. one Of m
children were sick, and the help
was obliged to hire and the othe
extra expenses left me without tn
means to pay the debt. Mr.. Mer
ton agreed TO wait another year
L would pay the interest. ] die
that. This year | was sick for sew
en- months, unable to work and eari
anything, and Of course when pay
day comes round, and that is very
soon, | shall again be unable tC
meet the demand" -
But" said the stranger, evil
not Mr.. Merton wait another veal
if you make all the circumstances
known to him %
ono, sir" replied Mr.. Bishop
81 saw him this morning, and he
said he must have his money, and
should be obliged to foreclose.S
Gle must be very hard-hearted,' y
said the traveller.
"Not necessarily So" replied Mr..
Bishop. "Thc fact is, these rich
men know nothing of the struggles
of the poor. They are men just
like all the rest of mankind, and |
am sure If they had but the faint
est idea of what the poor have to
pass through, their hearts and
purses would be open. You know
1t has passed into proverb, when
a poor man needs assistance he shall
apply to the poor The reason of
this is obvious. The poor only
know the curse of poverty. They
know how heavily it falls, crushing
the spirit out of man, and know
ing, or TO use my favorited express
sion, they can at once place them
selves in the unfortunate ones
place, appreciate his difficulties, and
are therefore always ready to rem
der assistance as far as they are
able, and if Mr.. Merton had the
least idea of what and my family
have to pass through, / think he
would be willing to wait several
years for his money rather than
distress us"
George Bishop, a b,ight-cycd /, v
OF twelve, had up to this time SAT-
listening very attentively Now
his eyes sparlilcd, and he said:
"I hope l shall some day be a
rich man and Mr.. Merton will be
poor man, and come to me Just as
my father went to him this morn
ing" en-
"Why, George, what an idea"
said his mother; sand what would
you do in such q cascl'
Il would say," said the boy, 81
am rich and have plenty of money,
and can afford TO give you that
1t is no more than |
sometimes spend on ~ dress for my
wife, and if you want any more
help let me know, and you shall
have it."
"Why, George" said bis mother,
"you would be very mag
but would you really
buy your wife such expensive
dresses !"
"Now, ma" said George, cit is
fact that Mr.. Merton does buy lust
such expensive things. ] know he
loes, while we can hardly get bread
enough to eat"
With what emotions the stranger
listened, may be imagined. A new
world was being opened to him.
lie was passing through an expert
nee that had never been his be-
ore. Shortly after the conclusion {
# the meal he rose to take his
cave, thanking Mr.. and Mrs. Bish-
'p for thcirlSind hospitality. They {
invited him to stay all night, tell {
ng him he was welcome to such as
hey had.
lie thanked them and said: !
81 will trespass upon your kind !
less no longer. / think l can /,
each the next village before dark, ,
nd be SO much further on my G
Durney.' =
Mr.. Merton did not sleep much 8
hat night. He lay awake think :
lg. lie had received a new rcve- +
,tion. The poor had always been /,
in his mind with stupidi- .
Y and ignorance, and he first poor q
lmily he had visited he had found E
" in advance, in intelligent, SYM I
athy and real politeness, of the
xquisites and fashionable butter
les of the day. :,
"And that noble-hearted boy 7" ;.
c thought; show ashamed he y
lade me feel of my hard-hearted :
Well well! | have !,
armed more during that visit than !,
should have learned in years in !,
~ office, and ] think a poor strug- :,
ling man will never appeal to me = :,
| vain again" 8 =
The next day boy called at the y =
'ttage and left apackage in a large :
elbow envelope, addressed to Mr..
ishop. -
Mrs. Bishop was very much
armed when, she took it, for large l
Glow envelopes were associated in .
er mind with law and lawyers, and h
ne thought it BODIED 10 good. She :
id it away until her husband came h
ome from his work, when she r
lu1ei IL fo 1;u I