Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1872-02-29
a Boys Bargain.

In the middle Of the last century there
lived in the little town of MOntdidier,
France. an apothecary. by name Master
Lombard. and by report Il miser
Everybody said Master Lombard was
rich. and though what everybody says is
not ALWAYS true, it was true in this in
stance. Lombard was rich, but he lived
like a beggar. He spent very little but
gave away nothing. He lent money on
good security, but he never lent any of
it to the Lord by giving it to the poor
never accepted the security of that Bible
assurance that those who do 50 shall be
amply repaid No Master Lombard
cared only for money-lent only that he
might make more money. For this he
denied himself decent clothes, or whole
some food. or comfortable lodging. 1t
was meat and drink to him, he said. to
look at his golden coins, TO hear their
true ring Of metal. to count them up as
if they were so many friends or chill
drcn. and to relish the thought of what
he could 90 with his money if he chose
He never read, or, reading, only scOrn-
ed. the solemn words: Your riches
are corrupted: your gold and silver is
Can<ercd: and the rust of them shall be
a witness against you. and shall eat your
flesh as it were a fire. Gc have hcapcd
treasure together for the last day"
One snowy night when Lombard had
closed his shop and was sitting i'm his
back parlOr over the smallest scrap of
fire. eating a dry crust, there was a
knocking at the outer door.
Old Lombard kept no servant, and
neither had friend nor child beneath his
roof. No one came to see him except
on business, for, as you may imagine,
he was not a man given to hospitality.
When the knock was heard at the door,
therefore, he knew very we'll it must he
either the idle trick of some foolish boy
to annoy him, or a customer, and being
economical of his own trouble as well as
Of everything else, he waited for the
stranger to knock again.
IF it is only miscellaneous bOy." he
said, ''he'll not venture to knock twice;
if it is a customer he is sure to do So"
The knock was repeated and old
Lombard rose and, passing through his
shop, unbarred and unbolted the outer
door, and looked out straight before him
into the snowy street. He saw nothing
and was about to shut the door again
with an angry word, when a childs
voice arrested his attention.
Please you, good Master Lombard,
it is me"
Me" said old Lombard, suddenly
darting upon a small boy who stood
shivering on the snowy doorstep; land
who is me that he should dare disturb a
quiet trader? Who says | never give to
those who want? Tsll them they speak
false. You want thrashing, and I'll
give you that Come here.
He seized the boy by the ear, but the
lad struggled and released himself, say
ing:
Il did not come to play trick on
you, Master Lombard, but to ask you to
make up some medicine for my mother. "
Medicine for my MOTHER Lombard
repeated in a hooking voice. ''And is
my mother i'll? High living is too much
for her; let her try meager soup, or no
soup at all. y
please you, Master Lombard, nv
mother is dying, partly for want of food
you know she is very poor-partly for
want of medicine; but this paper tells
us what is sure to do for her all that
medicine can do. 1t is in Latin. but you
know all about it.