The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1882-10-04
POOR MANS EXAMPLE.
How Poor Roy Was Benefited byn simpl
Action.


boy, ten years old, pulling heavy cart
loaded with pieces of boards and lath taken
from some demolished structure--an every
day sight in all orr large cities Tired and
exhausted, he halted under a shade tree.
His feet were sore aud bruised, his clothes
in rags, his face pinched and looking years
older than it should. What must be the
thoughts of such a child as he looks out
upon the world-the fine houses, the rich
dresses, the rolling carriages-the happy
faces of those who have never known what
It was to be poor? Does it harden the
heart and make it wicked, or does il bring q
ing of loneliness and wretchedness--a won.
dering If the rich mans heaven is not so far
from the poor mans heaven that be will
never catch sight of their pinched faces ?
The boy lay down on the grass and in five
minutes was fast asleep. His bare feet Just
touched the curbstone, and the old hat fell
from his head and fell to the walk. In the
shadow of the trse his face told story that
every passer-by could read. 1t told Of acnnty
food, of nights when the body shivered with
cold, of home without sunshine; of young
life confronted by mocking shadows Then
something curious happened. A laboring
mana queer old man with woodsaw on
bis arm-erossed the street to rest for q mo-
ment beneath the same shade. He glanced
at the boy and turned away, but his look
was drawn again, and now he saw the pic
ture and read the story He, too, was poor
He, too, knew what it was to SILVER and
hunger He tiptoed it along until he could
bend over the boy, and then he took from
his pocket piece of bread and meat--the
dinner he was to eat if he found work--and
laid 1t down beside the lad. Then he walk
ed carefully away, looking back every mo-
ment, but fastening out of sight, as If he
wanted to escape thanks. Men, women aud
children had seen it all, and what leveller
II was! The human soul is ever kind aud
generous, but sometimes there is need of
key to open it. A man walked down his
steps and left half dollar beside the poor
mans bread A woman walked down and
left good hat in place of the old one. A
child came with pair of shoes, and boy
brought coat and vest. Pedestrians halted
and whispered and dropped dimes and quar-
tiers beside the first silver piece. Something
curious had happened The charity of a
poor old man had unlocked the hearts of q
score of people. Then something strange
occurred. The pinch-faced boy suddenly
awoke and sprang up as if it were crime to
sleep there. He saw the bread, the clothing,
the monoy, the score of people waiting a.
round to see what he would do He knew
that he had slept and he realized that all
these things had come to him as he dream
ed. Then what did he do? Why, he sat
down and covered his face with his hands
and sobbed like grieved child. They had
read him sermon greater than all the SER
mons of the churches. They had set his
heart to swelling and jumping until it chok-
cd him. Poor, ragged and wretched, and
feeling that he was no more to the world
than stick or stone--he had awakened to
Bea shqt the YsFla Eega l him y human
Detroit Free Press.