The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-01-13
POOR RICH AND RICH POOR.

My heart throos and leaps with compassionate
AS think of tho woes of Paul Elmore. my
nCighbor
Whom the pang of his poverty cvermore pinchcs,
VINO OF want the most fearful is dying by
inches
whose income. scarce two hundred thousand .
year,
or the poorhousc forcvcrmore keeps him In
fear
And whose spirit is nearly pressed out by the
weight
Oi his stocks and his bonds and his real estate.
II is true that his wealth rather large in amount
That his lands may be found In . half.dozen
counties,
Half Il railway he owns Iour per ccntum half
yearly:
In town, rows Of houses, all rented or nearly:
tio mas bonds, stocks and mortgages, all bring
Ing in
That gold which we struggle so iicrccly 20 win;
But nevertheless. with his funds all secure,
1t can't be denied that Pat! Elmorc is poor
II for some public puposc 'twcrc urgently need
cd.
IL for sickness or want, BY no kind heart I'M
needed,
II for any good object his cash you implored IT,
Paul Fillmore would tell you he could not afford H.
Tho times arc too hard, he assures you, and he
II he had but the means, would quite generous
And he says, looking down ut his much rnended
shoes
"'Tis the pure lack of money that makes me re-
fuse"
Tho narrowest vista his mind takes Its view in
TO part with dollar he feels would be ruin:
lie thinks II his duty, he knows il his pleasure
To lay mp on earth, not in Heaven, his treasure;
Hc denies himself comforts, lie luxurics shuns
And gives good advice. with 10 cash. To his
Sons
Who follow his plan, he supposcs, but those
Take revenge by post-obits-and so the thing
goes
Paul is poor as the poorest-who doubts 1t
when seeing
The mcanly apparelcd and pitiful being,
Who never INDUCES in spending or giving
Ana Vegetables here, for you can't call II living:
Poor in soul, poor In decd. poor in all but his
purse
fate such as his. who could fancy a worse?
When the phantom Of poverty stays with the
rich,
Less wrctched the bcggar who dies in n ditch
Now. there is Mike Byrnes, thirty years here,
from Galway,
Who mcnding mems shoes, earns his bread in
Il small way;
From whose worI; bench, at daylight, your ears
catch the clamor
or timc-bcat TO "Tattcr Jack Welsh" with a
hammer;
Who never can make, toll as hard rs he may
From day-dawn TO dark, past ten shillings n
day;
Who earns what he spends, and who spends
what he earns
But where is II richer than little Mike Byrucs?
1t is true. though, the man is a clcvc bread.
winner:
His folks have sometimes but potatoes for din
With meat only sure on a Sunday or high-day,
And salt fish not always confined 10 Il Friday:
That his wife, though his banker. has loag ago
learned
By experience how often gown may he turned:
And Mixes bcitcrmost coat shows the size OF
Its yarns.
Is guiltless OF nap. and has patches and darns
Mike is rich for all that, in the love OF each
ncighbor
Who listens well pleased. rs Mike sings at his
labor:
He is rich in his cheerful observance of duty:
He is rich in his wife, though she's scarcely a
He Is rich in the love OF all children around.
who look on Mikes shop rs their own special
ground:
He is rich in good -humor and truth and con-
Possessions that cvermore yield cent per cent
Most people would envy Paul Elmorc's posi-
ton,
And wish they were placed In his happy cond-
And look Mike Byrncs rs In strait so dis
trcssing
That death, in his case might be almost n
blessing:
But when the plain truth on their inner sense
falls,
While Mike has no envy, their pity is Paul's:
And. comparing the two in their judgment be
sure,
That poor Mike is rich, and that rich Paul is
poor
Thomas Dunn English, in " Y. Ledger.