Marble Hill press. (Marbel [sic] Hill, Mo.) 1881-1923, 1898-04-14
A Cure for Poverty.

there was laborer who earned
so very little that he could scarce.
ly support his seven children. The
poor man did not always have work,
and when he was idle his children
had to go hungry, and their tears
grieved him very much.
"Ah," "-said he very frequently to
himself, chow wretched | am! II
sickness overtakes me, or if work
does not come, my poor children
will ali die of hunger" Oppressed
by tbis thought, he sat down one
day by the roadside, his head rest
ing in his hands. A physician OF
the markettown chanced to pass
a man charitable as he waSrich. He
saw the poor man, and, |, bring that
he was ill, he stopped and said:
What is the matter. my good fel-
low? You seem to suffer-" Thus
encouraged, the unfortunate man
confded all his story to the good
doctor, who said: "Ah, yeg if one
does not kill grief, then grief itself
will kill. Come with me and l will
give you a remedy"
Accordingly the poor man ac-
companied the physician to his
home, where, in a study filled with
books, the doctor took up a crystal
globe.
"Look, said he to the man; "here
is an ingot of gold which my father
bequeathed to me. Ny father was
very poor, but in spite Of his pow
erty he saved u sou each day, and
at the end of fifty years he had a
little fortune. l, too, was very
poor when my father died leaving
me this ingot, but by dint of toll
and economy | have made nay for
tune. I have never broken into
the ingot, but the thought that it
was there gave me courage. Now
my future is assured, : no longer
fear want and poverty i am go
ing to give it to you. | hope that
you will not have to make use of
it, but that the possession of the
little treasure will put your soul at
rest"
The man accepted the ingot with
a thousand thanks, and with light
heart he fastened to his howell to
show it to his wife.
"NoNwe can sleep without fear.
ing the morrow" said he, "and if |
do not find work to-day my chill
dren will not go to bed fasting"
Nevertheless, he decided not to
break into the treasure unless it be.
came absolutely necessary, and
went to bury it in the cellar before
going out again to look for work.
His frank and beamlng courte.
nance attracted the attention of a
farmer, who at once emplged him,
and as he did his best for his EN-,
ployer, ha received good wages, and
was engaged to return the next
day. The earnings of each day
were sufficient for the family needs,
and his wife, who no longer spent
her time weeping, cultivated the
little garden, sold the products and
rivaling the doctors father, laid
aside each day.
From time to time, as work was
unsteady, it became necessary to
break into the mothers little saw
ings, but the ingot fgold remained
untouched in the cellar for the man
had remained resolute and had vow
cd that only the last extremity
would induce him to touch it.
Thus the years passed on; the
children grew to manhood, and, fol
lowing the example Of their par
ents, were happy and Industrious
They soon begain to gain, and were
shortly independent, so that the la
borer and his wife became richer
day by day, and when they were
old they had need of nothing.
One day poor beggar knocked
at the door, and, IN reply to theil
question, he told of his msny mis-
fortunes. The workman then tolt
in return his own story, and sale
at last, II have no need Of the in
got of gold. See, | saved so muct
that | am beyond want and care
Let me give you this treasure, anc
l hope that it will bring good lucl
also to you"
After speaking thus TO the beg
gar, he went to dig the treasure
and, returning, gave it to the beg
gar. The latter, who had received
very good education in his youth
examined the ingot and said; Thi,
is not gold, It'll brass~
The wife wonld not believe it.
rubbed it vigorously to show how
brightly it shone, and in doing 50
perceived that it bore some writ
ing. Mother she nor her HUSBAND
knew how to read, so they asket
the beggar to explain what it signi
fed.
The beggar then read as follows
ut is less privation than fear 0
Of the poor. Go, then, boldly an'
without fear, upon the road Of life
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Lieutenant Governor Bolte ha
/ !.a..k a s.ennl a snulinn "a nfIao,..as a ma,