Year: 1871

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25s5 under my window one day


SeS as 1 sat musing over the
bustling scenes below me, at my
lodgings in Chestnut street.


"Your honor will please to recol-
lect," replied a sharp voice, "that I
am beggar and have as much right
to the road as yourself"


"And I'm q banker" was retort-


Amused at this strange dialogue,
I leaned over the case and beheld a
couple Of citizens, with countenan-
ces somewhat menacing and their
persons presenting a contrast at
once ludicrous and instructive
Upon a close observation of the
countenance Of the banker I discov-
cred almost as soon as my eye fell
upon it "a line bespeaking humor
and awakening curiosity, as he
stood fixed and eyeing his antago-
mist; and this became more clear
and conspicuous as he lowered his
tone and asked, 'How win you
make that right appearY'


"How2'' said the beggar," why
listen a moment and I'll learn you

in the first place, do you take no
tice, that God has given me a soul
and body just as good for all the
purposes of thinking, eating, drink
ing and taking my pleasure as he
has you-and then you may remem-
Der Dives and Lazarus just as we
pass. Then again, it is a free coun-
try, and here, too, we are on an
equality-for you must know that
here even beggar's dog may look
a gentleman in the face with as
much indifference as he would a
brother. I and you have the same
common Master, are equally free,
live equally easy, and are both trav-
cling the same journey, bound to the
same place, and both have to die
and be buried in the end"


"But," interrupted the banker,
edo you pretend there is then no
between a beggar and a
bankerT'


"Not in the least" rejoined the
other, with the utmost readiness;
mot in the least as to essentials.
You swagger and drink wine, in
company Of your own choosing
I swagger and drink beer, with
which 1 am content, in company
that I like better than your com
pany. You make thousands a day
perhaps-I make shilling perhaps
if you are contented / am-we
are equally happy at night. You
dress in new clothes; am just as
in old ones; and have
no trouble in keeping them from
soiling; if I have less property
than you, I have less to care about;
if fewer friends, I have less friend-
ship to lose; and if I do not make
as great figure in the world, I
make as great a shadow on the
pavement; am as great as you.
Besides, my word for it, I have
fewer enemies; meet with fewer
losses; carry as light a heart and
sing as many songs as the best of
YOU"


"And then" said the banker who
had all along tried to slip in word
sis the contempt Of
the world nothinggs


"The envy of the world is as bad
as its contempt; you hare, perhaps
tlie one, and ! "a share Of the other.
We are matched there too. And,
besides, the world deals in this mat
ter equally unjust with us both
You and I live by our wits, instead
of living by our industry; and the
only difference between us in this
particular worth naming is that it
costs society more to maintain you
than it does me- ana content with
a little, you want q great deal
Neither of us raise grain or pota-
toes, or weave cloth, or manufac-
ture anything useful; we therefore,
add nothing to the common stock;
we are only. consumers; and if the
world judged with strict impartiali-
ty, therefore, it seems to me would
be pronounced the cleverest fellow"


Some passers by here interrupt
ed the conversation. The dispu-
tants separated, apparently good
friends; and 1 drew in my head.
calculating somewhat in the man
ner of Alexander in the PLAYS
there then no difference between a
beggar and a banker?


But several years have since pass
ed away; and now both these indi-
viduals have paid the last debt Of
nature. They died as they had
lived, the one a banker and the
other a beggar. / examined both
their graves, afterwards. They
we're both equally deserted, lonely
and forgotten. I thought Of the
destinies to which they have passed; /;
and of that state in which tempo
raj distinctions existed not; where
pride and all the circumstances
which surround this life, never find