Imatges de pàgina
PDF
EPUB

19

A few long-emptied casks lay mouldering round,
And wasted ashes sprinkled o'er the ground;
While, a sad sharer in the household ill,

A half-starved rat crawled out, and bade* farewell.
6. One window dim, a loop-hole to the sight,
Shed round the room a pale, penurious light;
Here rags, gay-coloured, eked the broken glass;
There panes of wood supplied the vacant space.

7. As pondering deep I gazed, with gritty roar
The hinges creaked, and open stood the door.-
Two little boys, half naked from the waist,
With staring wonder, eyed me as I passed;
The smile of pity blended with her tear,

Ah me! how rarely comfort visits here!

8. On a lean mat'tress, which was once well filled, His limbs by dirty tatters ill-concealed,

Though now the sun had rounded half the day,
Stretched at full length, the sluggard snoring lay;
While his sad wife beside her dresser stood,
And, on a broken dish, prepared her food.

9. His aged sire, whose beard and flowing hair
Waved silvery o'er his antiquated chair,
Rose from his seat; and, as he watched my eye,
Deep from his bosom heaved a mournful sigh:
Stranger," he cried, "once better days I knew ;"
And, trembling, shed the venerable dew.

10. I wished a kind reply, but wished in vain;
No words came timely to relieve my pain:
To the poor mother, and her infants dear,
Two mites I gave, besprinkled with a tear;
And, fixed to see again the wretched shed,
Withdrew in silence, closed the door, and fled.

11. Yet this same lazy man I oft have seen
Hurrying and bustling round the busy green;
The loudest prater in a cobbler's shop,
The wisest statesman o'er a drunken cup;
In every gambling, racing match abroad,
But a rare hearer in the house of God.

* Pronounced bad.

ADVICE TO A YOUNG TRADESMAN.

REMEMBER that time is money. He who can earn ten shillings a day by his labour, and goes abroad or sits idle one half of that day, though he spend but six-pence during his diversion or idleness, ought not to reckon that the only expense; he has really spent, or rather thrown away, five shillings besides.

2. Remember that credit is money. If a man lets his money lie in my hands after it is due, he gives me the interest, or so much as I can make of it during that time. This amounts to a considerable sum where a man has good and large credit, and makes good use of it.

3. Remember that money is of a prolifick, generating nature. Money can beget money, and its offspring can beget more, and so on. Five shillings turned is six turned again, it is seven and three pence; and so on till it becomes a hundred pounds. The more there is of it, the more it produces every turning, so that the profits' rise quicker and quicker.

4. Remember that six pounds a year is but a groat a day. For this little sum (which may be daily wasted either in time or expense unperceived) a man of credit may, on his own security, have the constant possession and use of a hundred pounds. So much in stock, briskly turned by an industrious man, produces great advantage.

5. Remember this saying, "The good paymaster is lord of another man's purse." He who is known to pay punctually and exactly at the time he promises, may at any time, and on any occasion, raise all the money his friends can spare. This is sometimes of great use.

6. After industry and frugality, nothing contributes more to the raising of a young man in the world, than punctuality and justice in all his dealings; therefore, never keep borrowed money an hour beyond the time you promised, lest a disappointment shut up your friend's purse for ever.

7. The most trifling actions which affect a man's credit are to be regarded. The sound of your hammer at five in the morning, or nine at night, heard by a creditor, makes him easy six months longer.

8. But if he sees you at a billiard table, or hears your voice at a tavern, when you should be at work, he sends for his money the next day, and demands it before he can receive it in a lump.

9. It shows, besides, that you are mindful of what you owe; it makes you appear a careful, as well as an honest man, and that still increases your credit.

10. Beware of thinking all your own that you possess, and of living accordingly. It is a mistake that many people who have credit fall into. To prevent this, keep an exact account, for some time, both of your expenses and your in

come.

11. If you take the pains at first to mention particulars, it will have this good effect; you will discover how wonderfully small, trifling expenses mount up to large sums, and will discern what might have been, and may, for the future, be saved, without occasioning any great inconvenience.

12. In short, the way to wealth, if you desire it, is as plain as the way to market. It depends chiefly on two words, industry and frugality; that is, waste neither time nor money, but make the best use of both. Without industry and frugality, nothing will do, and with them, every thing will do.

13. He who gets all he can honestly, and saves all he gets, (necessary expenses excepted,) will certainly become rich; if that Being who governs the world, to whom all should look for a blessing on their honest endeavours, doth not, in his wise providence, otherwise determine.

PARENTAL AFFECTION. STORY OF THE BEAR.

THE white bear of Greenland and Spitzbergen is considerably larger than the brown bear of Europe, or the black bear of America. This bear is often seen on floats of ice, several leagues at sea. The following is copied from the journal of a voyage for making discoveries towards the North Pole.

2. Early in the morning, the man at the mast-head gave notice that three bears were making their way very fast over the ice, and directing their course towards the ship. They had, probably, been invited by the blubber of a sea-horse, which the men had set on fire, and which was burning on the ice at the time of their approach.

3. They proved to be a she bear and her two cubs; but the cubs were nearly as large as the dam. They ran eagerly to the fire, and drew out from the flames part of the flesh of the sea-horse, which remained unconsumed, and ate it voraciously.

4. The crew from the ship threw great pieces of the flesh, which they had still left, upon the ice, which the old bear carried away singly, laid every piece before her cubs, and, dividing it, gave each a share, reserving but a small portion to herself. As she was carrying away the last piece, they levelled their muskets at the cubs, and shot them both dead; and, in her retreat, they wounded the dam, but not mortally.

5. It would have drawn tears of pity from any but unfeeling minds, to have marked the affectionate concern manifested by this poor beast in the moments of her expiring young. Though she was sorely wounded, and could but just crawl to the place where they lay, she carried the lump of flesh she had fetched away, as she had done the others before, tore it in pieces, and laid it down before them; and, when she saw they refused to eat, she laid her paws first upon one, and then upon the other, and endeavoured to raise them up.

When

6. All this while it was piteous to hear her moan. she found she could not stir them, she went off, and, when at some distance, looked back, and moaned; and, that not availing to entice them away, she returned, and, smelling around them, began to lick their wounds.

7. She went off a second time, as before, and, having crawled a few paces, looked again behind her, and for some time stood moaning. But still her cubs not rising to follow her, she returned to them again, and, with signs of inexpressible fondness, went round one, and round the other, pawing them, and moaning.

8. Finding, at last, that they were cold and lifeless, she

raised her head towards the ship, and growled her resentment at the murderers; which they returned with a volley of musket balls. She fell between her cubs, and died licking their wounds.

9. What child can read this interesting story, and not feel in his heart the warmest emotions of gratitude for the stronger and more permanent tenderness he has experienced from his parents; while, at the same time, he feels his displeasure arising towards those who treat with wanton barbarity any of the brute creation!

THE VICTIM. AN INDIAN STORY.

A CHACTAW INDIAN, having one day expressed himself in the most reproachful terms of the French, and called the Collapissas their dogs and their slaves, one of this nation, exasperated at his injurious expressions, laid him dead upon the spot.

2. The Chactaws, then the most numerous and the most warlike tribe on the continent, immediately flew to arms. They sent deputies to New-Orleans to demand from the French governour the head of the savage, who had fled to him for pro

tection.

3. The governour offered presents as an atonement, but they were rejected with disdain; and they threatened to exterminate the whole tribe of the Collapissas. To pacify this fierce nation, and prevent the effusion of blood, it was at length found necessary to deliver up the unhappy Indian.

4. The Sieur Ferrand, commander of the German posts, on the right of the Mississippi, was charged with this melancholy commission. A rendezvous* was, in consequence, appointed between the settlement of the Collapissas and the German posts, where the mournful ceremony was conducted in the following manner :—

5. The Indian victim, whose name was Mingo, was produced. He rose up, and, agreeably to the custom of the people, harangued the assembly to the following purpose:

6. "I am a true man; that is to say, I fear not death; * The English pronunciation is ren'de-vooz, the French is ron'do-voo.

« AnteriorContinua »