OCR Text |
Show RICHARD IIURDJ:-;. tunc. You have lost money, my son, money-·a goodly sum. which might haYc blessed the poor widow, and the portion less orphan- which miglJt have sent the blcssiugs of the word into strange lands among tlJC benighted ltcathcn-which might have helped on in !tis labors some wayfaring teacher of the word- which might be rnost needful to youJ"sclf, my son; whicJ1, indeed, I sec it in your looks-which yon could very ill spnre f(h' such plll'poscs, and which even now it is your bitter suflCring thnt you have lost." Admiring tiJC ltypocrisy of the old reprobate, l was yet, in obedienc~ to my policy: prepared to respect it. I availed my. self of Ius own snggestton, and thus answered him. "You spcnk truly, sir; l bitterly regret having lost my money, which, as you say, I could ill spare, nnd which it hns nearly emptied my pockets to ltavc lost. But suppose I had been forhUtatc-if I was punished by my losses for having played, he who won, I suppose, is punished by l1is winnings for the same offence. How docs your reason answer when it cuts botl1 ways 1" "Even as a two-edged sword it dotlt, my friend; though in the blindness of earth you may 110t so readily sec or believe it. Truly may it be saiJ that you are both equn.IIy punished Ly your fortt~nes. You suffer from your losses-who shall sny that lw will suffer less from his gains. 'Vill it not encourage him in his c:u·ce1· of sin-will it not promote his licentiousness -his indulgence of many vices which will bring him to disease, want, aud possibly- whicJ, llcavcn avert-to an untimely end. Verily, my friend, I do think him even more unfortunntc thnn thyself; for, of a truth, it may Lc said, that the right usc of money is tl1e most difficult and dang01·ous of all; and fCw e\'Cr use it rightly but such as gain it through great toi't, or !Jnve tl1e divine instinct of Heaven, which is wisdom, to employ it to its rightful purposes." .Excellent hypocrite! How admirably did he preach 1 How adroitly did he escape what had otherwise been his dilemma. He almost deceived me a second time. 11 In your heart, now, my friend, you bittcdy repent tLat yon heeded not my counsel." A~IONG 1'IIE ENI~~IY. 307 u Not a whit!" was my rPply; "if I were suro I could win, I would stick by the card tnhlc fo1· ever." ""\Vhnt! so profligntc and RO young. Oh! my friend, think 11pon your end-think of eternity." "H.atliC'r let me think of my beginning, reverend sir, if you plcnsf'. 'l'hc business of time requires present attention, and to :t mnn that is stan-ing your tltlk of future provision is a mere mockery. Give me to know how I am to get the bread of lifo in this life befo1·e you talk to me of hrend for tltc next." 14 llow should you get it, my friend, but by painstaking and labor, ancl worthy conduct. The world esteems not those who play at cards-" "And 1 esteem not the world. 'Vhat matters it to me, my good sir, what nrc the opinions of those to whom I am unknown, and for whom I care nothing. Give me bnt money enough, and I will make them. love me, :tnd honor me, nnd force truth and honesty into nil shnpcs, tltat they may not offend my principles or practice." "But, my son, you would 110t surely forget the laws of honesty in the acquisition of wealth 1" 'rhis wns said inquisitively, and with :t p1·ying glance of tho eye, which sufficiently betokened the deep interest which tl1e hypocrite felt in my nnswer. But that I was now persuaded of Jlis hypocrisy, I should have never avowed myself so boldly. "'Vhat arc they 1 what arc these Jaws of honesty of which you spcnk 1 I can not, aJI at once, say that I know them." "Not know them!" "No!" "'V ell," he continued, "to say truth, they are rather fro. ~uentlyrcvok.cd among mankind, and have othcrswhollyopposite 111 character substituted in thcit· place; but you cnn not mistake me, my young friend-you know that there nre such laws." "Ay, laws for me-for tltc poor-to crush the wonk-made by the strong for their own protection-fo1· the protection of th.e wealth of the cunning. '.rhesc nrc not laws calculated to wm the respect or regard of tltc destitute-of those who are desperate enough, if they did not lack the stren,.,.th to pull ~o~vn s~ciety with a fearless hand, though perhaps, ~h~y pulled 1t Ill rum upon themselves." |