"GIVE WISELY!" AN ANECDOTE. [From Dickens' Household Words.]

New Zealander, Volume 8, Issue 669, 11 September 1852, Page 4

"GIVE WISELY!" AN ANECDOTE. [From Dickens' Household Words.]

One evening, a shorl time since, the cura'e of 8., a small village in the noith of France, returned mu h fatigued lo Ins humble dwelling. He had Ik-cii visiting n pool family wh <*ucio sufimng fiom both want and sickucpy , and Ibe wo) thy old man, besnhs adniiinsti'iiii» the consolations o( icligion, had given them a few am ill coins, saved by iigid soil-denial liom Jus scanty iucoim . Ilw raided honiewaids, leaning on Ins 8( c>, and ihinlfing, with sorioiv, how very small ivcre t e moans he poh.sessed ol doing good and ieltevm» mi ciy. As he enteied thedooi, hoheaidan u'nworiti d clairour of loiignts, taking the foim "I' a by no means b mnomous duet, — an unknown nude voice growling loith a hoatse b.iss, which was completely ov-isctcrehed by .1 lvm.'ukably high nml thin tieble, easily recognised by the placid curate as pioceeding fioni Ilio well-piarised throat ot Ins house-keeper, the shiemsh I'erp* tua oi a penile Dun -\bbonclio. "A pietty business this, JMonsieui !'' niml thcd.ime, when her master appeared, as with flashing 030^, and left arm a-kimbo, she pointed with the othct to «»iiirlyloolun;; man dies'-od 111 a Idouse, who stood 111 the liall, holding a veiy small box in his hand. " This follow,' she continued, " is a messengei fioni the diligence, and he wants to fifteen francs as the pi ice of the cairiuge of (hat lif tic box dnccK'd to you, winch I'm sure, no m.itti r what it contains, cnn'l hi^ \\oi tli h.ill tlio inuney. ' *' I'eace, Nnnetlc," s.ml lici master ; and I.iUd<( (he box from the man, n ho, at his nppraach, civilly dolled his h it, he examined (he direction. It whs I'xlienii'ly heavy, and bore the stamp of San Fiancihcu, 111 California, together with liwown address. Ihe cuiale paid the nlteen fianc-, which left him possessed 0/ but a few sous, and dis.mi.st.ed the messenger. lie then opened the box, and displayed to the aalonjshi'd eyes of A'anette an ingot of vngm gold, and a blip of paper, on which were wmtuu the following wo'ds :—: — " To iWoiibicui tlieCiuate of B. " \ shjjlit token of oternal gratitude, in remembrance of August 28th, 1848. Char Li's F . " Formerly SHijeant-mfijor in the' — th regiment; now a gold-di^gf-r in California." On the 28th of August, 1 8 1 f i , the curate was, as on the evening in question, returning fioni visiting his poor and sick pausliionets Not far from Ins cottnge ho saw a young soldier with a hag-gaid countenance arid wild bloodshot eyes, hastening towards the bank of a deep and rapid river, which ian through the fields. 'I he venerable priest btojjjmd limi and spoke to him kindly. At first the young man would not answer, and hied to break away from his questioner; but the cinate feaimg tint In> meditated suicnle, would not hr repulsed, and at length, with much diflicultj, succeeded in leading him to his liou«c. Alter some titue, soltcn^d by the t>ndcr kindneHs of his ho>t, tiio soldier confessed lhat he bad spent in gambling a sum of money which had been onti listed to him as spr^eant-mnjor of hisi company. This avowal was made in words broken by wob-i, and the culprit repeated sevenl tunes, " My pool mother 'my jieormoiher !if she only know " 'I he cmatc waited until the soldiei had become more calm, and men addressed him in words of reproof and counsel, such as a tender father might bestow on an erring son. He linished by giving bun a bag containing one hundred and thirty francs, the- amount of the sum unlawfully dissipated. " Ir is nearly all 1 possess in the world," said the old nun/ 1 but by the grace of Cod, you will change your hal>i(s, you villwoik diligently, and some day, my fri nd, you will return me this money, which indeed belongs moio lo ihe poor than to me." It would be impossible to describe the young soldier's joy and astonishment. lie pressed convulsively his benefactor's hand, and after a pause, said : " JMonbieur, in thiee months my military engagement will be ended. I solemnly promise that, with the assistance of God, from that tune I will work diligently.' 1 So he departed, hearing with him the money and 1 he bh ssing of tho good man. Much lo tho sorrow and indignation of Nanette, her mastei continued to vve.r thiough the ensuing winter, his old thre.id-baie suit, winch he had intended to replace b_y warm gaiments; and his dinner ficquently consisted ol bread and boupe mature. li And all this." said the dame, " for the sake of a worthless stroller, whom we bliiill never see or hear of again ! " " Nanette," said her master, with tears in his eyes, as he showed her the massive ingot, whose value was three thousand fiancs, "never judge hardly of a repen tnnt sinner. It was the weuping- JVlagdtdeu who poured prccimiH ointment on her Master's 1' et ; it was the outlawed Samaritan leper who returned to give Him thanks. Our poor guest has nobly kept bis word. Next winter my sick people will want neither food nor medicine ; and you must lay in plenty of flannel and fneze for our old men and women, Nanette!"

Fracmi nt. — "I have not fount]," says Flavel/'tbntGod linth mudi> much uweot'laboured periods, rliotorical flowers and elegancies, to improve the power of leligion in the world ; yea, 1 have observed how Piovidence halb sometimes rebuked good men when they have-Hoo much affected these pedantic fooleries, in withdrawing from thorn Ins usual aids, and exposing them to shame." A " ghost" has been raptured at Manchester. Ah a innn unii his wile were going homewards at night, the woman was nlarmed at seeing ,1 white ghost down an alley. 'I ho husband resolved to have a closer view of the spoctre, clsnscd.il, and seizml a man who had been robbing a mill of white calico, which ho had wound round his person.

THE TWO TREES. I --aw (woticcs. The one was fail and high, And tlucw it^ leafy blanches tomul it wide ; So peittct was its shape, that ev'n the sky heomid pioud lo have that spate tluis occupied: Yet was it hollow; all its heait was gone ; Hut year by y<\u it swel/'d and flout ish'd on. Tlit olhei was by gianricii) so unmnrk'r], 'I'hat it was araice 'li&tinyiubh'd \% ticic it itood With many more — nomcliinu before impark'd Fiodi the last Vfiiisrc ot an .'incient wood — But though Mi). ill gloiy clothed it as it gicvv, Its licnti was to lliu coiu Mill sound and true. And .ib it pleased the lord ol that domain At li"»uih to 11 v the l> nlh ol those two oak I*,1 *, Tin' piotid one with a lew »lui|> dolls Wilskliilii; Th< humble out' sustained a thousand stiokcs; And win n ,il li'iigth at cv< ntidu il 1011, A noblei tall was not in all thrdcil. The |M"ii(| one, jiildini' litilc but its dicas, Was kit upon tli*.* f|)(it lo ml away ; Tin InnnWu out liv.d hH!I-in use lo blow, In oiuanit'iil lo th.iim, irom <\<i) lo day — Tlali-ltMi'd into tin- mansion's l.uitst n»>in, Wlilic CJinnis Ilin^s loiniil Ait nuinoital bloom. Ah» I Knew two men, like ihov two tift'v 'Hit' one was in puifcssiun X"' l ' '""' *J*B I *» And bvoiuW the olhui.^ho could 1101 f,o (ileasc With iiii)i hdiipl.l) the supeitiii il vu: Who (lo.smit hi-i how im-tk tine wuith may »t.»>o. Whilst nit.it prcUNcu would uimlin all <h<- land ? Poi lie (tin htimblu) powtifiil was, >mt nulil — •icahi m i i«.t< Ik is, Btrong prolouud, but ilear j ['nnslMilatioiM as a litllt- child, Y« t in nag»ut> an ancitiit setr; A.(i(l though hi« (l<i)a »trt noi in pnblic spent, Hl gave again, Ihiongh man, \shai Oul h<ul knl. And while »n epitaph iiptm a wall, Which man) criticise, but few btHcvc, ' Now ol the faded I'h.irlstc teltt all — Excepting what he did to make us grieve—* Kin mi|;libotir't ast> dwell in Window's (icaif, Add o«to all his race their good impmt.