A FEW SEEDS OF KINDNESS.
(To the Editor of the Evening- Some..)
Sir, —A boy that I shall call Smith was going up a steep bank with a heavy load, almost more than he could carry. A gentleman merchant that I shall call Jones overtook the boy, and seeing that he was heavily ladened, took the load from him and carried it up to the top of the hill, where their roads parted. The gentleman said to the boy, when he gave him back his load, that he could do now, as the road was level. The boy thanked him and went on bis way. The boy Smith lived to be a very prosperous tradesman, and always kept his eye on Mr Jones, and was watching for an opportunity to do him a favour. At last, many years after, an' opportunity came. Through the dulness of the times Mr Jones was in a pecuniary difficulty through giving credit, and, not being able to get his money in, he could not satisfy his creditors. They demanded payment, and that meant ruin, by taking away his means of getting a livelihood and selling his goods at a great loss. Mr Smith got to know about it, sent for Mr Jones, and said to him, " I hear, Mr Jones, that you are in a temporary difficulty. I have £500 to my credit at the bank that I can conveniently spare for some time. You are welcome to it if it would be of service to you." Tears came into Mr Jones' eyes, and he could not speak. When he could command his feelings he said, " I cannot express by words my gratitude to you; for that offer. You may judge .a little of my feelings when I tell you that it will save me from ruin and prevent positive want to my beloved wife and dear children. But," he said,." Ido not know what all this means, as you^ are a perfect stranger to me." Mr Smith: " Yes, that may be ; but you are not a stranger to me. Do you recollect a great many years ago overtaking a boy heavily ladened in climbing such a bank, and you took the load and carried it for him to the top of the hill ?" Mr Jones: "I do now remember it, but I had forgotten all about it long ago." Mr Smith: " Well, I was
that boy, and now I am a man, and I haveovertaken you with a load you cannot carry. Allow me to take it to the top of the hill for you, and when you get on to the level road I have no doubt you will be able to carry it yourself." And so he was, for he got over his embarrassment, paid the amount back, and became very rich and prosperous. But who would have thought that so few seeds of kindness would have produced such a rich harvest ? Therefore, let us sow the seeds of kindness, for whatever sort of seeds we sow, it is sure to spring up, and often at a lime when we have forgotten all about it, for, " whatever a man soweth, that shall he also reap."—l am, &c, J. Hoßir.
Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/THS18810228.2.14.1
Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka
Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3797, 28 February 1881, Page 2
Word count
Tapeke kupu
538A FEW SEEDS OF KINDNESS. Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3797, 28 February 1881, Page 2
Using this item
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
No known copyright (New Zealand)
To the best of the National Library of New Zealand’s knowledge, under New Zealand law, there is no copyright in this item in New Zealand.
You can copy this item, share it, and post it on a blog or website. It can be modified, remixed and built upon. It can be used commercially. If reproducing this item, it is helpful to include the source.
For further information please refer to the Copyright guide.