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Sociology

Poverty - by James Platt

it was her fault he had to toil. " So are you sure you would not have done the same?" "Oh yes, I am sure I would not." "Well," said the gentleman, "if you are so sure, take off your wire mask, and bring your hammer and come with me." He followed the gentleman until they came to a nice house standing in its own grounds. The gentleman went in, and beckoned for him to follow him. He had to wash and put on another suit of clothes, his old ones, with his hammer and mask, being put away carefully together. He was shown a room where he was to stop, and another where he would have his meals, but there would be a dish in the middle of the table that was never to be touched, also a garden in which he might walk. He thanked the gentleman for his kindness, assuring him he would never touch the dish. He soon made himself comfortable, and when the dinner came in there was one dish with the cover in the middle. He said to himself. "This is all I could wish for, I have no need to trouble about that dish;" and so he went on very comfortably for some time. Then he began to think about the cover. "I wonder what can be under it?" Then he thought, "What good would it do me to know? I promised never to touch it." Yet every day the desire to know what was under the cover grew stronger, and one day the desire was so strong that he yielded, and just lifted the cover, when out jumped a mouse. Endeavouring to catch it he fell over a chair. Hearing a noise, the gentleman came in, and seeing in an instant what had happened, said immediately to him. " Change your clothes for your old ones, and take your hammer and wire mask; leave this place, and be sure you never again blame mother Eve when you are breaking stones."

How easy it is for us to be hard upon others and say, "I would not have done it." A poor little hungry boy, without father or mother, and in a starving condition, stole some bread. And one who never knew what want was, said what a bad boy, to take what was not his. Yes, it was wrong; but you do not know how long and how bravely he had struggled against it. Should we have done as much? Peter said to Jesus, "Though they all forsake you I never will." Jesus, Who knew him, said, "Before the cock crow twice thou shalt deny Me thrice." Peter did not stand the trial, but it did him good. He was too confident of his own strength, and was shown how a servant girl could ridicule him into a denial of his Master.

Achan, when he saw the wedge of gold and a goodly Babylonish garment, his covetous desire was awakened, and he took them and hid them under the earth in his tent. His trial was too much. He