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Sociology

Poverty - by James Platt

bribed to do for others what is not right; and to such a shameful state was the corruption in the English Parliament, that Horace Walpole boasted that he knew the price of every member.

What is the greatest of all God's gifts? "God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish but have everlasting life." What a gift!

God punishes greedy, selfish people that will not give, and they lose all the blessedness that belongs to giving. Many years ago the Dutch cut down all the spice trees in an island to make the spice scarce and keep up the price. But what followed? The island became so unhealthy that they could not live on it until the trees had grown again. And Cowper tells of the greedy landlord, who was not satisfied with the hamper of pippins his cottager gave him, but wanted the pippin-tree, and at the proper time took it up and removed it to his own garden. But the tree would not take root in the new soil, so he lost his pippins and the tree as well.

"'Oh,' he cried, 'I had been content
With tribute small indeed, but kindly meant!

My avarice has expensive proved to me,
Has cost me both my pippins and the tree."'

Now we will give some illustrations of the blessedness of giving. A poor boy, without father and mother, and living with his poor grandmother, went to market every morning to buy violets to make into button-holes, to sell to gentlemen going to their city offices, and earned just enough to keep him from being a burden to his aged grandmother. As he generally invested all his money in violets, he was unable to have his breakfast until he had sold enough to get it. One morning it was very cold, and he did not sell a single bunch. Probably going supperless to bed he was cold and hungry, and burst into tears. When a kind-hearted lady asked him why he was crying, he told her. She gave him twopence to run and get a loaf whilst she held his violets. He soon returned, and taking his violets went down a side street, sitting down on a doorstep to eat it. She thought she would watch him from where he could not see her. She saw him eat the loaf with that true enjoyment that only a hungry lad can show. Presently a hungry-looking dog came and sat down in front of him, wagged his tail, and looked up wistfully in the boy's face. The boy pitied the dog, and breaking off a piece of bread gave it to him. " That was a kind action for a hungry boy," thought the lady. "I will inquire more about him, and see if his story is true." She found it was, became his friend, gave him a start, and being a steady, industrious boy, he rose up, and became a steady rising man.