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"THERE is one honest man in the world, I am happy to say," remarked a rich merchant, named Petron, to a friend who happened to call in upon him. "Is there, indeed! I am glad to find you have made a discovery of the fact. Who is the individual entitled to the honourable distinction?" "You know Moale, the tailor?" "Yes. Poor fellow! he's been under the weather for a long time." "I know.
Mr. Petron looked surprised. "Is not money always worth its interest?" "So it is said. But the poor debtor has no money upon which to make an interest. He begins the world again with nothing but his ability to work; and, if saddled with an old debt principal and interest his case is hopeless.
In 1837, Mr. Houston, with the Rev. George W. Leyburn, who had been sent out to join him, made a tour of observation in Máne, the ancient Sparta, to see if a station ought not to be formed there, in compliance with repeated solicitations from Petron Bey, the hereditary chief in that region.
"He's an honest man that I am ready to say of him," remarked Mr. Petron. "Honest, but very poor," was replied. "He's doing well now, I believe," said the merchant. "He's managing to keep soul and body together, and hardly that." "He's paying off his old debts."
But make the difficulties in his way so large as to appear insurmountable, and he will fold his hands in helpless inactivity. Thousands of dollars are lost every year in consequence of creditors grasping after too much, and breaking down the hope and energy of the debtors." "Perhaps you are right," said Mr. Petron; "that view of the case never presented itself to my mind.
I have read that a philosopher named Petron was of opinion that there were several worlds that touched each other in an equilateral triangle; in whose centre, he said, was the dwelling of truth; and that the words, ideas, copies, and images of all things past and to come resided there; round which was the age; and that with success of time part of them used to fall on mankind like rheums and mildews, just as the dew fell on Gideon's fleece, till the age was fulfilled.
The merchant's sleep was sweeter that night than it had been for some time, and so was the sleep of the poor debtor. The next day Mr. Moale called to see Mr. Petron, to whom, at the instance of the latter, he gave a full detail of his actual circumstances. The merchant was touched by his story, and prompted by true benevolence to aid him in his struggles.
You must leave a man some hope in life if you would keep him active and industrious in his sphere." Mr. Petron said nothing in reply to this; but he looked sober. His friend soon after left.
But he's an honest man for all that." "I never doubted his being honest, Mr. Petron." "I have reason to know that he is. But I once thought differently. When he was broken up in business some years ago, he owed me a little bill, which I tried to get out of him as hard as any one ever did try for his own.
God forbid! that with enough to spare, I should take the bread out of the mouths of a poor man's children." "Is he so very poor?" asked Mr. Petron, surprised and rebuked at what he heard. "He has a family of six children to feed, clothe, and educate; and he has it to do by his unassisted labour.
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