Chapter 4 CONTAINING LITTLE OR NOTHING SAVE APOSTROPHES, EXHORTATIONS, AND QUARRELS.

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How happy was I, to think I had conferred happiness upon another! how agreeable my sensations! how delightful the approbation of my own heart! How much I rejoiced that my soul had at last found a habitation equal to its wishes! an abode of peace! a dwelling of content! "If I am Zachariah Longstraw," said I to myself, "I will show myself worthy of the name; I will spend his money in the great cause of philanthropy; I will make the afflicted smile; I will win the blessings of the poor; I will do more good than even Zachariah Longstraw himself: yea, of a surety, I will devote myself to a life of virtue!"

While I was making these virtuous resolutions, the faithful Abel Snipe came to my bedside, and told me there were divers suffering creatures, widows with nine small children, widowers with fourteen, sick old women, and starving old men, in great need of relief; and so affecting was the picture he drew of their griefs, that the tears rolled from my eyes, and I bade him, if there was any money he could honestly lay his hands on, carry comfort to them all.

"Verily," said he, "I have just collected the quarter's rent of the house in Market-street; and it will be enough, and more."

"Relieve the poor afflicted creatures, then.. And hark thee, Abel Snipe, does thee consider me a rich man? If so, let me know where I can find twenty thousand dollars to set up the young man Jonathan in business, and marry him to the maiden Ellen Wild."

"Alas!" said Abel Snipe; "of a verity, the young man is in a hurry; and alas! for, of a verity, if thee takes away at this time such a great sum from thee possessions, thee will cut off the right hand of thee charity."

And thereupon the benevolent creature, after showing me, which it was easy to do, that, with the mere revenue of the sum demanded, if kept in our own hands, we could carry smiles and rejoicing into at least a hundred families every year, exhorted me not to forget that I was the friend of the afflicted, nor to faint in the good work of philanthropy. Jonathan was a very young man, he said-only twenty-five-happy in his youth, happy in his affections, happy in the certain prospect he enjoyed of sooner or later arriving at the fullest felicity. Why should he not then consent, like us, to forego for a while his selfish desires, contribute his portion to the wants of the poor, and, by labouring a few years in their cause, approve himself worthy of fortune? How much better that he should endure a fancied ill, than that a hundred afflicted families should be given up to actual want? He contended that the young man's request was untimely and selfish, and that I would only harden his heart, while breaking a thousand others, if I granted it. In short, he said so many things, and painted so many affecting pictures of the miseries of my fellow-creatures, and the beauties of charity, that my mind was quite changed on the subject, and I perceived it was my duty to resist the young man's wishes.

This change, on the morrow (being the first day that I was able to sit up), I explained to Jonathan, exhorting him, with a feeling enthusiasm, to tear all narrow, selfish feelings from his heart, and embark with me, like a virtuous youth, in the great enterprise of philanthropy. He fell into a passion, told me my philanthropy was a fudge, and Abel Snipe a rogue and hypocrite; vowed I had a greater regard for knaves and paupers than for my own flesh and blood, and was flinging away my money only to encourage vice and beggary. It was in vain I sought to pacify the indignant youth. An evil spirit seized upon him. He did nothing for three days but scold, reproach, and complain. He abused the faithful Abel to his face, calling him a fox, viper, cormorant, harpy, and I know not what beside; all which Abel endured with patience and resignation, for he was of a meek and humble spirit. Nay, not content with this, he proceeded on the third day to greater lengths, and did very intemperately fall upon the said Abel Snipe, tweaking him by the nose and ears, until the poor man yelled with pain-and even endeavoured to kick him out of the house; after which, being censured for the same, and I siding with Abel, as justice demanded, in the controversy, his resentment grew to such a pitch that he left the house, declaring he would live with me no longer, but leave me to ruin myself at my leisure.

This was an occurrence that caused me much pain, for verily I had an exceeding great love for the young man, and I perceived that he was treating me with ingratitude. I was, however, greatly comforted by the increased zeal and affection of the ever-faithful Abel; who, coming to me with tears in his eyes, declared that he could not bear the thought of being a cause of dissension between me and my nephew, and therefore besought me that I would discard him from my presence, when I could again live happily with my Jonathan.

I resisted, while duly appreciating the good man's friendship; and, fortunately, there needed no such sacrifice on my part; for, on the eleventh day, Jonathan returned of his own accord, and, confessing his folly, and entreating Abel's forgiveness, as well as mine, was restored again to favour. His return itself was grateful to my feelings; but the reader may judge how great was my rapture, when Jonathan avowed a change in his sentiments on the subject of philanthropy, and declared that the spirit at last moved him to think of his suffering fellow-creatures. He entreated to be conducted to the abodes of affliction, and there the conversion was completed. He became a changed man, and in a few days was almost as zealous an alms-giver as myself. I took him to my arms, and said-

"Now, Jonathan, thee is a man in whom I no longer fear the seductions of the flesh. Thee shall marry the maid Ellen, and be set up in business."

"Nay," said Jonathan; "not so. I am yet but as a youth in years, and the time sufficeth for all things. Let not the whirl of business and the joy of the honey-moon disturb the virtue that is yet young and frail in my bosom. Of a verity, Ellen Wild will wait till the fall; and if she don't, and my heart should be broken, verily I shall then be better enabled to sympathize with the wretched."

Such was the lofty, though new-born virtue of my Jonathan!

But of that, as well as our works of benevolence, I shall speak in the following chapters.

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