of the nineteenth century. I know of an actual instance of a family
being forced to eat the bread of charity within the walls of a house for
which they had engaged to pay, and had so far paid, the sum of two
thousand dollars a year as rent! What foolish thing a vain human being
will not do is a more difficult problem than what he will do. If we had
no rich people to fire up our self-conceit, we would be happier, though
we rose more slowly; yet are we to be despised for being willing to
throw the blame so freely from our shoulders. "Poverty is," says
Cobbett, "except where there is an actual want of food and raiment, a
thing much more imaginary than real. The shame of poverty--the shame of
being thought poor--it is