s poor. Lazarus went, a beggar, from the
rich man's door, and was received into Abraham's bosom."

"What has made you so bitter against Clinton, just now?" inquired the
friend.

"I'm not bitter against him in particular--I speak of rich men as a
class. They are all selfish, unfeeling, and oppressive. Look at the good
Clinton might do, as a steward of God's bounty, if he chose. He might
make our wilderness blossom as the rose. But settlement-day will come,
ere long, and then a sorry account of his stewardship will he have to
render."

"How do you know that the account will not be approved in heaven?" was
asked in a quiet voice.

"Approved? How do I know?" ejaculated Maxwell, impatiently. "Any man can
see that he is an unfaithful, hard-hearted, and oppressive steward."

"Has he oppressed you?"

"Yes."

"Ah! I was not aware of that. I didn't know that you had any claims upon
him as an almoner of heaven."

"My claims are those of common humanity. But you shall know all, and
judge for yourself. I am a poor man"----

"Well"----

"With a wife and four children, whom I love as tenderly as Clinton, or
any other purse-proud oppressor of the poor can possibly love his wife
and children. They are dependent for daily bread upon my daily labour.
With the sweat of my brow, I keep hunger from my door, and cold from
entering therein."

"An independent man," said the other.

"Yes, an independent man; as independent as any nabob in the land."

"Do let the nabobs alone," was smilingly answered to this. "If you are
independent, why care for them? Why permit yourself to be fretted
because others are blessed by Providence with a greater abundance of
worldly goods? There is danger, in this thing, of going beyond the
nabobs, and arraigning the wisdom of Him who setteth up whom he will,
and whose bounty feeds even the young ravens. So go on with your story.
What is the crime that Mr. Clinton has committed against you and
humanity?"

"I am a poor man, as I said."

"I know you are; a hard-working, industrious, but poor man."

"And as such, entitled to some consideration."

"Entitled to a fair return for your labour, in all cases."

"Of course I am; and to some favour, in the distribution of employment,
when I present equal capacity with those who are less needy than
myself."

"What do you mean by that?"

"A plain story makes all plain. Well: you are aware that Mr. Clinton is
about building a new dam for his mills?"

"