People of the East who know of him principally as a man of great wealth
cannot conceive an idea of such a man,--indeed they have none such among
them. He was the moral phenomenon of modern times. The people of his
State all love him, and there are those to-day who are struggling in
various enterprises who can look to no one now for help, who like to
tell of the time 'when they could have gone to 'Frisco and seen Ralston
about it.' What a tribute is this; when we think of a man who regarded
money only as a means to do good, and who seemed a special Providence to
all in need. We look upon this picture and we see him happy only in
giving; but we turn and our hearts bleed in sympathy when we behold him
torn from his position, the victim of avariciousness and envy, which to
all appearance is the immediate cause of his untimely death. But there
is another thought here; he should have been very cautious in placing
money where it could not be brought into immediate use in such an
emergency.

Great was the feeling at his burial. Three regiments, cavalry,
artillery, and the National Guard, escorted his remains to their last
resting place. After several years Mrs. Ralston received back over
$100,000, and is therefore comfortable. We shall forever mourn the death
of such men, and ever regard and cherish their memory as among the
dearest in American history.

GEORGE PEABODY.

A long time ago a little boy who was poorly dressed, but had an honest
face, was passing a country tavern in Vermont; night was fast
approaching, and he looked tired and hungry; seeing which, the landlord,
who had a kind heart, generously offered him supper and a nights'
lodging free. This he refused to accept, but said, "If you please, I
will cut wood enough to pay my way." This was accepted by the landlord,
and thus the affair passed. Fifty years later he passed the same tavern
as George Peabody, the great London banker.

The above self-reliant nature was illustrative of the man. It is always
interesting to learn how great fortunes were made. Nothing is so
fascinating as success, and the momentous question relative to every
great man is: "How did he begin?" George Peabody began life in Danvers,
Massachusetts, February 18th, 1795. He was born of humble parents and
the public schools of his native town furnished him his education. At
the age of eleven he became a clerk in a grocery store where he remained
four years, when he went to Newburyport to