The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 12, No. 345, December 6, 1828Various
History
The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 12, No. 345, December 6, 1828
Various
Popular literature -- Great Britain -- Periodicals
ADVANTAGES OF A GOOD HEART,
_A Fragment from the "Disowned," by the author of "Pelham."_
"The next day, Sir Christopher Findlater called on Clarence. 'Let us
lounge into the park,' said he. 'With pleasure,' replied Clarence;
and into the park they lounged. By the way they met a crowd, who
were hurrying a man to prison. The good-hearted Sir Christopher
stopped--'Who is that poor fellow?' said he. 'It is the
celebrated'--(in England all criminals are celebrated. Thurtell was
a hero, Thistlewood a patriot, and Fauntleroy was discovered to be
exactly like Bonaparte)--'it is the celebrated robber, John Jefferies,
who broke into Mrs. Wilson's house, and cut the throats of herself and
her husband, wounded the maid-servant, and split the child's skull
with the poker.' * * * 'John Jefferies!' exclaimed the baronet, 'let
us come away.' 'Linden,' continued Sir Christopher, 'that fellow was
my servant once. He robbed me to some considerable extent. I caught
him. He appealed to my heart, and you know, my dear fellow, that was
irresistible, so I let him off. Who could have thought he would have
turned out so?' And the baronet proceeded to eulogize his own good
nature, by which it is just necessary to remark, that one miscreant
had been saved for a few years from transportation in order to rob and
murder _ad libitum_, and having fulfilled the office of a common pest,
to suffer on the gallows at last. What a fine thing it is to have a
good heart! Both our gentlemen now sunk into a reverie, from which
they were awakened, at the entrance of the park, by a young man in
rags, who, with a piteous tone, supplicated charity. Clarence, who to
his honour be it spoken, spent an allotted and considerable part of
his income in judicious and laborious benevolence, had read a little
of political morals, then beginning to be understood, and walked on.
The good-hearted baronet put his hand in his pocket, and gave the
beggar half-a-guinea, by which a young, strong man, who had only just
commenced the trade, was confirmed in his imposition for the rest of
his life; and instead of the useful support, became the pernicious
incumbrance of society. Sir Christopher had now recovered his spirits.
'What's like a good action?' said he to Clarence, with a swelling
breast. The park was crowded to excess; our loungers were joined by
Lord St. George. His lordship was a staunch Tory. He could not endure
Wilkes, liberty, or general education. He launched out against the
enlightenment of domestics. 'What has made you so bitter?' said Sir
Christopher. 'My valet!' cried Lord St. George; 'he has invented a new
toasting-fork; is going to take out a patent, make his fortune, _and
leave me_; that's what I call ingratitude, Sir Christopher; for I
ordered his wages to be raised five pounds but last year.' 'It _was_
very ungrateful,' said the ironical Clarence. 'Very!' reiterated
the good-hearted Sir Christopher. 'You cannot recommend me a valet,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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