Page:The Poor Rich Man, and the Rich Poor Man.djvu/121

Rh is not worth our while to covet or envy them; except in some rare cases, we have all, in this country, gifts and means enough. As to property, I am the poorest man of you all."

"Yes, yes, Aikin; but you've every thing else—what is the little advantage we have in property, compared to your education, and so forth?"

This argument Aikin could not sincerely gainsay; but, anxious to impart some of his sentiments to his friends, he proceeded—

"Among us working-men, property is a sign of industry, ingenuity, temperance, and frugality; therefore, I am anxious to make what excuse I can for being so much poorer than the rest of you. You know I began with a broken-down constitution, and have never been able to perform half the labour of a sound man; but I have taken care of what strength I had—I selected a healthy business—I have been strictly temperate, not only in drinking, but in eating—and this, with always a clean, cheerful home to come to, has made me a stouter man at forty than I was at three-and-twenty. In the meantime, I have seen many a lawyer growing rich, and, just when he has laid up much goods, falling a prey to disease contracted sitting at an office table, performing labour that some of us might fancy no labour at all; but which is proved, by its effects, to be much harder than our work. Merchants, too, whom I remember, bright and bloomings have gone on laying up their thousands and tens of thousands—going from fagging in their counting-houses to feasting like kings; and, at forty-five or fifty, look at them—they have houses, and lands, and coaches, to be sure, but do they enjoy them?