Intellect In Rags

It was a black wintry day. Heavy snow drifts lay piled up in the streete of New York, aud the whole appearance of the city was cold aud disrnal. Seated upon the steps of large dwelüng on Fifth Avenue, was a boy apparently thirteen years ol age. He was literally clothed in rags, his hands were blue, and his teeth chattered with cold. Lying upon his knee was a news )aper he had picked up in the streets, and he was trying to read the words upon it. He had been oconpiad thus 'or Bome time, when two little eiils, ciad in silks and furs, carne towards hitn. The eldest one was about twelve years old, acd so beautif'ul that the poor boy raised his eyes and fixed them upoo ier in undisguised admiration. The child of wealth stopped before lim, and turning to her companion exclaimed : " Marian, just see this feller oq my steps ! boy what are you doing here ?" " I am trying to Jearn upon this bit of paper," answered the boy. The girl Iaíííghed derisively, and said : " Well trnly ! I have heard of iutelect in rage, Marian, and here it is peroniüed.'! Marian's soft bazel eyes filied with ears, as she replied : Oh, Louise, do not talk so ; you jnow what Miss Fanuie teaches in chool - tbe rich and poor meet together, aad the Lord is the maker ol them all." Louise laugbed ügain, and said tothe )oy : " Get up frorn here, you shall not set on my steps ; vou are too rugged and dirty." The boy aróse, and a blush crioiscined his face. He was walkiug away, wben Marian said : " Don't go, üttle boy, you are so cold, ome to my house and get warm. Ob, 10 come, she coutinued, as he besitated ; and he followed ber ioto alarge kitchen, where a bright warm fire was sheddiug ts genial warmth around. " Well, Miss Marian, who are you bringing bere now ?" asked the eervant woman. " A poor boy who is almost perished ; you will let taim warm, will you not Rachel f" " Ob, he shall warm; sit here little )oy," and Rachel pushed a chair in ront or the Rtovo ; she then gave him a )iece of bread and meat. Marian watcbed these arrangements, and theu glided from the room ; wheu he returned, she had a primer w-ith the irst rudiments of spelling and reading. Going to the boy, she said ! " Little boy, here is a buok that jou can learn to read from better thau a )iece of paper. Do you know vour etters?" '' 8ome of them, but not all. I never lad anybody to teach me. I just learnd rayseli ; but, oh, I want to read bo badly." Marian sat down beside him, and began teaching him hi& letters. She was o busily occupied in this work that she lid not see her mother enter the room, nor hear Kachel explain about the boy ; nd she knew not that her mother tood some time behind them, listening o her noble child teaching the beggar lis letters. There were but íew thnt he had not lready learued hirnself, and it was not ong before Marian had the satisfaction f hearing him repeat the alphabet. When he rose to go, he thanked tachel for her kindness, and ofiered Marian her book. " No, I don't want it," she said ; I ïave given it to you to learn to read rom. Won't you teil me your name F" " Jimmie," he replied. " I will not forget yoü, Jimmie ; you must always remember Marian Hayes," was the little girl's farewell. Louise Gardiner and Marian Hayes were playmates and Iriends. Their Iwellings joined, and almost every hour of the day they were together, for they ttended the same school. These twc hildren were very differently brought up. Louise was proud and haughty. Joverty in her eyes was a disgrace and a crime, and she tbought nothing too evere for the poor to sufier. These iews she learned from her mother. Mts. Gardioer moved in an exclusive ircle - the bon ton of New York. Without its precincts she never venturd, for all others were beneath her. .louise, taught to mingle with no chilren excepting those of her mother's riends, was growing up believiog berelf even better than tboy. The teaehing tbat Marian Hayes received, was totally different from this. Mra. Hayes waa acknowledged by Mr?, Gardiuer as one of her particular friends ; vet though ahe tnöved among that circle, she was far from being one of thern. Her doctrine wan tho texl her little girl had used. "The rich and the poor meet together, and the Lord is the maner of them all." Thus she taught Mariau, that ihere was no dis tiuctiou as to wealth aud potútion ; that the distinction was in worth alone. She taught her to reverenee age, and to pity the poor and destitute ; and tbat pleasant words were as sweet as boneycomb, sweet to the soul, a little kindness was better than money. Marian learned the lesson wel!, and was ever ready to dispense hergentle words to all, whether they were wealthy and influential, or ragged and iüdigont, as tho boy she had that cold morning befriended. A gay and brilliant throng were assembled in the city of Washington. Congress was in eession, and the hotels were crowded with straogers. It was an evening party. The brilliantly lighted rooms were filled withyouth and beauty. Standing near one of the doors were two young ladies busily engaged conversing together. The older of the two suddenly exelaimed - " Oh, Marian, have you seen Mr. Hamilton, the new member from W." " No, but I have heard a great deal fcboat him." " Oh, I want to see him so badly. JMrs. N. is going to introduce him to us, 1 wish she would raake haste, I have no patience." Don't speak so, Louise, I wish you would nol be so trifling,"gsaid Marian. A singular smile playad around the mouth of the handsome gentleman who was standing near the girls ; and as he passed them, he scanned them both very ulosely. ín a short time, Mrs. N. carne up with Mr. Hamiltoc, the new member, and preseuted him to Miss Gardiner and Misa Hayes. As they were conversing together, Mr. Hamilton said : " Ladies, we have met before." But Louise and Marian declared their ignorance af the fact. " It bas been long years since, yet I have uot íbrgotten it, uor a single sentence ultered duriug that meetiug, I will quote one that you may recall it to your raemory : " The rich aud the poor meet together, the Lord is the maker of ofthem all." The rich biood tinged the eheeks of Mariau, but Louise still deolared herself iguorant as before. Mr. Hamilton glanced for a momeut at Marian, then turniug to Louise he said : " LoDg years ago, a little boy, ragged and du-ty, seated himself on the steps of a stately dwelling on Fif'th Aveuue, New York, and was busily engaged trying to read from a bit of paper, whon bis attention was attraetod by two little girk nohly dressed. Tbe oldest of the two pariicularly attracted hha for sbe was as beautilul as an angel; but as they carne near to him, slie lifting up her hand aud exclaimed : " Boy what are you doing here ?" "He answered, 'that he was trying to read.' The child of affluence derided him, aud said that she had heard of intellect Ui rags, and he was tho persomücation of it. Her companion's answer was, ' that the rich and poor meet together, and the Lord is the maker of them all.' The eider girl droye the boy away from the steps, but the younger one took hitn into her dwelling and warmed and fed him tb ere. When they parted, the little girl said, 'you must not forget Marian Huyes.' And Misa Hayes, he has never forgotten her. That ragged, dirty boy is now before you, ladies, as Mr. Hamilton, the member of Congress; and allow rae Miss Gardiner, to tender mj thanks to you for the kind treatment of that boy." Overwhelmed with confusión, Louise knew not what to say or do. In pity for her, Mr. Hamilton rose, and turning to Marian, said : " I will see you again, Miss Hayes," and he left tliein. Louise would not stay in the city, vvliere she daily met with Mr. Hamilton, and in a few days returned to New York, leaving Marian with the consciousness of having dono nothing to be ashamed of, and enjoying the society of distiuguished Congreytmen. Marian and Mr. Hamilton were walking together one eeening, wheu the latter drew fiom his bosoin an old and well worn primer, and handed it to Marian. " From t his, he said, "the man who is so distinguished here, first loarned to read. Do you re4joguize the book !" Marian trembled, and did not raise her eyes, when she saw the well remembered book. Mr. Hamilton took her band and said : " Marian, Jimmie has not forgot you. Since the day you were so kind to him aud gave him the book, bis life has had one great aim, and that was to attain to greatness, and in after years to meet that miuistering angel who was the sweetener of my days of' poverty. When I leit your houee with this book, 1 returned to my humble home ten times happier, and went assiduously to work to learn to read. My mother was an invalid, and ere long I learued well enough to read to her. "When my mother died, I found good friends, and was adopted by a gentleman in W . As his son I have been educated, A year ago he died and left his property to me. Of all the pleasant memories of my boyhoed, the one connected with you is the dearest. I have kept this primer next to my heart, and dwelt upon the hopo of again meetingthe giver. I have met her. I see all that my imagination pictured, and I ask it tbe dear hand that gave this book cannot be miue forever." Louise telt deeper grief thau over, when Marian told her she was to become the wife of Mr. Haniilton, the poor boy whom she onoe spurned from her door, and derisively ealled 'intellect in raga.' But she learned a severer lesson, and one that soon changed the whole eurrent of her Ufe. For a whilo she shunned Mr. llamiltou, but by persevering kindness he.inade her i'eel easy in his presence, and she became the ackiiowledjred friend of the Congretsstaan and bis noble wife. Years have passed'snce then, and Louise is training up a family of little ones; but she is teauhing them to despise not intellect in rags, but be guided by Marian's text, ' The rich and the poor meet together, and the Lord is the maker of them all.'