Better To Give Than To Receive
A young man, a student in one of our universities, was one day taking a
walk with a professor, who was commonly called the student's friend,
from his kindness to those who waited on his instructions.
As they went along, they saw lying in the path a pair of old shoes,
which they supposed to belong to a poor man who was employed in a field
close by, and who had nearly finished his day's work.
The student turned to the professor, saying: "Let us play the man a
trick: we will hide his shoes, and conceal ourselves behind those
bushes, and wait to see his perplexity when he cannot find them."
"My young friend," answered the professor, "we should never amuse
ourselves at the expense of the poor. But you are rich, and may give
yourself a much greater pleasure by means of this poor man. Put a coin
in each shoe, and then we will hide ourselves and watch how this affects
him."
The student did so and they both placed themselves behind the bushes
close by. The poor man soon finished his work, and came across the field
to the path where he had left his coat and shoes.
While putting on his coat he slipped his foot into one of his shoes, but
feeling something hard, he stooped down to feel what it was, and found
the coin. Astonishment and wonder were seen upon his countenance. He
gazed upon the coin, turned it around, and looked at it again and again.
He then looked around him on all sides, but no person was to be seen. He
now put the money into his pocket, and proceeded to put on the other
shoe; but his surprise was doubled on finding the other coin. His
feelings overcame him; he fell upon his knees, looked up to heaven and
uttered aloud a fervent thanksgiving in which he spoke of his wife, sick
and helpless, and his children without bread, whom this timely bounty,
from some unknown hand, would save from perishing.
The student stood there deeply affected, and his eyes filled with tears.
"Now," said the professor, are you not much better pleased than if you
had played your intended trick?"
The youth replied, "You have taught me a lesson which I will never
forget. I feel now the truth of these words, which I never understood
before: "It's more blessed to give than to receive."
[ Author Unknown -- from 'andychaps_the-funnies' ]
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