A TRICK
A young man, a student in one of
our universities, was one day taking a walk with
a professor, who was commonly called the
students' 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 the
poor man.
Put a coin into each shoe, and
then we will hide ourselves and watch how the
discovery 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 round, 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 the 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 those
words, which I never understood before: 'It is
more blessed to give than to receive."
Author Unknown
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