features
relaxed into a smile, and she forced a cheerfulness into her manner.
The traveler noted it all, and he was forced to admire this woman who
could assume a cheerfulness she did not feel, for her husband's sake.
After the table was prepared (there was nothing on it but bread and
butter and tea), they invited the stranger to eat with them, saying,
"We have not much to offer you, but a cup of tea will refresh you
after your long journey."

He accepted their hospitality, and, as they discussed the frugal meal,
led them without seeming to do so, to talk of their affairs.

"I bought this piece of land," said Mr. Bishop, "at a low price, and
instead of waiting, as I ought to have done, until I saved the money
to build, I thought I would borrow a few hundred dollars. The interest
on the money would not be near so much as the rent I was paying, and I
would save something by it. I did not think there would be any
difficulty in paying back the money; but the first year my wife and
one of the children were ill, and the expense left me without means to
pay the debt. Mr. Merton agreed to wait another year if I would pay
the interest, which I did. This year I was for seven months unable to
work at my trade and earn anything, and, of course, when pay-day comes
around--and that will be very soon--I shall be unable to meet the
demand."

"But," said the stranger, "will not Mr. Merton wait another year, if
you make all the circumstances known to him?"

"No, sir," replied Mr. Bishop; "I saw him this morning, and he said he
must have the money and should be obliged to foreclose."

"He must be very hard-hearted," remarked the traveler.

"Not necessarily so," replied Mr. Bishop. "The fact is, these rich men
know nothing of the struggles of the poor. They are men, just like the
rest of mankind, and I am sure if they had but the faintest idea of
what the poor have to pass through, their hearts and purses would
open. You know it has passed into a proverb, 'When a poor man needs
help he should apply to the poor.' The reason is obvious. Only the
poor know the curse of poverty. They know how heavily it falls,
crushing the heart of man, and (to use my favorite expression) they
can at once put themselves in the unfortunate one's place and
appreciate difficulties, and are therefore ready to render assistance
as far as they are able. If Mr. Merton had the least idea what I and
my family had to pass through, I think he would be willing to w