other places? Are all the poor in this country better than the rich?

"It should seem," answered Mr Barlow, smiling, "as if you were of that
opinion."

_Tommy._--Why so, sir?

_Mr Barlow._--Because, whatever you want to have done, I observe that
you always address yourself to the poor, and not to the rich.

_Tommy._--Yes, sir; but that is a different case. The poor are used to
do many things which the rich never do.

_Mr Barlow._--Are these things useful or not useful?

_Tommy._--Why, to be sure, many of them are extremely useful; for, since
I have acquired so much knowledge, I find they cultivate the ground, to
raise corn; and build houses; and hammer iron, which is so necessary to
make everything we use; besides feeding cattle, and dressing our
victuals, and washing our clothes, and, in short, doing everything which
is necessary to be done.

_Mr Barlow._--What! do the poor do all these things?

_Tommy._--Yes, indeed, or else they never would be done. For it would be
a very ungenteel thing to labour at a forge like a blacksmith, or hold
the plough like the farmer, or build a house like a bricklayer.

_Mr Barlow._--And did not you build a house in my garden some little
time ago?

_Tommy._--Yes, sir; but that was only for my amusement; it was not
intended for anybody to live in.

_Mr Barlow._--So you still think it is the first qualification of a
gentleman never to do anything useful; and he that does anything with
that design, ceases to be a gentleman?

Tommy looked a little ashamed at this; but he said it was not so much
his own opinion as that of the other young ladies and gentlemen with
whom he had conversed.

"But," replied Mr Barlow, "you asked just now which were the best--the
rich or the poor? But if the poor provide food and clothing, and houses,
and everything else, not only for themselves but for all the rich, while
the rich do nothing at all, it must appear that the poor are better than
the rich."

_Tommy._--Yes, sir; but then the poor do not act in that manner out of
kindness, but because they are obliged to it.

_Mr Barlow._--That, indeed, is a better argument than you sometimes use.
But tell me which set of people would you prefer; those that are always
doing useful things because they are obliged to it, or those who never
do anything useful at all?

_Tommy._--Indeed, sir, I hardly know what to say; but, when I asked the
question, I did not so much mean the doing useful things. But now