Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: Jntrobiution. Has any one called during my absence? inquired Mr. Mertoun of his nephew, Leonard, on returning home after his usual round of parochial visits. No one, replied the boy; I have been with Mary in the garden, and if they had, I could not have helped seeing them. It is strange, said Mr. Mertoun, are you quite sure there has been no one? Quite sure, he answered, but presently added, correcting himself, at least, no one of any consequence?only some poor man. The tone in which the last words were uttered, no less than the answer itself, grated harshly on Mr. Mertoun's ear. Only some poor man he repeated; why, Leonard, do you say only ? Might not his visit be of consequence? The boy looked confused, but endeavoured to justify his former reply, by saying, Of consequence to himself, uncle, but I meant, of no consequence to you. Nay, my dear boy, replied Mr. Mertoun, you now speak even more thoughtlessly than before. It could not have been the one without being the other also. Remember, that it can never be of more importance for the poor man to declare his wants than it is for those who have the means torelieve them. Do you think you understand me ? I believe, uncle, I do, he replied, thoughtfully. You mean, as you told us on Sunday, that ' it is more blessed to give than to receive.' Mr. Mertoun perceived from the reply, that he had awakened the train of reflection which he wished, and did not, at the time, pursue the conversation. But the words, only some poor man, kept recurring painfully to his own mind. His nephew and niece had been with him but a few days, yet it was not the first time he bad observed in them a want of sympathy for the poor. This was, perhaps, an almost necessary result of their havin...