1.A poor man once undertook temigrate1 from Castine,Me.tIllinois. When he was attempting tcross a river in New York,his horse broke through the rotten timbers of the bridge,and was drowned. He had but this one animal tconvey all his property and his family this new home.
1Emigrate,tremove from one country or state tanother for the purpose of residence,tmigrate.
2.His wife and children were almost miraculously1 saved from sharing the fate of the horse;but the loss of this poor animal was enough. By its aid the family,it may be said,had lived and moved;now they were left helpless in a land of strangers,without the ability2 tgon or return,without money or a single friend twhom tappeal. The case was a hard one.
3.There were a great many wh"passed by on the other side." Some even laughed at the predicament3 in which the man was placed;but by degrees a group of people began tcollect,all of whom pitied him.
4.Some pitied him a great deal,and some did not pity him very much,because,they said,he might have known better than ttry tcross an unsafe bridge,and should have made his horse swim the river. Pity,however,seemed rather tpredominate4. Some pitied the man,and some the horse;all pitied the poor,sick mother and her six helpless children.
5.Among this pitying party was a rough son of the West,whknew what it was tmigrate some hundreds of miles over new roads tlocate5 a destitute6 family on a prairie. Seeing the man's forlorn situation,and looking around on the bystanders,he said,"All of you seem tpity these poor people very much,but I would beg leave task each of you how much."
6."There,stranger," continued he,holding up a ten dollar bill,"there is the amount of my pity;and if others will das I do,you may soon get another pony. God bless you." It is needless tstate the effect that this active charity produced. In a short time the happy emigrant arrived at his destination7,and he is now a thriving8 farmer,and a neighbor thim whwas his "friend in need,and a friend indeed."1 Miraculously,as if by miracle,wonderfully. 2Ability,power,capability.3 Predicament,condition,plight. 4Predominate,tprevail,trule. 5Locate,tplace.6Destitute,needy,poor.7Destination,end of a journey.8Thriving,prosperous through industry,economy,and good management.
