THE FALSE BEGGAR.
"My dear madam," cried Blanche, one day, "do listen to a poor woman in the hall, who is telling such a mournful story!"—"And she begs you to read this paper," added Kate, running in with a dirty crumpled letter in her hand. The kind lady read the paper, and heard the woman's story: then said, "Poor creature! your state seems very wretched, I will inquire about you, and come and see you, and try to serve you." The stranger begged hard for present relief, but the lady said she made a rule never to give aid until she knew the facts of the case. It was some time before the woman would give an address; at last she did so, and went away.
"Dear Aunt, why did not you give the poor thing some money?"—"Because I was not sure money was the best thing I could give her; by seeing her, I shall best know how to serve her."—"But just one shilling?"—"I can afford to give that, I own, and it would have saved me trouble; but it is my duty to do the most good in my power, and that can only be done by going to the scene of woe."
In the course of the day, (for we ought not to defer a duty) the three went to inquire about the poor woman; she had called herself a widow, with five children starving in an old barn; no such place was to be found. By accident, she was seen standing at the door of the inn; and though she tried to hide herself, the Aunt found her out; what was the surprise of the girls to see the feigned beggar in good clothes, in a good room, and with a table on which were tea things, a loaf, and butter, and white sugar. The Aunt waited to hear the meaning of all this, and the woman began a speech; but as it was plain she did not speak the truth, the Aunt shook her head, told her to give up her wicked course, and left her.
"My dear girls," said the good Aunt, "this woman's cunning is a proof that all who beg do not deserve, or require relief. But as there is much real distress in the world, those who truly desire to relieve it must not fail to visit the scenes of sorrow named to them, that so they may serve the unfortunate and detect the guilty."