Jim Dick; or, The Best Revenge.


IF you would learn to return good for evil, listen

to a short account of Jim Dick, the Negro boy.

It is given by a gentleman named Southey:

"When I was a little boy," says he, "there was

a black lad, who lived not far from my father's

house, of the name of Jim Dick. Myself and

some of my playfellows were one evening at our

sports, when we began to annoy the poor black,

 by calling him ‘Negro.' 'Black moor,' and other ill

names. The poor fellow seemed very much

hurt at our conduct, and soon left us. It was not

long after, that I agreed with some of my young

friends to go a skating; but I found, when the

time came, that I had broken my skates, and that

I could not go unless Jim Dick lent me his 

skates.

I went to him, and asked him for them. 'O yes,

you may have them, and welcome,' was his kind

answer. When I went to return them, I found

Jim sitting by the fire in the kitchen, with his 

Bible before him, which he had been reading. I 

told him I had come to bring back the skates he

 had lent me, and that I was much obliged for the

 use of them. He looked at me as he took them 

into his hands, and with tears in his eyes, he 

said to me, "Do not call me Black moor again.'

 He spoke the words kindly and meekly, and then

 left the room. These words went to my heart, I

 burst into tears, and from that time I resolved I

 would never again be guilty of abusing a poor

 black."

This little story may teach two lessons. First,

that you should not hurt the feelings of any one.

Do not call insulting names: it is foolish and 

vulgar. Do not mock the aged; it is unkind and 

sinful. Do not make sport of the lame, the blind,

 or any afflicted person; it is cruel and mean. Do

 not undervalue any for the color of their skin, or

 the shape of their bodies, or the poverty of their

 condition, for we are as God made us, and "he

that despiseth the poor reproacheth his Maker,"

Proverbs. 14:31.