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Article CHIT CHAT. ← Page 3 of 4 →
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Chit Chat.
he cannot , of course , obtain the loan he seeks , save on terms proportionate to the risk incurred by the lender . Yet he goes away , and curses the Jew as a usurer ; and thus another voice is raised to denounce the entire nation as avaricious ancl griping . But does this person , however , reflect , that had he applied ' to a Christian moneybroker , the terms would- have been equally high , seeing that he had no real security to offerand that his name was alreadtarnished ?
, y Talk of the usury of the Jews—look at the usury practised by Christians . ' Look at the usury practised by Christian attorneys !—look at the greediness of Christian bill-discounters!—look , in a word , at the money-making spirit of the Christian , and then call the Jew the usurer par excellence I It is a detestable calumny—a vile prejudice—as dishonourable to the English character as it is unjust towards a generous-hearted race !
We deem it right to state that these observations are recorded as disinterestedly and as impartially—as honestly and as conscientiousl y —as any other comments upon prejudices or abuses which have ever appeared in " The Mysteries of London . " Not a drop of Jewish blood flows in our veins ; but we have the honour to enjoy the friendship of several estimable families of the Jewish persuasion . We have , therefore , hacl opportunities of judging of the Israelite character ; and the reader must
be well aware that the writer who wields his pen against a popular prejudice is more likely to be instigated by upright motives than he who labours to maintain it . In following the current of general opinion , one is sure to gain friends : in adventurously undertaking to stem it , he is equally certain to create enemies . But , thank God ! this work is addressed to an intelligent and enlightened people—to the industrious classes of the United Kingdom—to those who are the true pillars of England ' s prosperity , glory , and greatness !—Mysteries of London .
BE CHARITABLE . —Not to give to the poor is to take from him ; not to feed the hungry , if thou hast it , is the utmost of thy power to kill him ; that therefore thou mayst avoid both sacrilege and murder , be charitable . —Quarles' Enchiridion . THE OLD PLANTER . —The Emperor Adrian saw an aged Hebrew planting a fig-tree . " Poor fool , " quoth lie , " thou art too old to plant . Seest thou not that thou wilt die before thtree can bear fruit ? "
y — " I know it , " replied the old man , "but / work for my children ; and fatigue is dispelled by the idea , that one clay , in enjoying the fruit of this tree , they will think of their old father who planted it for them . " Our ancestors planted trees , the fruit of which we have tasted during our lives . It is then only proper that we in our turn should plant for our children .
JNEWSPAPER EDITORS AND FACTORY OPERATIVES . —There is no factory operative whose labour is equal to the drudgery of an editor of a daily newspaper ; the constant strain upon mental energies , day and night , is far more severe in its effects than any corresponding amount of merely physical and mechanical exertion . At three o ' clock in the morning , an editor is often in the gallery of the House of Commons , listening to the close of a debate upon which a leading article must be prepared for the paper of the same day : at four he is at his desk , with the printer ' s devil waiting for copy , —at five , he has completed his task , perhaps a philippic upon the inhumanity of
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Chit Chat.
he cannot , of course , obtain the loan he seeks , save on terms proportionate to the risk incurred by the lender . Yet he goes away , and curses the Jew as a usurer ; and thus another voice is raised to denounce the entire nation as avaricious ancl griping . But does this person , however , reflect , that had he applied ' to a Christian moneybroker , the terms would- have been equally high , seeing that he had no real security to offerand that his name was alreadtarnished ?
, y Talk of the usury of the Jews—look at the usury practised by Christians . ' Look at the usury practised by Christian attorneys !—look at the greediness of Christian bill-discounters!—look , in a word , at the money-making spirit of the Christian , and then call the Jew the usurer par excellence I It is a detestable calumny—a vile prejudice—as dishonourable to the English character as it is unjust towards a generous-hearted race !
We deem it right to state that these observations are recorded as disinterestedly and as impartially—as honestly and as conscientiousl y —as any other comments upon prejudices or abuses which have ever appeared in " The Mysteries of London . " Not a drop of Jewish blood flows in our veins ; but we have the honour to enjoy the friendship of several estimable families of the Jewish persuasion . We have , therefore , hacl opportunities of judging of the Israelite character ; and the reader must
be well aware that the writer who wields his pen against a popular prejudice is more likely to be instigated by upright motives than he who labours to maintain it . In following the current of general opinion , one is sure to gain friends : in adventurously undertaking to stem it , he is equally certain to create enemies . But , thank God ! this work is addressed to an intelligent and enlightened people—to the industrious classes of the United Kingdom—to those who are the true pillars of England ' s prosperity , glory , and greatness !—Mysteries of London .
BE CHARITABLE . —Not to give to the poor is to take from him ; not to feed the hungry , if thou hast it , is the utmost of thy power to kill him ; that therefore thou mayst avoid both sacrilege and murder , be charitable . —Quarles' Enchiridion . THE OLD PLANTER . —The Emperor Adrian saw an aged Hebrew planting a fig-tree . " Poor fool , " quoth lie , " thou art too old to plant . Seest thou not that thou wilt die before thtree can bear fruit ? "
y — " I know it , " replied the old man , "but / work for my children ; and fatigue is dispelled by the idea , that one clay , in enjoying the fruit of this tree , they will think of their old father who planted it for them . " Our ancestors planted trees , the fruit of which we have tasted during our lives . It is then only proper that we in our turn should plant for our children .
JNEWSPAPER EDITORS AND FACTORY OPERATIVES . —There is no factory operative whose labour is equal to the drudgery of an editor of a daily newspaper ; the constant strain upon mental energies , day and night , is far more severe in its effects than any corresponding amount of merely physical and mechanical exertion . At three o ' clock in the morning , an editor is often in the gallery of the House of Commons , listening to the close of a debate upon which a leading article must be prepared for the paper of the same day : at four he is at his desk , with the printer ' s devil waiting for copy , —at five , he has completed his task , perhaps a philippic upon the inhumanity of