“ It is easy to conceive that such a family must save money yearly; and, in short, the end of the second year saw them worth more than from such a capital, and from so small beginnings, one would expect.—While this was the life of Curio, his young master, whose easy fortune set him above the necessity of industry, was carrying on the same trade in a very different manner.
It is the most dangerous of all errors, though too common a one, for a man to imagine he can play with business, and do what he pleases when his affairs are easy without it. There is no middle state in the trading world ”

“ Every one saw the goodness of Curio’s heart, and every one was now witness to the change it wrought in his friend who quickly became more diligent than he had ever been remiss.—Success was the natural consequence of the united efforts of the merchants. Claudian had now nothing to lament but the loss of his love, whose idea was too strongly imprinted in his mind for him ever to forget her. ”

“ Claudian seemed indeed to have all the false notions of the generality of our young traders; and too many in this city are ruined daily by the same, yet that they are still propagated among numbers as the secrets of trading, is a truth as certain as the gospel.
Claudian’s affairs began now to run greatly behind-hand, without his knowing it; out that which others plan out as a last relief when they find themselves just going, was now likely to prove so to our young gentleman trader, without his knowing it. ”

“ He raised them, one by one, as fast as he could, and taking the father’s hand, "Gracious God! (said he) can a sense of humanity be such an uncommon thing among creatures, who call themselves human, that so poor an exertion of it should be thought deserving of a return, proper to be made only to heaven? ”

“ Departing directly to save both himself and them the pain of pursuing conversation that grew too distressful, he went without regard to change of dress or appearance, to look for a proper lodging for them, where he laid in such provisions of every kind, as he knew they must immediately want. This care employed him till the time he had promised to return, when he found such an alteration in the looks and appearance of them all, as gave his heart delight.
"You see, Sir," (said the mother, as soon as he entered) "the effects of your bounty: but do not think that vanity has made us abuse it. ”

“ Some years since, the parent and master dying, the young traders were left to themselves: Curio declined an offer of partnership with his young master, merely because it was more then he could in reason expect: and Claudian generously advanced him a sum of money to engage in trade with for himself, as a reward for his disinterestedness. ”

“ We are now your creatures. The lives we enjoy are immediately the gift of your benevolence; a benevolence so critically timed, (for we could not have subsisted many hours longer without it) as to raise a hope, that Providence, which sent you to our relief, will not leave its work unfinished, but save us from falling again into such misery, by means agreeable to its own wisdom and goodness, though impossible for us in our present situation to foresee."
It was some time before Benevolus, who had listened to the officer’s story with sympathetic attention, was able to speak. ”

“ From that time we supported life by morgaging the few cloaths we had brought upon our backs, without one ray of hope to tempt us to look forward, till they also were all gone, and the misery of cold added to that of hunger. ”

“ The old gentleman, in consequence of all this, now refused his daughter; the distress on her part, as well as Claudian’s, was very sincere and affecting, and they parted with the sincerest agonies on both sides, nor could the intreates of the old people prevent the young lady from engaging herself by a most solemn vow, never to marry any other person. ”

“ The sigh of distress, which never struck his ear without affecting his heart, came with double force from such an object. He viewed her with silent compassion for some moments; and reaching her a piece of gold, bad her go home, and shelter herself from the inclemencies of the night, at so late an hour. Her surprise and joy at such unexpected charity overpowered her. She dropped upon her knees, in the wet and dirt of the street, and raising her hands and eyes toward heaven, remained in that posture for some moments, unable to give utterance to {{reconstruct|the} gratitude that filled her heart. ”

“ In this situation, I must have perished in the streets, had not a poor woman, whom my wife had been obliged to call in to her assistance when I sickened, shared with us her habitation, in which you found us, as she also did the earnings of her daily labour, till a chairman who was carrying a beau to a ball, threw her down with such violence, for not making haste enough out of his way, that she broke her leg, and was obliged to be taken to an hospital. ”

“ You have enabled us to discharge all demands upon us. People in our circumstances, cannot find credit, because they want it."
Benevolus would then have gone for a coach, but the daughter insisted on saving him that trouble; upon which he put the whole family into it, and walked away before them to their new lodging. It is impossible to describe what these poor people felt, when they saw the provision he had made for their reception. ”