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11 
THE “OLE MAN’S” LAMENT. 
ift the Little Churchyard of the Old Homestead. 
I've jess been down ter de ole grabe-yalid 
By de little brick church in de pines, 
Whar de ole fokes res’ in dere las’ long sleep 
’Xeaf de wile rose bushes an’ de vines; 
Hit’s de onjy place let’ fer de ole man now 
Ter linger when de sun goes down, 
An’ think obxle fren’s dat's all gone ter peace 
In de buzzum ob de cole, cole groun’! 
Hit seems ter ez I wanders ’mong de trees 
Hat I hears de voices ob de lov’d ones agin— 
Dat I feels dere sperrits in de a’r round about 
An’ de russle ob dere gyarmints in de win’! 
Den I knows dat my days is drawin’ ter an en’ 
An de angels at de Bibber is lookin’ my way, 
But I’se rev. ly fer to go—I’se lonesome down heah 
A-watchin’ an’ waitin’ de cornin’ o’ Day! 
Some ni; -at when de owl is hootin’ in de tree— 
De watch-dr, howlin’ in de yahd ontside, 
Da'll be weepin’ in de cabin on de hilltop dar 
Ez de ole m n’s soul washes out on de tide; 
Den a n . -ma le grabe in de little churchyahd 
’Till show e t de las’ ob de homestid race 
Hes come ter jine wid de sleepers in de mold 
Tell dey all wakes tergedder in de Lan’ ob Grace! 
Usury. 
Oar Erigfi It ancestors thought that it 
was h •1 unchristian to demand 
pay for the use of money. While they 
never declared that the taking of interest 
was unlawful, they made statutes to limit 
the amount. In time their views changed, 
and they saw that it was just that a bor¬ 
rower should pay for the use of the money 
loaned him, if the charge—called interest— 
was not exorbitant. A trader who bor¬ 
rows money to use in his business, and 
thereby increases his profits, ought to pay 
for the use of the money just as he pays 
for the rest of his stock in trade. 
In nearly all countries the rate of in¬ 
terest is fixed by law. In commercial 
countries it is also the rule that any rate 
of interest can be given and accepted if the 
agreement to pay it is made in writing. 
The reason for this is that the value of 
money like the Value of any commodity is 
changeable. It is high when money is 
scarce and low when it is plenty. It is 
right that the dealer in money should have 
the same advantages as the dealer in any 
other article. 
To take or agree to take unlawful interest 
is usury. If taken unintentionally, or by 
mistake, the agreement is binding at the 
lawful rate. 
Money-lenders resort to many expedients 
to avoid the lav/. Some of these are allow¬ 
able. A lender may deduct the interest 
from the face-value of the note, thus ob¬ 
taining it in advance. 
An agreement that a year shall be 
twelve months of thirty days each, for 
computing interest, is valid. Compound 
interest may be demanded and taken if ex¬ 
pressly agreed upon, but the interest must 
be asked for when it falls due. 
A lender, who is obliged to borrow the 
money he advances, may charge for the 
trouble of raising it. The courts, however, 
always watch such cases with suspicion. 
When a man borrows money to put into 
a risky business, the lender may charge 
more than the la wful rate. Tie has a right 
to receive pay for the risk he incurs. It is 
always lawful to buy up a note in the mon¬ 
ey-market for less than its face-value. 
The laws on usury do not apply to loans 
of anything except mom y. Any sum may 
be charged for lending articles of commerce. 
Usurious agreements are worthless in 
the hands of the parties w ho make them. 
In some places, notes bearing usurious in¬ 
terest are not good in the hands of persons 
who bought without knowing them to be 
so tainted. Nearly everywhere, however, 
an innocent holder may obtain his money. 
Modern laws have made the usury reg¬ 
ulations of little account. To-day, in civil¬ 
ized lands, they are only a curiosity of 
ancient legislation.— Youth's Companion. 
FI?. "EXI*f 'TIP* 
BY W. B. DERRICK. 
Whether in poetry or prose 
Fiiendship is langu.ged, like the rose 
It is admired by every one 
For its sweet seif and that alone. 
True friendship doth perennial bloom, 
And it will live beyond the tomb, 
Shedding its sweetness all around 
On loving hearts wherever found. 
Rock of Ages—Grandpa and grandma, 
trying the new hammock. 
