The Sun.
London, England, 1841-01-05 00:00:00

RETIRING FROM BUSINESS.

(From the Chariv ari.)
It is the nature of man to be doing ; whatever may be
his age and position, he must have an occupation of some
sort, whether physical or intellectual; I do not believe in
the possibility of absolute idleness, not oven in the de-
pendents cn the charity of the liste-civile.
I have not chosen this theme in order to discuss it at
length ; heaven preserve me from it, and you also, reader I
That which you have mistaken for the grave introduction
to a learned dissertation was nothing more than a reflec-
tion into which I was led while contemplating from my
window an excellent and worthy neighbour cf mine, M.

Fromageot.
This respectable paterfamilias, lof whom I will not say
that age had whitened his vcnerabe locks, seeing that fur
the last ten years his head had cast off that ornament as
a superfluity which hairdressers and bear's grease had
rendered too expensive, and not long since exercised the
profession of- haberdasher, in the rue St. Denis, the
favoured quarter.of this useful class. His ledgers were
well filled, and kept with scrupulous exactitude; but he
had a clerk to whom these delicate functions were
exclusively consigned. From morn to dewy eve his
shop was crowded with purchasers ; but here again he kept
apprentices, whose duty it was to unfold, exhibit, and re-
fold his wares. M. Fromageot had reserved for himself
no special task but that, as he expressed himself, of keep-
ing an eye on everything, meaning that he spent the whole
day in circulating, with his hands in his breeches-pockets,
from the shop to the counter, from the counter to the shop,
stimulating with a wcrd or a look the activity of his men,
who, notwithstanding, performed their duties neither bet-
ter nor worse. Nevertheless Madame Fromageot, a lady
who, from time to time, does me the honour to exchange
remarks on the state of the temperature or the demand for
night-caps, does not remember a single instance, during
the last twenty years, of her husband going to bed without
exclaiming " What a weary life I When shall Ibe able
to retire from business and repose myself? But this is
the accustomed exclamation of all who labour to gain a
living or save a competency ; and I have further observed
that the moment this retirement has arrived, they all look
on the repose so long the object of their wishes in about
the same light as M. Fromageot.
Would you know how my neighbour enjoys his repose
now that he is shut up in a charming little country house
where all the comforts of existence are to be found ? This
is what I have witnessed from the first day of the year to
the last.
At four in the morning in summer, at seven in winter,
M. Fromageot throws himself from a bed of thrice-driven
down ; he puts on a blouse, steps into an enormous pair of
sabots, di fends his head with a nightcap striped blue and
white, heaps upon his shoulder a spade, a pickaxe, is rake,
a pitchfork, and a dibber, takes up a largo basket, wherein
are methodically arranged his cabbage, salad, and straw-
berry plants, and away he trudges to his garden. There
he sticks for twelve or fifteen hours, his spine continually
bent, making holes in the ground, tracing furrows, planting
endive and lettuce, weeding beans, digging potatoes, with
all the ardour of the moat inveterate market-gardener.
Think not that he allows himself the least cessation to his
labours. Yesterday he was picking caterpillars from his
plum-trees ; to-day he is renewing a border of thyme which
is not more than 600 feet in length ; to-morrow he will have
to drive 2,000 nails to trail his vines and peach trees.
Though the wind blow with all its fury, though the rain
pour down in torrents, though the sun dart his vertical
rays on him, though the hairs of his beard stiffen with the
sleet of January, he is stanch to his post, stanch as a brave
soldier on the field of glory ; a visit from his dearest friend
could not induce him to forego one stroke of his spade ;
and if, peradventure, the temptation of satisfying his vanity
should lead him fur a few moments from his work in order
to display with pride his gigantic pumpkin to an admiring
amateur, or to recount the history of some marvellous graft,
he would take care, on going to bed, to advance his alarum
one hour that he might, as he would say, recover lost
time. He often forgets his breakfast hour, and the same
thing would happen with his dinner, were it not that his
wife, after having in vain called him two or three times,
tears him almost by force from his well beloved plantations.
When a violent storm, or a hard frost, renders all gar-
dening operations impracticable, and condemns M. Fro
mageot to keep within doors, the poor man really looks
like a perturbed spirit; he wanders fretfully from one room
to another, descends into the cellar, goes up into the frar-
ret, qaarrels with his wife, scolds his servant, until he is
struck, as with lightning, with the brilliant idea of split-
ting wood, or making a new railing for his rabbit-hutch.
For such repose as M. Fromageot amassed franc on ;sane
for the last 20 years, until he has realised a capital of
200,0001., and he reckons on enjoying this sweet repast
for the next 30 years, unless it procure him some inflam-
mation of the chest to carry him off prematurely.
Thus M. Fromageot, after reposing all the while he
'ancied he was working, works all the while he fancies be
,s reposing. It is the history of many of his fellow-men.

THE THUNDER STORM OF
SUNDAY.

MEETING OF THE VESTRYMEN OF CHRIST
C BURCH, SPITALFIELDS.
Last night, at eight o'clock, a numerous meeting of
the vestrymen of the parish of Christ Church, Spitalfields,
specially convened, faas held in the vestry-room of the
church, which is situated immediately under the tower of
the steeple, for the purpose of receiving the Report of
the surveyor as to the extent of the damage done to the
spire and the tower iby the electric: fluid on Sunday
morning last. There were present the Rev. W. Stone,
the rector ; Messrs. Morris and Stone, the churchwar-
dens ; Mr. Bruslifield, the chairman of the board of guar-
dians cf the Whitechapel union, and most of the princi-
pal inhabitants of the parish.
Mr. Morris, senior churchwarden, having been called
to the chair,
Mr. TAYLOR, the Vestry-clerk, read the Report of the
snrveyor, Mr. Waller, which was as follows :
" REPORT AS TO TIIE DAMAGE DONE TO THE SPIRE OF
CHRIST CIIUKCIL SPITALFIELDS, BY THE STORM OF TILE

3D INSTANT.
" From the general view I have been able to take,
without the assistance of ladder and scaffolding, I am of
opinion that, although the damage done to the spire is con-
siderable, much of the stone-work being shattered and dis-
placed, yet, as the spire maintains its perpendicular posi.
Lion, and as there is no appearance of extensive vcrtica
fracture, there are no grounds for any immediate danger
and I am further of opinion that the damage can he recti
tied without rebuilding the spire.
."To enable me, however, to give a more decided
opinion, I beg respectfully to submit that it is LI ly
necessary to bass ladders, stages, and scaffolding erected
within the spire, at least from its base upwards. Exter-
nally, also, it is very desirable ; but as the latter mode
would be attended with great expense, I am of opinion
that, if confined to the interior, I shall be able to nuto
such an examination es will enable me to give an opinion
upon which reliance may be placed; and I will tui tiler
submit that this should be attended to immediately,
ra
wet and frost penetrating the fractured portion of the
stone-work may produce serious mischief.
"JOHN WALLER.
" To the Churchwardens of Christ Church, SpitaltiadA.
" 68, Aldermanbury, Jan. 4, 1841."
Mr. BRESDFIF.LD moved that the churchwardens be re-
quested to have an internal examination of the steeple
made without delay, in order to ascertain with certainty if
the spire be in a safe state, and that Mr. Waller be re-
quested to report thereon.
Mr. WAITE seconded the resolution, which was agreed
to unanimously; as was also the following :—" That a
vestry meeting be called at the earliest possible opportuni'v
to receive the report, and to make such further arrange-•
incnts as may be necessary,"
Thanks were then passed to the Chairman, and the
meeting broke up.