Elizabeth-Town gazette. [volume] (Elizabeth-Town, N.J.) 1818-1821, 1818-12-29
MISCELLANY.
From the Connecticut Courant.
THE BRIEF REMARKER.

AN ancient naturalist tells us, that rats
will leave a house that is about TO falI.-
But whether it be so or not, there is in
some human animals sort of instinct very
nearly like it:--they are your sunshine
friends, who stick to you closely in pros
perity; but no sooner do they perceive
bleak storm of adversely hover over you,
than they estrange themselves and stand
aloof.
Nor is this an upstart race of modern
lorigin. Contrariwise, we find it distinct
lily noted and described 10 writings of
early antiquity; but in Done more admira.
bly, than 10 the following passages of the
Son of Sirach -" For" (says that skiIful
remarker on mankind) " some man is a
friend for his own occasion, and will not
abide in the day of thy trouble. And
there is friend, who, being turned to en-
nifty and strife, will discover thy reproach.
Again, some friend is companion at the
table, and will not continue in the day of
thy affection. But ia thy prosperity he
will be as thysell, and will be bold over
thy servants. II thou be brought low, he
will be against thee, and will hide himself
from thy face" So also, 10 another part
|of his admirable book, the same writer
further describes this sort Of gentry -
6 If thou be for bis profit, he will use
thee: but if thou have nothing, he will
forsake thee. IL thou have any thing, be
will live with thee: yea, he will make
thee bare, and will not be sorry for it.
If he have need of thee, he will deceive
thee, and smile upon thee, and put thee 10
hope; he will speak fair, aud say, Whai
wantest thou I? He will shame thee by his
meats, until he have drawn thee dry twice
or thrice, and at the last he will laugh
thee TO scorn: afterward when he seeth
thee, he will forsake thee, and shake his
head at thee. ''*
The common saying, Prosperity makes
friends, is admissible only in qualified
sense. Most of the friends of prosperity's
making scarcely deserve the name for
20 sooner do they perceive your fortune
falling than they make off with themselves,
like the rats from falling house.
To exemplify this truth, instances al.
most without number might be drawn from
history ancient and modern, sacred and
Iprofane. But narrowing the subject to
single point, my object will be the rectifi
cation of very prevalent error, namely,
the idle notion of attracting regard by
style of living too expensive for our con-
dition.
Nothing more distinctly marks the age
and the country We live in, than this spe-
cies of folly. If the former days were
not better than these 10 other respects, yet
in this one respect they were great deal
better: they were times of sober, prudent
economy. Poverty was not arrayed in
costly attire; mediocrity did not ape the
splendour and expense Of wealth; indus
try was coupled with frugality; the great
bulk Of the yeomanry were plain in their
living, and accustomed their children TO
pIainness of food and raiment; the trader
made it a point to win gold ere he wore
| it ii was fashionable for families to live
within their incomes it was creditable to
be provident and economical.
Marvellous is the change, which the
short term Of single age has brought
forth. Now, the general language of the
practice is, 6 Away with the old fashioned
maxims of frugal economy, and up with
the expenses Of high life" The distinc-
tons of wealth are lost in the general
blaze all being alike fine, and alike ac-
customed to sumptuous fare. The two
extremes in society, TO wit, Wealth and
Pauperism, as it were, meet together; the
middle class, Of such magnitude and might
in other times, having lost its distinctive
marks of genealogy.
| This ruinous course is entered upon,
and obstin ately persisted in, not unfre-
quently in the full view of some of its
baleful consequences. 1t needs very little
Of arithmetic to calculate how it will end.
The youth must know that il, in his days
| of health and yigour, he spends all as he
goes, he will, in the seasons OF sickness
and decrepit age, be forlorn dependant
on charity. All must needs know the in
evitable effects produced by the outgoes
Exceeding the incomes.
But as an offset to the disadvantages of
embarrassment, poverty, and debt, great
many peradventure are soothed with the
idea that they are obtaining notice and
regard, or, in other words, are making
to themselves friends. In the estimate of
their own imaginations, they do not svasts
their substance: they only barter it for
honourable connection, for distinguished
rank in society, for close alliance with
| wealth and fashion, FOR obtaining ties upon
the hearts Of large circle Of respectable
ladies and gentlemen. These they are
| Ecelesiasticus, 9th and 18th chapters.