The Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1818-1824, 1819-08-24
from lie iss~- York National AdvSra,e.
DOMESTIC ECONOMY.

l.
Ihaye li,tle one horse Wagon, in
which take some exercise occasionally /;
~ the /" heyday of my blood is Ger -
and the Iinch-p pin escaping when had
reached Cato's, ! alighted to get new
one, which the civil African soon procu-
sed for me. While | reposed in bis Pr
szza, | noticed the many gigs, sulkies,
curricles, and horses, which dashed in
the gate, enveioped IN dust, and all under
the control Of young men. apparently of
fashion and fortune, full of life and ami
nation, careless of the future, careful
only of the present. The house shortly
echoed with the cries of Waiter
Waiter-and in few minutes each per-
son had his glass cf brandy and water or
punch in hand, * lighted segar IN his
mouth and while sat contemplating
the scene, they passed me in review,
probably TO have stare at the old fellow
who had intruded in their bacchanaIian
rendezvous. | found, however, that
these dashing blades were not young men
of fortune or family, but were principally
clerks, attorneys apprentices, and few
idle Young men, whose imprudent par
ents had afforded them the means of pro-
Grass thus i'm ruin. They "rtc ioud aud
indecent--sts.kcn up and down the piaz
"a, crsck'd their whips, Aapp'd their boots
with their rattans, talked of a coach full
of girls, longd for winter, for Aeighing,
muled wine, and all that, and then ad-
journcd to play nine pins and shufflc
board. Irehrcted on the scene before me
with deep regret. This, By some unthink
ing persons, would be called tLeasure-
What an abuse of terms how little ia
that word understood l--how seldom is
1t enjoyed Many of these young men
were originally from the country, well
recommended for industry and economy
On their ARRIVAL, they obtained places at
moderate salaries and as they were
found useful, they were promoted, and
their salaries increased. Instead of con-
tinuing the same course, and perseveripg
IN the same habits, their advancement
was the signal for change in their mode
ofliving they threw off their plain dress,
and were fashionably caparisoped by an
extravaganza tailor their leisure mo.
nents they employed in walking Broad
way, in standing at the City Hotel, or
Washington Hall, to stare modesty out
of countenance, Their afternoons en-
ployment, is jsunt to Cato's.-Those
who cannot afford to keep a gig, hire
one, which they can as little afford to do !:
their day is thus concluded in drinking
and noisy revels and as evening draws
on apace, and frowns upon their setting
glory, they seize their whips. and with
dizzy heads and bloatcd faces, dash into
town, breaking down, running over,
crashing and smashing every thing in
tn, ir way and if they alight in safety at
their livery stables, they must spend the
night Ia .Ae same jocuna way, and at
some Hotel swallow glass after glass, or
at some discreditable house create riot,
confusion and disorder. With heads
inebriated, persons debilitated, cons,i-
buttons weakened and undermined, :hey
reel home after midnight, hpd doors
open through the weak indulgence of the
proprietors, throw themselves on beds,
probably undresstd, and in restless
feyerish, perturbed state, pass the night
and morning d4wns upon them with
aching bones unrefreshed persons, and
tainted minds.--Ihey recommence the
labours Of the day, and terminate the
revels of the night in the same manner
s. To morfo1o ana to. mars u, and to msrro7v,
cralvks zOitb petty pace ; and every yester-
day, lights falls to dusty grnve5. We
see the end of these things daily.
Young men, Gu, off from society, fall
early victims to incompetence and inpru
dent qualifications. IF thsir money is
spent, they live on borro iug then on
hope -sndf FINALLY, despair plunges them
into the last desperate abyss-tbey begin,
as they think, like gentlemen-get drunk,
as they say. like gentlemen; as if any
man can be a gentleman, who gets
drunk at all 1t their money lasts, it kills
them-and if it is all spent. and their
bad habits are confirmed, they quit, with
reluctance their madeira, champagne
and cogniac, to drink whisky and com
mon rum, and then become outcasts and
candidates for bridewell and the poor
house and all this evil has its origin in
r n a