The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1829-01-28
From the Massachusetts Journal.
PHILOSOPHY AND INDEpENDENc

Jones to his neighbor Bond. "Well then
Shant try" said neighbor Bond, very quiet
~ knocking the ashes out Of his pipe. an,
Wlplng his mouth for drouth of cider: mI
any man likes to think Providence ba,
dealt over hard with him, be may have til,
! comfort OF it, for all me-" "There is NJ
getting round you, neighbor Bond," said fa.
lner Jones; "hut- tell you now, honestly
shouldn't you be willing to leave off work
ing and take fifty thousand dollars. if i
were offered you ?" every like might
tor as aunt Betty says, there is great
deal OF human nature in man :" but | hope
the temptation won't come in nv way.-
tor shouldn't be as happy man as am
now" " You wouldn't be Obliged to work
then, neighbor" No, and if I was not
0nhged to work | shouldn't work and then
| am sure shouldn't be contented. have
had a bit Of experience this way, Mr.. Jones
tnough never was over and above rich.
III tell yoN my experience. Dick Brown
ana (you know rich Dick Brown were
boys together-a couple of as poor and as
merry fellows as ever capered to =" Yankee
Doodle" Dick and never had but one fioht.
though we were always together, and that.
aunt Betty has often told me. was all owinr
to the sinful Uplifting Of my nature. A sick
gentleman calre to our house on horseback.
and father told one of US boys to 90 to the
tavern and bu! some gin for him. The
tavern was three quarters of nile
OH, the road lay through pokerish bit of
WOOD, and 1t was beginning to be dark. NV
brother Jim had had parcel of "raw head
and bloody bore" stories told him, and he
didn't altogether Like the notion of going.
You must know, neighbor Jones, that, man
and boy, l have always been over and above
willing to be brave by PROXY, as they call
1t. so says TO Jim, looking as fierce as a
bullet all the time, "now Jim, ant YOU
ashamed of yburself to be scared. had
just as lief 80 through that ere wood, as
to go bed" My father laughed, and looked
sort of mischevous, l thought. "Well, well,
suppose yougo then" said he. He might
Just as well have shot me dead as to have
said them words. But thinks to myself
slim Ill crow, and Dick i'll laugh,-so |
may as well stand to my word" It was bat
a boys motive, neighbor Jones but if you
will show me man who was never govern
ed by just such motive, in the way of poll
tics, business, and such like, | will tell you
that man is one in five hundred. Well, off
scampered barefoot, over the hard, frosty
ground, seeing a witch on every black
stump, and ghost in every bush-I bought
my gin and was back to fathers as quick
as patent shuttle. guess the gentleman
knew how the case stood; for he took out
n four pence and >gave it to me with a smile.
Ny quarrel with Dick Brown was about
this four-pence. | tell you money always
has It's evils. The first money | ever got
made me insolent. ! showed Dick my four
pence, and called him a poor-ragamuffin.
Dick knocked me down; and we didn't
speak for fortnight We made up after.
wards; and Dick often went with me to
box at the silver bit had locked up in my
little box. Dick and | went to prentice
sfterwards-he to a shop-keeper and to
blacksmith. We both got up IN the world,
and began to look upon four-penny bit as
a very small concern. Dick turned out the
most prosperous of the two. He's got his
country seat and his carriage, and has sent
ten boysto college; but I'd bet a beaver hat
he'd be glad to go back to the time when
lie knocked me down about the four-psnce
He has got into dreadful uneasy way
thinks he has got thousand complaints
that never come near him, and that his sons
are going to bring him to the alms-house.
He has some reason for that, poor man
for they are a set of scape graces, sure
enough. They never earned any money,
poor lads how should they know the wol til
of it? They don't take to books, and their
father makes 'em go through college, for
the name on't-what can the poor fellows
do with their time, without they have high
go now and then? We ought to have Il
deal Of compassion and charity for the rich,
neighbor Jones. | was going to tell about
Dicks house and furniture | had pretty
sum of money, so | thought I'd turn gentle
man too. | gave up business, and bought
two horses and a sofa. | was idle, and !
called it being at ease but not a speck OF
ease could find. had my chimneys pull
ed down four times. My wife said there
was nothing the matter with them: but !
said there was. However it was bad bust
ness to pull down chimneys, for living, SO
gave it up. The wind and the weather
furnished me with considerable occupation
watched the weather-cock as close as
ever | watched my anvil and there was
no small comfort in grumbling about the
dry and wet spells, which said was going
to ruin the farmer. Having no business OIL
my own, kept an eye on other peoples.
thought was a pretty close observer, and
| declared as lazy folks always do, that the
world was going TO destruction as fast as il
could go; but the world didn't mind me-
so gave that up. wanted to complain
to my neighbors, but they hadn't time tc
hear me.
When talked to my wife, she kept or
her knitting, and only said, 81 always tod
you, you was fool for giving up your bust
ness" If had any real calamity, might
have been pretty well off, though had toe
much money. My eldest son grew very
fat and for long time worried mysel
every night Cor fear he would he attacked
by apoplexy bnt instead of taking fits he
took to politics. could soon count hi,
ribs Il WINS too had-with all my within.