Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1834-12-04
From hanbers' Ed d'bnrgh Journal.
COMPETENCE AND RICHES.

QUINTET ENCC AMI Ris hESs
[We are indebred for this sprigh,ly ar
tcle to lady whose husband has long
held commission in the army. 1t is
written in that character, and is address
sed more especially to the class to which
the fair author belongs, though, we hope,
its wisdom will be appreciated in more
extended circle
Pray, madam, what do you mean by
competency.
Why, my dear ladies', it means a suf-
ficiency for that station OF life which we
occupy All beyond that is superfiuous.
We can only ENJOY to,a certain degree,
and n certain quantity Of the goods and
comforts of this world. We can only
wear a certain number of fine clothes, and
consume "a certain quantity oi lOod. We
cannot 60 in more than one carriage at
time, occupy certain number of rooms
at one time, or a space OF ground for our
own pleasure and amusement. A man
may indeed possess an estate often thou
sand acres; but how little real individ-
uaI pleasure does he take in them, how
seldom has he, it ever, walked round
them, and very probable never seen them
all. A rich man is compelled to keep an
uncomfortable number Of servants and
carriages, and rich lady to wear a
number Of fine dresses and jewels to
please her own vanity, and astonish her
female friends, or rather to excite their
envy and provoke their dislike. As for
gentlemen, they seldom admire finery in
ladies'; they know when the whole ef-
feet pleases them, but are seldom sensi-
bic Of the quality or value Of Its compo-
nent parts. If ladies' are young, they
have no need of ornaments; If old and
plain, they only serve TO render those
! circumstances more conspicuous.
! A superhuity ofmoney, therefore, must
either be locked up in chest, spent up
on grand dinners or parties, or in keep
ing an immense number of idle menials;
! say idle, because, il there are great
number, they cannot possibly have any
thing to do. There are indeed, other
modes of disposing of riches-such as
employing number of poor people in
useful labor, and Of bestowing it in char
ity on the helpless and destitute. This
is the real use and comfort of superflu-
ity of money; but how few bestow it in
that mode, and, consequently how lew
enjoy any real comfort in riches.
! remember story which my venera-
bic and enlightened grandmother used
to delight to relate, and which will illus
trate the truth of the above assertions.
! A tradesman and his wife, worthy
couple, having by honest industry ac-
quired a competence suitable to their
station in life, retired to a country town,
where they lived in great comfort and
responsibility for some years, but re-
lation of theirs died, a rich merchant,
and unexpectedly left him a legacy OF
some thousand pounds. The worthy,
sensible man, made no alteration in their
rational comfortable mode Of life. He
was only more and more liberal TO those
relations of his own, and Of his wife's,
who needed his assistance, and increas-
}, ed his charitable donations to the poor,
and continued calm and comfortable as
before. But his wife was not content
with his proceedings. She said every
morning to her husband, "My dear, now
that we have got all this money left US,
surely we ought to live more handsome
and genteel." "
"Why, what would you have, GOODBYE
| said the reasonable old man; shave you
!, not enough Of every thing, and to spare
aIso" eyes, that we have to be sure, u
was always her reply. But still the nex
day she would always begin again with
the same speeches about hiking to live
; genteel. This continued Tor some months
constantly, when at last, in answer to the
daily request about living handsomer, the
husband, good-humoredIy, spoke: "WelI
I my dear, as you are so anxious to have
an addition to our present rational mode
8 of living, wish to please you make it
You know we have hitherto afforded
every day leg Of mutton and pud.
G ding-wel, in future, you shall ever,
day have two legs of mutton, and tw,
8 puddings."
y This judicious speech, at once opene,
the eyes Of the good dame to her folly
and she never again wished for NOR
than was necessary to real comfort.
h am every day more and more convince,
y Of the insufficiency of riches to Civ
a comfort. All beyond reasonable sur
a is trouble, vanity, and vexation Of spiri,
In fact, an income beyond REASONABLE
sum, draws with it so many concomitar
expenses, that it ceases to be riches: fo
> the unnecessary servants, horses, an
: carriages, rich man is expected t
N keep, put him on par with man Q
half his income, with this additional dis