Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Wayne County, Ind.) 1831-1837, 1837-03-25
MISCELL A y e q u >.
From the Illinois Monthly MAGAZINE.
THE USEFUL MAN.

=. sr.a.eman. who grew rich BY his skill and hi
-, in his busine IS, ard who might, with Prt
- < aid 10 have been q man Of most excel
s..sr.. for he was an eminent tailor. Pei
.IouA have said . mems mercer. for it is
-. a,.;t or human nature, that even those VIII
~ eoo o.oud TO labor, are often too vain to b
~ I, ,he,e right names. In our republican
- and in On age ~hen the operative classc
-.ilv achieving the proude-t trumphs which
-, ~ uases If History, II is singular to sec thu
~I.,;ons snieces, by which common occupations
|. aansuesed 10 be concealed under d'sn'fie'
- Formerly, q shoemaker was content to OF
~ eobIes. but now he ~ elevated to cord
-: ~ tinker is a tinpla.e worker; and one
sYthc blscksniths in the country have the title o.
$500. 60 let il be; name costs nothing, and
- asasiy any harm. But old Gossnmer was
~sIAse who cared very little what people call.
~ - oavment Of their bills. lie sat Old his
1pIsssd from mxning ill night, and worked like
.4-os, more properly speaking, like the ninth
30 mas-fiom the expiration of his appren-
uip, to tho age Of sixty. five. He grew rich
-: and with wealth came "a tram Of honors
= vas made Bank Director, member Of the
gCpvnc,I, and President Of fire company ; hut
bkkom being seduced by these distinguished
Irasofp public favor, he continued 70 flourish his
Eipn 10 the last, with uuwcarcd assIdui'y. aud
q humility which the brightest smiles Of for
neves for moment subdued. lie seemed to
! - laken the measures Of his own mind, and to
- euihls cont according to hi; cloth.
k1 curious law Of nature, or Of society. that
~ Who reaps an abundant harvest Of this
~ prosperity, by mems "f his own honest
nisas, - most usually very careful to prevent
kss from following his example. II is not IN
|nnsa to see men spending long lives o: useful
"a virtue, and to no other cad than that Of
- iheis offspring III their opposite vices. In
y eaaseement Of his business, Mr.. Gcss1meri
mshswsd any want Of prudence or ju igment,
Iavo always sharp as a needle. The tram
|nsfhis son was another affair. lie could never
Rhiaself IL the belief, that this hopeful heir
|wot ont for tailor, and as the youth Slowed
|snsss for any other calling, he wisely deter
|is1 y breed him up a gentleman. There IS
|Sehsneter more eagerly coveted IN our s'mp's
|publsess land, than a gentleman. An honest
LueS q mechanic, will work harder than
line III bic life, and deny himself Il thousand en-
|snssis 10 order to have the qualification OF see
4is only son gentleman. And what - gen
ssai n this country, il he is not less, he Is Cot
~ than saother. Gentiiity doesnos endow any
= With new faculty, or an exclusive privilege
y and passion. Of other men, suif,rs unier the
uediscases: endures the same mi-fortunes, and
= the same death he has but one life, but one
\, and cannot, lawfully, have but ono wife.
must eat and sleep. wear clothes, cut OFT his
~ and take his p,ysic, az we'll as cloi-hop- |
4 in other countries a gentleman is supposed
inherit and transmit, a purcr blood than that
~ f1ows in the veins Of his fellow creatures;
lie enjoyes some privileges which amount 10
1ueansial advantages. Bat, alas! where - the
= 10 our land-yca, even the proudcst and most
aoeratic, who can look back upon his ancestry,
iaklmt Stumbling upon dingy blacksmith, a tricky
-, OF ftr,id apo,hecary; or can look fT-
- to the career OF his offspring, without, in ;
, highest dreams, being forced TO see some Of
- humblcd to the most ple5ian occuPations?I
bbsa gentleman, then, in the sense that we use
b vsed, amounts 10 nothing more than to be idle.
\ dat title is convenient one, to distinguish
~ Who have no occupation, from the useful
hoes Of society," 1t was so that Mr. Gossan'er
11en,oodit. Having l,bored hard all his life, he
ngiasa that j, would be great privilege to live
fthcus vosk, and as his son would have an ample
siune, be determn ned that he should spend 1t as,
! pleased.
Jenny va secordinsly the best dressed youth
own. Ito soon became a leader OF the lash
=; tcr whenever the old gentleman wished TO in
seece coat Of new cut, ar To a-ioaI>h the OH
'nfves with flishy vest, he displayed the first
s'em upon the neatly turned person ofhis favor
sps Who was thus made to answer the purpose
q waking advertisement. By this sagacious
aseN, two birds were killed by one stone; the
~ Il the father was manifest TO the public, while
- became the envy OF all his companions.
-. Gossamer was no, unmindful ofthe advanta-
= education. and was determined to procure
6s hopeful youth who was TO inherit his for
- oil the learning that money could buy. But
spnghtly young gentleman soon discovered
schools and colleges were no places for him.
4eag modern Innovations. that Of writing the
% usefulness over all the doors of science and
nature, Is one Of the most conspicuous. Oar
sooo discovered that learning was not cons'd-
- polite accomplishment, but as an acquisi-
: which was to qualify man for the business OF
: He was continually reminded OF the p'acti-
aue Of different branches Of knowledge, and
'aes connection with the occupations of men.
: truth of course flashed upon his mind, with all
sssce Of syilccism-or, as his worthy pscgeni-
would have expressed il, it was just as plain as
.sioa on mans coat, that learning was not nc-i
ny fcs gentleman. The words practical II
eeaes, " "usefulness" and the like, were asso-'