Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1837-04-07
fFrom-the New York Star.
HARD TIMES MADE EASY.

oa" ICE, e. an ane bef;ere; how do you man .
,,r, 40 been vour head above water these hard !
times; for am pretty near being drowned,
tell you. :c11l q
out to swim along, though u requires gooo
deal of care and management Il;
.James-Care and management wont mend
these times, know; so man might as well
Give nm irving, and live by begging, borrowing,
or stealing for nothing else will help us.
Thonas-Come, James, don't like to hear
YOU talk so, even if you are testing. |,
Iames-i wish you'd show me how to get
along Tom, for | am deep in the mire ana
don,t know how to get out ! used to think
,nvsef better off than you for my wages as
;oYrnevman were higher than yours and be-
sides this, my father left me something to be-
DIN with. don't know how 1t Is, put l am
over head and ears in debt. owe the oakeI
the butcher, the landlord and the grocer, ana
The worst of il is cannot pay them-How do
you manage to keep up!
Thomas-I must tell you IN my own round
about way, so you must not get out Oh patience,
If is a long story As find the money, must
begin with myself first, although my vile IS the
mainstay ofthe management. First tend strict- |
to my business ScepG oil ,averhs !. du "a s,Us
shops; 55th day and night, and spend all my eve
yr,iii,Gs AT home And all the money earn give
To nv wife, and she lays in all our food and
clothing. take some credit to myself tor max
inc such choice; she was tidy, active, and
thrifty girl and | thought she would make
good poor mans wife. Nobody ever saw her
with silk gowns or tawdry arfcials; but she
ALWAYS looked as sweet and clean and as fresh
as a rose bud Just opening into full boom.-
used to feel very proud OF her when gallanting
her from church on Sundays-her cottage bon
net which she always bleached herself, was as
white as any lady's in the land, and tied under
her chin with a single band OF green rioand;
her nicely fitted calico or gingham dress-ne5
snow white cambria cape, or muslin shawi, ana
her neat shoe and stocking, made her look more
beautiful to my eyes than all the silks, the Jew
elrv. and the furbeows of the city could have
done. 1t was a happy day, James, when
married her; but have seen still happier ones
since, for every day that live have cause to
thank God for such treasure as she is to me.
Il is an old saving, James, but true one, that
man and his wife must both pull one end OF
the rope-and, indeed, if they only get hold OF
the right end and pull it the right way, all will
90 on brisk enough. A good wife is prize,
tell you, and if had not had such one as
have, might have been by this time, poor
drunken vagabond..
About year OF two after was married,
man who was fellow journeyman returned TO
the city and hired house next to ours. He
was a goodnatured lively fellow, and for old &C
.ouaintance sake, l often dropped in to see him
after my work was done. He was very fond
of all kinds of gatherings, groups ofmen around
the tavern door, evening clubs, political meet
ings. &c. and he was also very fond of dispu-
ting about public men and government, and
thought he knew how every man should act,
from the President down to the street inspec-
tor. As much talking generally produces much
thirst, he often called for glass to moistcn his
organs of speech so as to set them gong aresh.
/, too soon began to love the eycitement OF
sshearng and telling some new thing" and to
follow his example of treating and being treat
ed to the ensnaring poisons. One night three
or four of us were seated round table at a
tavern, engaged in a warm discussion, and the
bottle was kept plying from one to another, un-
til we all had become quite intoxicated. had
SO lately become a brandy drinker, that was
more affected than the others, and had to be
carried home. My wife was still up anxiously
waiting nv return. When they knocked al
the door she opened it, and as soon as they
laid me on the floor, they shrunk away TO thei
own miserable wives. My poor Mary did moi
utter word of complaint or reproach, but un
dressed me and helped me to bed.
The next morning when awoke, the recol
lection of the last night made me half hate my
self-I ventured to steal glance at my wife e
see If she was awake. Tears were trucking
down her cheeks; and her red swollen eye-lid'
and pale countenance showed that she had beer
bitterly weeping for my sin and degradation
through the livelong night. As soon as stir
ed, she turned her face towards me- and taking
nv hand, addressed me with the tenderest ex
postulation, showing me the precipice upol
whose verge was treading, and beseeching M
with all the earnestness of affection, to stop err
il was too late. She pointed to our dear boy
sleeping in his little crib beside us, and told m
what would be the effects of such a wretche'
example. | was melted into contrition an
promised never to touch drop again, and
haze kept ma ,cord. | felt so much self-re
proach when ! first awoke that | could no
have borne hers and had she scolded or use
harsh language, my mortified pride would hav
rebelled against it, and from a wicked spirit G
opposition, might have been driven to contn
ne my downward course. But, God bless her
her gentle affection and judici Jus kindness say
ed me from ruin.
And it was she too that taught me how to b
saving. Whenever use to receive a grea
sum of money, there was always this thing o
that thing that wanted TO get for myself O
my wife Nothing that we actually needed
but little self-indulgences, that thought
could afford, because happened to have plent
of cash on hond. But whenever l propose
any thing of the kind TO Mary, she would say
But husband, don't you think it would be be
ter, now we have little money beforehand
to get barrel of -four hundred Of meal,
box fsoap and box of candles; for you kno
we can get these so much cheaper and bett,
by the quantity--or else we might use this SUI
in beginning to lay up our stock of wood, for
comes hard upon us to have to buy all our woo
in the winter Railways took her advice, (,
she was more provdent and thoughtful than
was. and have found the benefit of it, ST