Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1837-05-03
WHOLE NO. 36O.


The following excellent article appeared
originally in the N. Y. Evening Star. IT con-
tains some lessons in domestic ECONOMY,
which we would recommend to the attention
of the mechanical classes. IF the precepts Of
"Thomas" were more generally fbllowed, we
should hear much less of .bard ti,nes:"
HARD TIMES MADE EASY.
James-Good morning, Thomas; have not
seen you for al age before; how do you man
age to keep yonr head above water these
hard times; for am pretty pear being drown
ed, tell you?
,James,'ny wife and make
out to swim along, though it requires good
deal of care and management.
! Jdmes.-Care and management wORt mend
these times, know; so man might as well
give up trying, and live by begging, borrow
ing or stealing, for nothing else will help us.
/ Ihomas.-Come, james, don't like to hear
you talk so, even if you are jesting.
James.-lt's no jest, Tom, tell you It's
bitter truth. Why, what can poor men do,
when the rich have everything their own way.
They've raised the prices Of everything
flour twelve dollars a barrel, wood twelve
dollars cord, rents extravagant, and every
kind of provisions double what il used to be.
! Ihomas-The rich men have no more to
do with it than you or !. Ifyou want TO quar-
rel, go to the farmers and kick and buffet
them for not causing the sun to shine, and
bringing forth good crops on their fields last
year; tell them they are set Of rascally, la
zy droncs, because they did not destroy all
the fy in the wheat, and make good cover
iDg of snow for it in the winter, ,and fine grow
- -. l.. H. H.
grumble because our cities are so rapidly in
creasing in population, that the forests have
been cleared for miles and miles around them
to provide wood for the people, and it has be-
come so scarce and high priced that in all the
states they are beginning to Dig for coal, be-
cause there are so few trees to cut down; and
then 90 to the ships loaded with emigrants, and
tell them to 60 back to their own country, for
they create such demand for houses, as tn
make those without tenants hard to be got,
and the rents Of course very high. The rich
men are not in fa.lt here, James, and indeed
if it were not for them, what would have be-
come of hundreds and hundreds Of poor
wretches this winter, who are fed and CLOTH
ed by charity. We would be worse off with
ont wealthy men, tell you.
james, don't believe this, not i; why
Tom, can't ar. ne the matter with you; but
| wish you would come to some Of our meet
ings and you'd hear it proved beyond doubt,
that the rich are the cause Of all our poverty,
and our misery, and that the country would
be ten times better off without them
| IAomas.-You could as soon make me be-
lieve that they caused the cholera, or That you
can pump water out Of a dry well, as to be-
icve the one or the other. Why james, sup
pose there were no such men, where would
we all find employment? am sure,if it were
not for themyou would not sell chairs enough
in a year to find you in clothes. Aud ! know,
that should have to let my tools lie on the
shelf very long, and pretty often too. No,
James, all grades and stations trades and cal
lings, must live and let live, for one can't do
without the other. The rich could not do
without the poor, and the poor would be still
poorer without the rich. The times are hard
to be sure, but it's my maxim that man may
get along the muddicst road, without getting
in over his shoe -tops,if he will only take heed
to his footsteps, and keep sharp lookout.
Jdmes.-I wish you'd show me how to get
along, Tom, for am deep in the mire, aud
don't know how to get out. | used to think
myself better off than you. for my wages asa
journeyman were higher than yours, and be-
sides this, my father left me with something
to begin with. ] don't know how it is, but I
am over head and ears in debt. ] owe the
baker, the butcher, the landlord and the gro
Ger, and the worst Of it is, cannot pay them.
How do you manage to keep up?
Ihomds.-l mus. tell you in my own round
about way, 80 you must not get out Of pa
tience, if it is long story. As find the
money! must begin with myself first, ,althougi,
my wife is the mainstay Of the management.
First, tend strictly to ny business, keep out
Of taverns and grogshops, both day and night,
and spend all my evenings ut home. And oil
the money earn give to my wife, and she
lays in all our food and clothing take some
credit to myself for making such choice; she
was a tidy, active, and thrifty girl, and 1
thought she would make good poor mans
wife. Nobody ever saw her with silk gowns
or tawdry srtiticials; but she always looked
as sweet, as clean, and as fresh as . Toseh1d
Just opening into full bloom. J used to feel
very proud of her when gallsn,ing her from
church on Sundays-her cottage bonnet,
which she always bleached herself, was as
white as any lsdy's in the land, and tied un-
der her chin with a single band Of green rib
band her nicely fitted calico or gingham dress
her snow white cambric cape,or white mus
lin shawl, and her nent shoe and stocking.
made her look more beautiful to my eyes, than
all the silks, the jewelry, and the fnrbelows in
the city could have done. It was 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 ne she is to me. II is an old saying,
james, but true one, that man and his vile
must both pull one end Of the rope-and In
deed if they only get hold Of the right end
and pull it the night way, all will 60 on brisk
enough A good wife is a prize, tell you,
and ii had not had such an one ss have,
might have been by this time, poor drunken
vagabond.