Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1839-11-22
NO. II
From fhe Philadelphia Ledger.1
GILDED MISERY

GILDED MISERY.
The daily struggle with want and penury,
which is the constant lot Of poverty the
knowledge on the part Of the poor man. that
even when he sleeps to gain strength for the
toll Of 10 morrow, that the enemy he contends
against is sleeplcss and never rests. and that
want never tires in sapping the fabric Of his
comforts even all this is bittcfness--nnd bit
ter indeed. are such tbines-has poiee, and
is without preiention We know the poverty
strickened for what he is. and even 1.-THE cell
lar or the howell be his dwelling house, we
know that he cannot better himself or he
would. IL is MOTTO this class our article al
udes we write Of those whose houses 10
outward seeming are the abode Of plenty
whose talk is Of abundance--and who carry
an aching, anxious heart, masked under n
cheerful face. and appear to know but lille
| Of the pincbings Of economy.
| The late reyerses in trade and the over
throw Of speculation have swelled largely
this class OF persons, who may emphatically
be said to live ina giided misery They are
the silent victims oil pretence, denied even the
miserable satisfaction Of seeking coincidence
from their friends. Enter their parlors and
you think OF a palace, but ascend to their bed
| rooms and you are reminded OF cottage
paying extravagant rents, their stinted means
are expended in keeping up appearances
while by the aid OF credit. OF lodging duns,
lofpetty 6nanciering. and often OF positive dis
honesty they contrive to delude themselves
land sometimes the public into belief that
times are well with them Could, however,
some Asmodeus unveii their thoughts could
The sorrow and privation. the discomfort aud
lagitalion thus spent for the accomplishment
of what produces nothing, save mockery
Of happiness. be laid bare 10 the world even
the acknowledged poor man would confess
theirs was depth of misery into which
he was not plunged. and a bitterness of soul
somewhat TO be pittied, they have tasted ofthe
ease that attends on wealth among them are
many whose feelings are acute. and who
have loved riches more for the qualification
il afforded to their cultivated tastes than for
the mere sake Of the gold who have moved
and acted in sphere that they fear to lose.
and who dread the "cut direct of fashion
able. and the absence Of an "invi,e." moro
than the lashings Of want, or The contFiyan-
ces requisite to avoid these 10 them) direful
suherings. AN
To all such we say, you mpst come down;
ostier 10 co u with decency and calmness
than 10 be hurried down by the grip OF the
Sheriff Sooner OF later che trick and rotten
ness Of all this show will be- known, and
then come the very contumcIy and scorn to
avoid which you are now suffering. Do not
offend the better law within you BY pander-
ing TO this base delusion, and destroy your
own self-respec,, thus preventing the respect
Of others. Swing round to the storm. and
reduce your expenses. curtail your establish
ments. pay your debts. and do not squander
your means on fruiiless ends. We do be-
ieve that much OF the present pressure SO
much complained Of flows from this very
source. false pride, reluctance to change to
the right level, from which the whole COM
muni,y seems to have been hoisted on the
badders of banking credit and speculation.
These have burst and collapsed, and il is full
time that things were finding their true posi-
ton that wealth and labor were assuming
their just proportions TO each other. and that
all were satisfied that the making ofa fortune
is the labor Of life. and not the continuance
ofan hour In the mean time, uutil these
common sense truths are better appreciated
than they seem now 10 be, we may expect TO
hear Of breaks and failures, chiefly among
those who. siiiing 'in the twilight between
vice and virture," are the victims and the
sport of gilded misery.