Southern Argus. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1834-1842, 1839-12-10
From de Nesu- York Mirror.
LAST DAY OF GRACE. OR PAYING
A NOTE.
BY rHE AUTHOR OF rANKEE MOTIONS.

Procure a hundred poundsl--I say 10 tbee.
There's no such sum in nature. Forty sh;l6nos
There may be now i'th' mint--and that's
treasure!
Two seen FIVE pounds--and let me tell III
For It's as wonderful as calves with five Ions ;,
Beaumont and Fletcher.
IN the days Of old, when all men were hon.
est, and wise, and unsophsticated, and plain
dealing, and generous-al human affairs went
on smoothly. No niggardly thrift, no mercen-
airy selislmess, no sordid love Of lucre no mis-.
urlA cold-heartedness existed to throw chill
upon the warm and genial kindness Of social
intercourse. If a debtor could not paw. doubt
less the creditor crossed out the account and
let hmm 60. II any man wanted TO borrow
money, which might happen, of course, inthe
best OF tunes, he found hundred friends ready
to lend him any sum. Bless me! how the
dollars trotted from hand to hand Iendinc
money is certainly the best, nobest, and great.
cat invention that the genius Of man has ever
achieved. Oh We powers Of prosperity! what
harmony, JOY, abundance, content, felicity. and
glorious jolity, must have filed the land For
cash beng plenty in every mans pocket. all the
shops overfowed with custom; all handicrafts
were IN full activity and everybody drove n
rousing trade. People paid their taxes with =.
out grumblng. Everything was cheap. be-
sides beng IN great demand the tails were
empty, aud the lawyers starved!
Buf these times were too good to last. By
aud by little cloud began to gather over the
sunshine of thus golden age. The great and
irresistible prochyity of all human institutions
towards evil, began TO manifest itself. Men
became less liberal and generous. Doubtless
some misery old bunk or other, first set the
example by refusing to lend his money: this
lnstigated others; and the example was soon
followed by universal imitation. Such is the
perverse fate of the world All good customs
get speedily out of fashion. Now, when those
who had money would no longer lend it, those
who lcaRted money could no longer spend it
Tor how could they spend without borrowing
80 money became scarce; people could not
pay their debts trade declined, and lawsuits
increased. Nobody would be generous, or
charitable, or public-spirited any longer; but
all mankind suddenly grew selfish, mercenary
and calculating. Each man looked out for the
main chance, and took care of nothing but
number one; and the result of all this pesti-
lent contagion was the breeding Of that horri-
bic, direiul, wasting, ravaging, lethilerous cpl.
demlc, which is now stalking over the earth at
A"NiNoJ III tuC SHAPE OF HARD TIMES
Such appears TO me the true philosophical
explanation of this phenomenon but whether
this or any different account of its origin be
the nearest the truth, the melancholy fact is
indlsputable, that hard times really exist and
the question most interesting to all philanthro-
plsts, politicians, moralists, fnanciers, philoso-
pliers, poets, and poor devils, is, how to get rid
OF them. Dare we hope that some species of
pnn
alton will be discovered in the course of time,
that shall extirpate this dire disease, and restore
the felicity Of the good old golden age
Such were my reflections as rose in the
morning. knowing that my note at the bank
must be paid that day; but knowing no more
than the man in the moon where the money TO
pay If was to come from. dreamed through
he night of all sorts ofvain and lantaliznp at
tempts to find something IN INV pocket. /
invoke and found IL was no dream 1t was a
prodgiously gloomy mornng-at least it ap
peared so TO me. Everything seemed to 90
wrong in my endeavours TO dress: my panta.
looms were wrong side before; buttons were
in the wrong places; vest inside out, and stock
bottom upwards. "Where shall / pet the
money! said to myself in great perplexitv,
and at that moment stuck particularly share
pin into my windpipe. Pshaw!
At breakfast nothing went better. TaeI
coffee was scalding hot, the steak tough, and
my appetite languld. Everything had a trick
of slipping from my fingers. broke a cup
and saucer, and dropped a humping slice of
toast in my lap. Pantaloons bran new "Shall
ever have another pair" thought 1. "Two
O'Clock, and the note must be paid -
] looked over my pocket-boOk again, as if |
expected to find what was looking AFTER
What fool! l knew as well as knew that
was alive, how much was in tor rather how
much was not in IT. Six hundred dollars to
make up the sum! "Can't collect some of
my debts this forenoon - thought /. What
fool again for who ever could collect a debt
when he wanted IL! 1.-Two O'clock" said
again, sand it must be paid y
l sat down and fell into a profound cogita-
ton. thought of the mine Of PotoSi-of the
mint of Mexico the Massachusetts Bank
of John Lackland-of Jobs cat, and ofmy own
empty pockets.
never thought SO hard in my life before.
But thinking will never pay mans notes. At
last bright thought struck me. arm borrolo
the moRenr' saidI /. Eurekai
Before the resolution had time to cool, ian
to my neighbor, Mr.. A. Neighbour A, said
l,"you are an excellent man, just lend me six
hundred dollars"
ask hundred dollars !" exclaimed he, turn
ing up the whites of his eyes, 81 have not a
dollar to spare, if it was 10 save my own life
every cent is gone. My boy lent forty-twc
thousand dollars out of my drawer before
came down from breakfast this morning."
Isaw plainly there was nothing to be got in
this quarter; so | ran to my particular friend
Mr.. B.--"My dear sir" said !, "lend me SIN
hundred dollars as particular favor"
"Six hundred dollars!" said he;-"and do you
want this money!"
$50 much So" replied ], .tlnat if it were fol
my own particular use, | could not want i
more"
81 am sorry for that ''returnedhe, ''for there's
not dollar of money to be had nowadays
Money 81 believe it is all sunk to the bottom
of the sea, for my part. Six hundred dollar
with vengeance! Why, If had a ten dolla
bill, I'd 90 about town and exhibit as a rare
show"
"Bahl" said to myself II must try a third
SO hurried to my acquaintance, Mr. c., ant
made the same request of him.
"Six hundred dellars!" said he, sin these har,
times. Why everybody is falling, and tn
banks won't discount" -HorribIe wordsl ha
as leave hear it thunder as stlbe banks ron dis
count"
Not quite disheartened at these rebuffs,
fastened to Mr.. d., and Mr.. z. and Mr.. +
Az the same song. "Hard times people fai
ing banks won't discount
80 much for my borrowing scheme Tier
was only one resource left, and that was to g
to worthy gentleman by the name of Solc
mon Sharp. He was amoney-broker, and Ter
cash to gentlemen in distress out of pure cha