The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1845-10-17

Gus in discovery of all chances oil
interest. Partly by interchangeable
industry and partly by indeicnsible
artifce he had amasScd large for
tund; though few would have SC
concluded from the house he inhab-
tied, or the style in which he lived.
At length his constitution yielded to
the Joint effects of starvation, care
and age, the old man died before he
learned this plain lesson-how to
enjoy his property.
After his death, his will was read
and it was found, greatly to Don
AIDS chagrin and astoniShment, that
though all the property was left to
his hopeful son, the old man had
been SO bent on Donald'S establish
mcnt in the principles and practi-
ces of prudence, that he forbade
the property to be touched until
his son had first realised a certain
sum; he was then to take posses
sion of both principal and interest.
Mingled feelings now agitated the
breast of Donald. At one moment
he felt so enraged that he was dis
posed to revenge himself on the de-
parted spirit of his father by squan-
dering all the present property in
enjoying himself and seeing the
world /; at another the sum to be
hereafter realized and the result of
his fathers pains and labor awaken
ed ray of hope in his almost des-
| ponding heart. He resolved to try
it. 1t needed little time or consoi-
tory reflection to sooth him under
the loss Of such parent; he shed
no tears, partly because he was now
enraged, and partly because he
cared less about his father than his
fathers property.
| Donald McDougal, by the double
influence of early precept and exam
| pie, became a successful merchant.
He enlarged the sphere of his faith
er's business, he was more eXorbi-
tant in his prices, more usurious in
lending money, more devoted and
laborious in his employment. In
short he became complete shark.
He was covctousness perSonihed.
HIS dark eye glanced like lightning
form under the thunder clouds OF
his knit eyebrows his wan visage
told piteous tale of furnished
stomash, while his acquelinc nose,
screwed mouth and protuberant
chin, reminded one of cannot
find an illustration worthy of the
thing to be illustrated. lie never
married, for family would be eX-
pensive nor kept servant, for he
said it was the glory of a man to be
independent. He soon realized the
sum required by his fathers will y,
and took possession of all his pro-
perry, which in the course of seven
years, had accumulated to vast
sum. But his acquisition brought
him no additional satisfaction be-
You'd the inconsiderable pleasure OF
knowing that he possessed it. He
dare not touch his property, for
with every increase, came an
increased desire still to accumu-
late.
The spare regiment which he had
adopted and considerable bodily fa-
tigue, soon impaired bis health; or
perhaps a still more powerful cause
than either, was his deep, mcessant
solitude, which like a cankcr-worm
at his heart, cat out the very vitals
of all happiness and comfort. His
eye lost its lustrc and his nerves be-
came perfect barometer, Suspi-
cion fixed her seat in his watchful
eye, and misery laid her rude finger
upon his heart.-Hc had no rest by
day, nor sleep by night.-For some
time he rejected the advice Of
friends and neighbors, who, know
ing but little Of the true cause and
character of his complaint, eptrea-
ted him early to take the opinion Of
an eminent physician. At length.
however he consented, but it was OF
no avail and finding to have ply
stefan quartered upon him was very
expensive, and never having had
much confidence in the mdteria me-
dica, he soon dismissed him without
having derived any advantage from
his attendance-for sWho can min
lister to mind diseased ?''
lie was now compelled to give
up his business, which he disposed
of to some advantage. He gather.
|, ed in all his debts and called in sucl
, sums of money as were out on int.
rest, for he had not the confidence
t or satisfaction in the entries upor
: his ledger, and stamped papers, ant
| parchmcnts, that he knew tina
he should feel when all hi
, property was converted into hare
cash. In the true spinit of miscr
g and under the suspicion that h,
uoul1 som bo ,onG,ol 60 III, LoJ