Herald of the times, and Rhode Islander. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1846-1849, 1846-10-15
Vanity, Pride, and their Penalty.

lIAzLErT.
How vast sun is annually sacrificed
to vanity, PRIDE, and desire to attract
the eye aud excite the jealousy OF the
world. The great multitude 10 city
like this, IN society like ours, seek MOI 50
much to ENJOY themselves wisely aud IN
moderation, with the means at their DIS
posal, as to live as others do, TO make as
imposing a show, as great display as
their neighbors, or il possible to 20 be-
yond lhem-The question is not-Is 'h's
right, proper and becoming Does It
correspond with our circumstances aud
prospects but what wiz Mr.. ih's-or
! Mrs. that think ? What will be said by
our rival on the other side of the way,
or by tie pompous and concelted person.
who is IN the habit of looking with real
or assumed disdain upon all around HIM!
And thus, daily aud hourly, worldly com
forts are sguandered, savings are e%-
pended, toni is rendered more aud more
indispensable, aud aswe descend The hill
side Of life, we fnd we are less and less
qualified to struggle aud "reslle against
the vlcissiudes Of the world. We sacri-
flee not only present content and real en-
,oymen,, but the means by which we
might become independent, 10 certain
extent al least, and through which The
( closing hours OF HE might be brgEiene q
/ and sweetened. One half Of the world
! live not for themselves, and IN conlornl-
~ with their own tasss and convictions J;
but because they suppose that their move
ments are regarded with unusual scru''-
ny by their neighbors, and because Pr'd"
aud VANITY prompt them to make bet
ter appearance than their circumstances
IN reality authorize. Again how Ire
quenly do we sec such cases OF 'ndiv'd-
IIuals who have been fortunate, who have
.Ibeen elevated from comparative poverty
and obscurity, anxious To forget their orr
rio, early fortunes and associations, nnd
by extraordinary display aud protnse ex-
pendi,ure, to make il appear To the.
world, that they are something quite su-
=, perior in birh, IN family, IN position anu
afiluencc c that they III short ,are the porce-
lain Of society, while the rest OF man
kind are merely common crockery.
! A few may be thus deceived, and may
look up 10 the pretepdcrs with vacant
wonder and ignorant admiration. Bnt
The many who can penetrate through
the shallow veil ~ which vanity and
pride attempt to disguise themselves,
look on calmly, phIlosophlcahy, aud IN
stead of being dazzled aud eXcil'',
merely pity aud contcmn the poor t""lS
who thus waist their substance ~ idl"
and unmeaning display. The FOLLY ir
which we have referred, IS confined Az.
most exclusively to the mushrooms Of the
hour, the creatures of the day who fancy
that money is character, That display Is
centiity, that notorIety is repu, ailon.-
10 nothing is vulgar mind aud low
taste more clearly manifested than IN
such demonstrations. The educated,
the polished, and The refined, no mat
ter how aflluent, are easy, graceful,
unprc,endlng aud courteous. True e'c-
gance they regard as an inialllblc 'ndi-
cation OF ignorance. The mere VANITY
oC dress and osteni alton, are viewed with
lusl contempt, and while they a'e care
=. ful To preserve the elements Of ncatness
aud taste III all that concerns item, they
regard il as one Of The essential rtq'ii-
sites Of tue refinement, TO be as unni'
fected, as unpretending, as mild and al
fable to all within their circle as possr-
BILE.
/, There are hundreds in Philadelphia
and elsewhere, who prefer living III I
fine house and dressing in a fashIonabl,
c style, TO the indulgence of even the or
dmary comforts ot life, and '1e proper
educ alton of their children. They cx
!, pect a considerable SUN every year
= bu, they do so with n false judgement
and in their aim TO appear better thar
they really orc--ur vealihier, we shoulc
- rather say--lhey SOW the seeds OF then
own ruin. How many, too, when the,
II fnd tho world going wrong with them
. when they discover ,ha, their expenses
have been greater than their gains, hes
ita,e to retrcnch, refuse to remove int
smaller apartments, neglect 10 adop,
,, system of economy and all from an o.
prehenslon that The world, the col,
hcaliless, and scsndal-loying world, VI