Ypsilanti sentinel. [volume] (Ypsilanti, Washtenaw Co., Mich.) 1843-1900, 1846-09-02

in, he struck against chair that was out of place,
and hurt himself. The momentary pain caused the
fretulness he felt on finding all dark within to rise
into anger He went back to the kitchen, grumbling
SADLY and there gave the cook sound rating for not
having lit the lamps earlier. Mrs. Parker heard all,
but said nothing. The cook brought alamp into the
parlor and placed it upon the table with an indignant
air; she then firted off up stairs, and complained to
Mrs. Parker that she had never eenteated so badly
in her life by any person. and notified her that she
should leave the moment her week was up; that,
anyhow, she had nothing to do with the Iamps-lgh-
ting them was the chambermaids work.
1t happened that Mrs. Parker had sent the cham
bermaid out and this the cook knew very well; but
the cook was in bad humor about something; and
didn't choose to do anything not in the original
tract. She good domestic, and had lived with
Mrs. Parker for some years. She had her humors,
as every one has, but these had always been borne
with by her mistress. Too many frettlng incidents
had Just occurred and Mrs. Parkers mind was not
so evenly balanced usual. Nancys words and
manner provoked her too far, and she repled-"Very
well; go in welcomed
Here was state of affairs tending in no degree to
increase the happiness of the retired tradesman. His
wife met him at the supper table with knit brows and
tightly compressed lips. Not word passed during
the meal.
After supper Mr.. Parker looked around him for
some means of passing the time. The newspapers
read through; it still rained heavenly without;
he could not ask his wife to play game at back
CANNON.
"Oh dear.' he sighed, reclining back upon the So
fa and there he lay for half hour, feeling mis-
cradle he had ever felt in his life At nine o'clock
he went to bed, and remained awake for half the
night.
Much to his satisfaction, when he opened his eyes
on the next morning, the sun was shining into his
window brightly. He would not be confined to the
house closely for another day.
A few weeks suficed to exhaust all of Mr.. Park
ers time-kiIling resources. The newspapers, he
complained, did not contain anything ofnterest now.
Having retired on his money, and set up for some
thing of gentleman, he after little while, gave up
visiting at the shops of his old fellow-tradcsmen-
He did not like to be seen terms Of intimacy with
working people! Street walking did very well at
first but he tired of that it was going over and over
the same ground. He would have ridden out and
seen the country, but he had never been twice on
horseback in his life and felt rather afraid of his neck
In fact, nothing left to him but to lounge about
the house greater portion of his time, and grumble
at everything; this only made matters worse for
Mrs. Parker would not submit to grumbling without
a few words back that cnt ike razors.
From d contented man, Mr.. Parker became, at the
end of six months, burden to himself Little things
that did in the least disturb him before, now fret
ted him beyond measure. He had lost the quiet,
even temper of mind that made life SO pleasant.
year after he had given up business he met Mr..
Steele for the first time since his retirement from the
shop.
swell, my old FRIEND" said that gentleman to him
familiarity, show is it with you now! | understand
you have retired from business
ooh, yes; year SINCE"
$50 long! only heard off few weeks ago.
have been absent from the city. Well, do you find
doing nothing easier than manufacturing good hats
a nd serving the community like an honest man, as
you did for years! What is your experience worthr
81 don't know that it is worth anything, except to
myself, and it is doubtful whether it isn't too late for
even me to profit by it,
GLOW SO, my frienda Isn't living on your money
SO pleasant a way of getting through the world as
you had supposed it would bcr'
81 presume there cannot be pleasanter way: but
we are constituted that are never happy any
pos ition.'
"Perhaps not positively happy, but we may be con-
tent"
81 doubt it."
"You were once contented"
II beg your pardon; if had been would have
remained in business
"And been much more contented man than YOU |
are now"
81 am not sure of that"
81 am, that. Why, Parker, when met you last
you had cheerful air about you. Whenever came
into your shop found you singing cheerlully
bird. But now you do not even smile; your brows
have fallen half an inch lower than they were then.
In fact the whole expression of your face has chang
ed. will lay wager that you have grown captious.
fretfu, and disposed to take trouble interest. Ev-
erything about you declares this. A year has chan
ged you for the worse and me for the better"
"How you for the better, Mr.. Steeler'
81 have gone into business
"You have! hope no misfortune has overtaken
you!'
81 have lost more than half my property but trust
this will not prove in the end misfortune
s.Rcaly, Mr.. Steele. am pleased to hear that re-
verses have driven you to the necessity going into
business"