The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1846-08-08
Ooh, yes, n Yenr since.'


Well, do you find doing nothing any easier
than manufacturing good hats and serving
the community like an honest man, as yobdid
for yeHrsY
Il don't know MS it is worth any thing eX
cept to myself and it is doubtful whether it is
MT too late for even me TO profit by it,
How so, my friend? Is Mt living ON your
money so pleasant way of getting through
: the world as you had supposed it would be "
Il presume there cannot be n pleasanter
way; but we are so constituted that we are
never happy in any position.
perhaps not positively happy, but we may
he content
| : | doubt it,
'Hou were once cOntcntcd.'
Il beg your pardon i'll had been / would
have remained in business
And been a much more contented man
than You now are
Il am not sure of that
4 am, then. Why, Parker when | met
you last you had a cheerful air about you.-I
/ Whenever | came into your shop found you
singing as cheerfuly as n bird. But now
You do not even smile your brows have fall
en- half an inch lower than they were then.
In fact, the whole expression of your face
has changed. ] will lay wager YOU have
grown captous, frettul and disposed TO take
trouble on interest. Every thing about YOU
declares this. A year has changed you for
the worse and me for the better
How you for the better, Mr. Steele?
| Il have gone into business
'Gou have! hope no misfortune has
OyertakCn YOU?
Il have lost more than bali of my properly, |
but trust this will not prove in the cud
mislortunc'
Really, Mr. Steele, | am panied to hear
that reverses have driven you TO the necessity
Of going into business
'Whilc am more than half inclined 10 say
that am glad oft. | led for years a useless
life, most Of the time burden to myself |
was drone in the social hive-I added uoli-
ing TO the common stock was ofno use to
any one. But now my abors not only bene- ,
fit myself but the community at large. My
niud is Interested all the day; ! no longer
feel listlcssness the time never hangs heavy
upon my hands. | have, ms German writer .
has Said, iireproof perennial emjoyncuts.n
You speak warmly, Mr., Steele
1t is because | feel warmly on this sub .
ject Long before large failure in the city .
deprived me ofat least half of my fortune, | .
saw clearly enough that there was but one
way TO find happiness in this life, aud that
was to engage diligently in some useful en- T.,
ployment. from right ends. shut my eyes to I
this conviction over and over again, and ac.c ed /
in accordance with it only when necessity
compelled me to do so. should have found
much pleasure in the pursuit ofbus;ness had
acted from the higher motive of use TO my
fellows which was presented 50 clearly To my
mind, Than do now, having entered its walks
from something like comprision'
And You really thiuH yourself happier
ihan YOU were before, Mr. Steele =
know it, friend Parker
And You think / would he happier thar .
ann NOW ifwere 10 open my shop agmn 2
lido, urch happier! Don't you think the
same ?
! hardly know what to think The way
live now is not very satisfactory. | cannot
iud enough 10 keep my mind Employed
And never will, except in some useful
business depend upon i. so take my advice
and reopen your shop before YOU are com
PEELED to do it,.
Why do YOU think will be compelled to
do ~
'Hrrause it is very strongly impressed upon
my mind that the laws OF Divine Providence II
are so arranged, that every mans ability to
serve the general good is brought into ucIivi- |,
~ in some way or other, no matter how self
ish he may be, nor how much he may seek 10
withdraw himseIitrom the common uses of
society. MiSturtuuCS are some of the means
hy which many persons are compelled TO be
come usetuly employed. Poverty is anoth-
Cr means
Then YOU think ifI do not go iuto bust
hess again am in danger of losing my prop
crty: {
i should think YOU were, but | may be mis-
taken. Man can never foresce what will be ,
the operations of Providence. Ilyou should (
ever recommends business, however, ii
ought not to be from ths fear. You should
act from higher and better motive. You
4 ~ Il. .l.,t.. N.
engage in some business or calling by which ,
the whole community will be benefited, and
for this reason. and this alone, resolve that ;
while you have the abiiityyou will be Il work ,
ing bee and not drole in the hive 1t is I
not only wrong but II disgrace for any man to
be idle when there's so much 10 do I
Mr. Parker was surprised to, hear his old
customer talk in this way; but surprise was
not his only iccIing--hc was deeply Impress
ed with the truth of what he had said.
i believe, after all that you arc right and |
am wrong. Certainly, there is no Disgusting
the fact that my life has become real bur S
den TO me, aud that business would be far I
preferable to u state Of idleness.'
This admission seemed made with some r
reluctance. 1t was the first time he had con- |
tesSed, even to himself, that be had commit ,
ted nlerror in giving up his shop The eff -,
feet OF what Mr. steele had said was resolu- .
ton, after debating the pros and cons for {
nearly month, 10 recommends business;
bii; before this could take place the kind of t
business must be determined. Since Mr. g
Parker had ceased to be halter and set up I
for gentleman of fortune, his ideas of his I
own importance ind considerably increased. (
To come back into his old position, therefore, 8
could not be thought Of His wife argued for {
the shop, but he would not listen TO her argu- 6
lnents His final determination was to he r