Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1846-05-14
select Tales.
From Godcys Magazine for May.
"a Beggar on Horseback
BY r. S. ARTHUR.

there are no exceptions Perhaps Motif any
they are few.
Some years ago, in neighboring city, lived
avery good sort of man, naturally, whose IN
dustry brought him a moderate support with
which he protested himself content. His wife
managed his domestic affairs prudently, and gave
to his humble home an air of comfort that few
houses of persons in his circumstances wore
This mans name was Gardiner. He was a
master mechanic in small way, with an income
varying from five to eight hundred dollars per
annum He kept very accurate accounts, and
carefully calculated each month the probable
profits of his business, with view to knowing
the limit beyond which he must notgo in his
expenses His rule was, to live within his
means If five dollars week had been bis
income he would have managed somehow orI
other to live on four dollars and half
Acting Oh this principle, GARDENERS external
circumstances gradually improved
His calling was one that frequently brought
to his shop men in the higher stations Of life
men of wealth and standing in the community
AS Gardiner was man Of some intelligence,
and disposed to be taIkative, these persons used
frequently to enter into conversation with him on
various topics.
Time wore on, and Gardiner, from saving a
hundred or two dollars every year, accumulated
enough to purchase the house in which he lived
and carried on his business. The purchase was
not a very heavy one, but it gave occasion to
some of his customers to banter him about grow
ing rich,
You will yet ride in your carriage, Gardiner
said a wealthy visitor at his shop to him one
day, laughing.
If were as rich as Crpsus,' replied the
mechanic, Il would never 50 far forget the two
good feet that have borne me thus far in life
No, no, Mr.. Lyon; you will never see me in a
carriage while can walk, money or no money.
Would | be less able to walk because | was
richp
mo, I suppose not; but you would be
more able to ride said his customer, laugh
ing.
| would walk, notwithstanding.
Il do not believe it. The fact is, Gardiner,
a man never grows rich without thinking himself
of more consequence than before
You think soF
Il know So
Il don't believe word of it, am sure that
if | were worth million of dollars, would
not consider myself whit better than | am now.
/ would not be, and why should be the fool to
think differently
You don't know YOURSELF Gardiner
l believe know myself well enough to de-
termine beforehand how should act in such an
unlocked for contingency
It's not at all unIeoked for by me, Gardiner,
said Mr., Lyon, affecting serious air, "A
man who gets ahead like you do in the world
must accumulate a fortune, and when he has
done that he must live in a STYLE corresponding
with his means
CAS- you do, but not as | would
why not!'
Because don't believe in all this extrava-
gance and show. What would want with
halEa.dozen servants running after me! | should
feel every minute like kicking them out of my
way. Since was old enough to do it, [ have
helped myself, and all ask in this world is the
ability to do so until die
'Then you blame me, and others in my po-
sition, for giving employment to a large number
of persons who might otherwise find it difficult
to get anything to do! There's my old coach
man, for instance, who thinks it quite privilege
to be retained in my service 1t gives him more
pleasure to drive me out, l am sure, than it does
me to ride out. And the same might be said of
every other domestic in my family. We have as
many as twelve employed, from the coachman
down to the cook
Twelve servants to take care of two persons,
exclaimed Gardiner, with a sheer and tone of
contemptuous surprise. i pray heaven | may
never come to that
The manner of the tradesman offended his
customer, but the latter was too well bred to be.
tray his real feelings, On leaving the shop he
said to himself, by way of soothing his chaled
temper If we play with edged tools we must
expectto be cut
Mr.. Lyon did not again visit the shop of Gar
diner The latter accounted for the fact Of
having lost a good customer on the ground that
he had offended him by speaking the truth, and
did not hesitate to talk about it freely and cal
Lyon purse-proud nabob. These remaks were
made to persons who knew Mr.. Lyon, and who
laughed at him for having incurred the trades
mans displeasure.
From that time Gardiner took new pleasure
in railing at what he called the follies of thu
rich, and carried it to such an extent that hi
words and manner drove other good customer
from his shop. The consequence was that, from
progressing heathly, his business became sta
tionary for while, and then showed symptom
of decline. Whether this were the beginin,
Of the end with him cannot be told, for mos
unlooked-for event occurred which induced
him to give up his business and turn gen
tleman,
He was at work one day when the postma
came in and handed him package with tn
London pos-mark upon it. On breakin
the seals he found, TO his utter establishment
information that distant relative, from WHOM
he had expected nothing had died without