Litchfield enquirer., 1846-12-24
LTTCHF1ELD CONN., THURSDAY DECEMBER q4 1a4e

former, however. Bnt MT. Harvey had ven- tured some expostulations with Harry on his new mode of life, which had not been taken in good part.
 One day, however, Harry came into Mir. Harvey's store with an anxious brow, and | Tn considerable embarrassment asked for a loan of thousand dollars.
 have nothing to lend," said the old man, with shake of the head. These are thTeatning times, and every man must look out for himself.
 Harry colored and turned on his heel.- When he had gone, the old gentleman's wife who happened to be in the store at the time, said,
 "My dear, thought you had plenty of money. l am sure I saw you send two thousand dollars to the bank since l came in"
 So did," replied her husband. "Nor did say had no money, only refused to lend. And Harry understood me too: IL must have galled proud nature like his to ask me for loan, and it galled him still more to have a refusal. But | could not helpit. He is in full career to ruin nor can any assistance save him. He would not take my advice"
 "You astonish me! Harry on the brink of ruin! l thought him in an excellent business"
 "So he is-so he is, but his business can not stand the way he has been liv- ing these two years past. He has been spending twice as much as he has made.- Until now, though dreadfully behind hand, he has managed to keeph head above wa ter; but money isgetting scarce, and he will soon be unable to raise it. For the last month he has got along by borrowing from day to day"
 "His poor wife!"
 "His poor wife, I fancy," said the old man, bluntly, "is as much to blame as he is himself. She is fond of display, and liar ry is easily led and in these few words lie the secret of his ruin. Ever since they bought thei. Brussels carpet, they have been adding folly to folly and expense to expense, until now they scarcely know their own friends, and turn up their noses at the style of living they once thought good enough for any body. Harry's business was an excel lent one, and if he had lived on half his in- come-as he might have done very comfort ably-he would have been richer by thou sand dollars every year. It takes little ar- gument, my dear, to show that in that case, he would have been wealthier man than I ana at my age."
 "It is great pity. But how could that carpet ruin him? Its whole cost could not be over one hundred and fifty dcllars."
 "Yes but that led to other expenses. It was entirely 600 good for the rest of their furniture, and they soon found this out, when they never rested, they re-furnished their parlors, piece by piece, 10 match it. Then, finding their house more elegant than most of their neighbors, they began really Io lUuh do"" uu si,-ii lu.~ osSuCIaLeS and to court intimacies with richer and more fash ionable people. Finally they moved into larger house. Had any one, told Harry how extravagantly he would yet live, he would have, laughed; but, by adding little al. most daily to his expenses, he has finally come to spend the large sum he does now. To live as he is living is proper enough for wealthy men but for Harry it is absurd; nay, criminal ?"
 Old MT. Harvey's prophecy was not long in being fulfilled. In less than month af- forwards he came home and said,
 "You remember, my dear, the conversa- ton we had about Harry Howard a week ago, Well to. day he failed"
 In less than a week, the red flag of the auctioneer waved from the windows of Har- rvs elegant house; and before month he had retired with his family to an obscure street, where he found livelihood by hiring as clerk.
 Blu! the severest pang was felt by Mrs. Howard, who, about month after the fail ure, met one of her fashionable friends in the street, who returned her greeting with supercileous hauteur, saying to compan- ion in tone lould enough to be overheard,
 "l should have thought Mrs. Howard would not have had the impotence to speak to me, after MT. Howard had delrauded my husband of so much money. We used to tolerate the Towards because they were cus- toners of MT. Green, and gave excellent parties. But il seems they were giving these parties, allthe while, on other peoples money. If there is anything detest, it is this aping a style of living above one's means. Mir. Green says there ought to be law to put men like Mir. Howard in the penitentiary."