Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1847-11-12
People who are too Poor to take
a Newspaper.

Most persons have their turns Of feeling
awfully poor When those fits are on, they
feel il necessary TO economic and retrench
their expenses in some way. They begin
TO cast about them to SEQ what luxury they
can dispense with. They look along, till
At length they meet with the Newspaper
the humble weekly Newspaper,
costs them the enormous sum Of four cents
per number, aud at once conclude that
this is just the spot to begin at. Taking
the paper is at least piece Of useless ex-
iravagance and waste, and il must be dis
continued. This monsrous leakage of
four cents per week must be stopped.
We have known hundreds Of persons to
reason and act this way, as singular as it
may appear. We have known persons liv-
ing in ten thousand dollar houses, with fur
nituTe TO correspond, discontinue a weekly
newspaper, pleading inability TO pay for i
as an excuse for so doing. In such cases
we never doubted but the truth was told US !;
for. living in the style Of luxury and extrav.
agance we knew they did, we have not sup
posed they were able to pay the cost Of a
weekly paper, and we should not be surpris-
ed to learn that they are themselves COM
PEELED to snbsist upon pretty short allowan-
ces, II their accounts with the butcher are
kept square. Ii costs some families so much
ITO keep up appearances" that they can not
afford TO pay anything 10 satisfy the animal
or mental appetite, though the latter is usu-
ally very easily satiated among the "upper
ten thousand"
If man gets ia debt few dollars in the
purchase Of piece Of land, you will see
him start for the Printing Office forthwith.
81 believe" says he. II shall have TO stop
my paper. have been getting in debt
good deal, and must retrench my expendi-
lures. like the paper well. and should be
glad 10 continue il, but must stop for 4
while" Then suppose he is told that prob
ably four cents week, which is only tri-
fie more than the cost Of the salt he uses.
will not make much difference with him
he will reply, AYE, true, sir, but recollect
every little helps-four cents week amount
to considerable in the course OF the year.
aud it is necessary that should save all
can" II is unnecessary 10 reason with such
an individual, and you may just as well
strike off his name first as last. You'll
never make any thing out OF him.
We have in our eye young man, who
would like to take the Palladium. He reads
il and likes il. but really he can't afford to
subscribe aud pay for il. He smokes three
cigars every day. dresses in the height Of
fashion, and sports fine gold lever. He
is right down clever fellow. but is always
short in his finances, otherwise he would
take the paper. So he has ofien told us.-
We occasionally give him one; we are al
ways happy 10 do so we have not the heart
to think Of his paying anything for il; for.
really, person who pays $40 a year for CT
gars, ought moi to be taxed anything for pa
pers.
We have seen families turn out TO witness
some foolish Circus performance, at an ex-
pensc Of 81 or 80. when. were they asked
TO take some paper which would afford them
ahundred fold more amusement aud instruc-
ton every week than they could derive from
all the Circus exhibitions which were ever
held, they would tell you that they "should
like 10 take IL; they are very fond Of read
ing; but TO tell the truth they are so poor
that they cannot afford the expense"
Men who are rich enough 10 build ten
thousand dollar houses and furnish them
TO construct dozen vessels and keep them
in operaiion--to own and manage large
iarms--io stand at the head OF heavy mer-
camille esiablishmenis---to ride in expensive
carriages--to wear fine cloihee, and cut e
great dash in the world--frequenily have a
ii Of feeling miserably poor when asked 10
pay for newspaper. Some OF the biggest
bugs among US "come down" in a twink