Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1847-05-18
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From Beptley's Miscellany.
Keeping up = ppc;a!s4nCcs.
By ALFRED CROwoUTLL-


The keeping up Of appearances is a disease
not peculiar to one individual or one caiss All
the world is always trying TO keep NJ appear
ances. 1t Is the by winch everybody de-
ceivcs everybody. and more curious still, con-
stantly deceives himself.
When any unfortunate individual fails Ia the
attempt to keep mp appearances, all the rest Of
the world flies at him and tears him piecemeaI.
lie is dragged before judges appointed for the
purpose, in a court solely appropriated TO try
such fools and there place! in confinement, that
he may not have the opportunity of again
dagracing the world by filling IN the attempt to
Keep up appearances; nine teHths of his judges
and dctractors all the while trembling the
verge Of the same destructive fail; yet they smile
on as if ia the greatest state Of security lavish
ing their means with troubled souls because they
must keep up appearances.
The world IS always strlinIng and overreach-
ing itself ia all its grades, to be the one above It.
Every one wishes to be thought something more
than he or She really IS Thus you see the maid Of
all work. or family drudge, hunger for her holi-
day; ana when it arrives. fag herself to death by
wandering through the street in her best things
many degrees too finc-with Il veil and boa
which She must put III her pocket before She re
turns home; merely for the ileeting vanity of be-
inc taken for somebody who did not know the
shape of a mop a scrubbing brush.
An old lady-, some years ago, who belonged to
a family Of some staining. voluntarily Danish
ed herself from the locality whore she was
known, that she might part OF her stipend
to rcrnit to her eldest sister, who still lived III the
house tie family had occupied in more prosper
Gus times She ppid her gular visits few and far
between, if she were as rich as ever, which
she managed to do by coming by the cheapest
conveyance to the nearest posting town. and in
rafting in from thence to her native place m
STYLE Here, for a short time, she lived IA the
luxury Of keeping up appearances as thy used
to be, by which She was repaid for all the rest Of
her time being spent in almost penury -At last
her sister died, and she came, in her turn lone
women to reside in the frmiiy house She gave
her sister, of course, a splen4td funeral, worthy
of the family, and invited all the highest of her
ncouaintanccs to follow, in honor of her an
c:ent name.
After the nterment, she left her two Oil ser
va nts to keep house, who were as Jealous OF her
honor nerscfi, ana Isss~ee,'s,
ho,n, to settle. a: she saiI her affljrs there, ere
Size took permanent possession Of the family
this errnJ, merely to economic after the ,lrea..-
ful expenditure incurred by her sisters funeral
She returned, however apparently console!
for her loss, and gave her stiff ceremonlous par
ties exactly as her sister had done before her
Time wore on. and she died. but not before she
had provided for appearances which She did BY
selling her hous, and costly furniture to distant
purchaser that the people Immediately adjacent
might think he inherited it, ana leaving hereof
tare FIR away, with small annuity, to the old
married couple who had served her family so
f.ithfaliy. She then devoted the remainder of
her effects to her own funeral. which was to be
splendid the money could provide Thus
having made preparations 70 be deposited III the
family vault, she died, fully satisfied that Size had
kept up appearances to the last.
Some fifty years ago, young man, who found
himself the last Of his family, with the small
remainder of a splendid fortune, which ha,.
been squanaered by few snowy generations,
until II descended to him in the shape Of about
SIX hundred a year, shuddered he looked at
this sum that was to keep him in the fashona
bic circle 10 which lie much attached.
and out Of which he would have ceased to exist
His carriage must be put down. That admir,t-
Bile conveyance, the envy of the bcaux- HIS
embroidered coats, the admiration of the fashion
able world-wou,i be ridiculous without all
the luxurious d,uucts of servants Carriages, &c.
$500 a year could not DO it. Despair seized
him at the idea of cutting off a single domestic
from his establishment one frog from his coat
He knew too wei that the lynx eye of his dear
fraternity would perceive the dedication IN an
instant, and triumph in his declenSion. His
whole life having been hitherto spent in pom
dering on the color of his chariot. and cutting out
paper patterns for his tailor, he felt that he could
only live IS IL had lived, or die. He feeble
minded, but honorable To get into debt was
repugnant to his feelings a gentleman, ana he
also that such course would soon over
whelm him with disgrace.
He pondered upon suicide that he might
die without the finding Of a single ray from his
glory; but he felt poignantly what loss he
would be 10 his followers and the beau monde. by
whom he looked upon pure and
questionable pattern card
Amidst these dark ponderngs, sudden light
broke in upon him His resolve was taken
Bright and happy thought. II he could not
shine all his life he would shine half. He would
illuminate this earth but as 4 sun. appearing
brighter from its occasional absence, which left
the world in darkness.
This strange resolve he accordingly put in
practice. by informing all whom it might con-
car hat b, IN, II .l,-