Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1848-07-07
ChriStmaS---1794.

On that day, the stores and works in New
York were nearly all shut up, a few belong
ing to the Friends in Pearl street excepted.
Then, men had time to worship God now,
they have only time to worship Mammon-
the golden calf in Wall street. Then, we
had only two Banks, and not one Broker;
now, we have thirty Banks, and ten times
ten score of Brokers. Then, the floors were
scrubbed and sprinkled with white sand from
Coney Island now, they are covered with
cloth from Brussels and carpets from Turkey.
Then, the people were happy now, they
live in splendid misery. Then, when the
ladies had the headache, they dipped their
heads in a pail Of cold water aud were cured;
now, they pour out a bottle Of Cologne wa
ter, to the cost of fifty cents, and yet the pain
remains. Fifty years ago, | never heard of
a bottle Of Cologne being in the city now,
| am told that two hundred thousand
dollars are spent annually on this useless
drug. Fifty years ago, the daughters of able
merchants and thriving mechanics would SIM
with the spinning wheel, and weave on the
loom, like the daughters of men, when Ra-
chel was a girl, and Jacob stood by his mo-
theirs knee now, they sit humming a
tiCuCIl al anu JhiSihB lit pldlOi uhtIl thOI
get the vapors in their bosoms. Then,
the lasses wore woollen stockings and dou-
ble-soled shoes, and lived to be eighty now,
they wear silk stockings and satin shoes, and
before they have lived half their days the
doctor and the grave-digger riot over their
graves. Then, if we took a notion to get
married, we finished our days work at 7 p.
M. as usual, got supper at 6, put on our Sun
| laU roof md tho l,ccta IN har If, hot
and at Q we walked to Rev. DR.. John Rogers,
in Pine street, or Rev. Bishop Provost's,
in Vesey street; the Bishops or the Doctors
man-servant and maid-servant were always
dressed by s, and ready to o~iiiciate as brides
maid and grooms-man; and from their long
experience in such matters, they could act
their part up TO nature. A Spanish dollar
was the regular fee. We then walked home
alone. Having caught the bird, we took her
to the nest we had prepared for her. Perhaps
we began with three rush-bottomed chairs,
at twenty cents each; it was one more than
we wanted and we had our room, though
small, to ourselves; our hearts knew their
happiness, and no stranger lntermeddled with
our Joys. Now, the bachelor Of thirty-ive
takes his bird of fifteen to the public table of
Madame BIS boarding house, or that
promiscuous group in Towards Hotel, where
she suffers from the stare of some impudent,
brainless, blockhead, or is put TO the blush
by the i~nsolent litter of a set of black whis-
kered, most consummate fools; and this is
the refinement of the nineteenth century.
Now, my young friends, don't you think
our old, sober-sided mode of doing this bust
ness was more natural, more pleasant, and
more economical than the present bombast
and gingle fashion? Why, | have known a
parson TO geta check ofive'hundred dollars for
buckling a couple together. Fifty years ago,
we got married, with all the sober realities
of life on our backs, and at 8 o'clock found
our breakfast ready, for the first time, by the
hands of her we loved best. In this there
was a pleasure unspeakable and sublime
On Wednesday, we changed our neither frock,
soiled with brick dust, coal smoke, or the
labor of the plane, and perhaps a rent in the
sleeve, or a button gone astTay. On Satur-
day night we found the shirt clean and neat
ly folded, the rent mended and the stocking
neatly darned, making them look a'ntOst as
rude as neW. This was the labor of love-
A bachelor has this done for money, but the
washerwoman embeZzles his stockings, tears
his collars, throws his vest TO The winds, be-
cause she is a hireling. The money spent
by your young cleIhS ana meClanlcS, Tor
board, washing, mending, tear, wear, and
cabbaging, political clubs and smoking Spa
nish cigars, is more than sufficient to support
himself and an ind ustrious wife. Fifty years
ago, Mrs. Washington knit stockings for her
General now, there are not fifty ladies in
the city who can play that part, and hundreds
know not how the apple gets into the heart
of the dumping.
Young folks smile when their GRANDPA
theirs tell of the happy days of Aud Lang
Syne. But certain it is that fifty years ago,
the people of New York lived much happier
than they do now. They had no artificial
wants; only two banks; rarely gave a note;
but'one small playhouse no operas; no OF
omans few sofas or side-boards; and per-
haps not six pianos in the city. Now, more
money is paid to servants, in som of these
five story houses, for rubbing, scrubbing,
and polishing of brasses and furniture--for
wiping, busting and breaking glasses and
china-than it took to support a decent fami-
ly fifty years ago.-Laurie Todd.