The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1850-11-07
THE NIISER.
A SKETCH.

"Ihere is That scattereih and yet increaseth,
and there is that witholdeth more than is meet.
and il tendeth to poverty. .'-I1crerbs Of Solomon
Il is moro pleasing to depict the life OF
the good man, but light and shade make up
the painters canvass. knew miser, n
churl; the hereditary bondsman Of master
passion. Seventy ye.rs Of solitary selfish
ness had procured him the rnerited contempt
of the world. 1t is easier to look upon the
boldcst villainy, than upon an inconceiva-
ble li,tleness ofsoul. His enormous wealth
was like great pool damned up and stag,
nant, md never yielding one precious drop
TO fcr,iize the earth. lie was rccluse, a
stranger to the ,os which bind one TO
friends and kindred, and thence, by thou
sand sweet linkings, TO the whole family Of
mnn. Possessing nothing in common, and
living supremely TO himself, he was con-
slant exeuplifcation that 'There is tllas
Niiholdeih more than is meet, and il tend
eth to poverty 49,
As the epicure revels upon rich feast,
so he eloated upon his wealth. All. twas
pleasant, when no eye was gazing, when
his doors were barred, and only the dim
| Iigh, stole in, which he regarded with jea!.
ousy, TO bring it forth from its mysterious
corners, dark boles, hidden hooks; to count
il, to re co,sn, it. 10 touch il. Its music was
swce,er than that Of tho spheres. lie tho't
Of il all day; he dreamed Of it all night.
II was The solitary idea that filled up his
whole soul his only darling; his life; his
| light; his poetry; bis star. His existence
was y s,ngnaat pool, dead sea no breeze
ever stirred its waters into commo, ion.
The hopes, the fears, the Joys, and the am
/ bi,ion Of other men, were narrowed down
into one hope. one fear, one joy, and one
ambition. While the expansive energies
or henevolence Of some minds have found
the world itself too contemplate theatre,
| bis was compressed into very spcck, a
point, possessing 'smplc room aud verge
enough within tho limits Of bis Golfers
From that sordid prison house ii went forth
on no errands of mercy. 1t was enough
that the samc bounds which held him there
willing slave, forbade the entrance OF
another.
have thought that a mothers affection
surpassed every other passion Of the hn-
man heart. But considered not the mi
ser's unremitling, soul ulengrossing, scIt-de-
nying love. thought not Of the piercing
cry. MY ducats, my ducats, my golden du-
cats!' more agonizins than that Of 'My
son, my sonn Like fond parent, he could
not Let the light Of his eyes 90 from him.
les. the image that he loved to gaze on
should be furnished; neither would he bar
ter il for the worlds comforts lie knew
not the Injuries, nor even the commonest
necessnres ollife. The premises on which
he lived had a poverty stricken air. The
house presented IA strange contrast with
The gay tcnemcnts Of his neighbors. Nc
cheerful paint adorned il. True, it had
once received coat, bu, that could moi Inst
always, md the expenditure was too fear
ful TO be removed Smoke was scarce seer
10 ssuc from tho chimney, nor ever came
il forth in n rich, dark volume, but ~ "
loan, curling, silvcry, and vanishing streak
Within, all things were alike cherries. -
The one Inhabited apartment was like ;
prisoners dreary cell. There was NJ
; sound, save the voice OF the cricket iron
the hearth a flock bed. few broker
utensils. table, and Il chair in the las
stage of dissolution, make up all its lurn'
i turc.
Ills garden, which scarcely had the np
| pcarance OF SUCH contained few scrnbbN
vegetables, as the gardens Of Nova Icmbl'
might produce. Yet they were quit
enough for him who was guilty Of wors
cluttony. Some fruit trees struggled W.T.
4 tho thin soil, but the fruit scarcely ha
b heart 10 ripen, it dropped, withered Q
worrn-caten, on the ground. The very do
locked as II he found few crumbs henoa'
his nas.cls table Lean, cadaVeFous, ant