Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1850-04-19
From the New York Evangelist.
THE REVERSE OF FORTUNE.
BY THE REV. J. :, ABB1Tr.

BY THE REV. J. s, ABBoTr.
5 NJ one with an observing mini. can hay,
passed forty years amid the eventfuI scenes q
, such life as this, without witnessin occur
rences more repctc with romantic interest am
, instruction that any tale which the imalina
ton can easily create. In the following mar
rative have merely changed few unmpor
tant incidents, to avoid any recognition, whicl
might be unpleasant, Of individuals connected
with these !dcts.
Louisa Jones was the only child Of wealth,
merchant residing in one o, the largest cite.
Of oar country. Her father had zone in the
city when boy aud with no other capital than
good mind, energetic business habits, and a
handsome, comnanjing person. 1t seemed to
Le his luck in the lottery Of life TO draw a
priz.. lie WAS eminently successful in busi.
ness, and acquired II reputation for integrity,
aud talent, and married into a wealthy .auily,
forgot his humble origin, aud became one Of
the mouled arstOCracy-the merchant nobility
lie was proud Us such men are very apt to be,
lived ia goat siIoHdor, and affected the man
nrrs OF distance aud reserve. Louisa had a
fair share Of good common sense, and, thanks
to II teacher under whose care she had been
paced, she bad truly accomplished education.
la truth, it was the elevated Character of her
teacher, with wbon for many years she pt,s,d
several hours every day, tint impressed her
mind and formed her character. Her native
good sense led her To appreciate the world in
WllCH hc hvrd, the motives which iull fenced
hl, conduct and the views Of lite which il
every lesson came glowing from his heart.
llcr lbthcr was all absorbed in his business,
and had no time to think of his daughter,
moral and INTEL, c,ual cuture.-llc looked
upon her Tine form with patcrnal PRIDE and Of
ten his eye would glance over her costly robes
and The gorgeous!y furnished parIors through
which she moved, aud 4 secret, unutiercd sati.-
faction thrilled in his hear, AS he thus com.
tehpated Tie elevation which the poor farmers
boy had attained.
ller mother was as good woman as fash
ioHab.c woman can be- She was gentle and
kind-hearted. She loved her daughter and
wished to do everything in her power to pro.
mote her welfare. She WAS the victim of the
society in which She moved. Her talk was
OF Prima donnas and bra,uras, of fancy ball,
and OF theatrc horce'-Sne was indeed the
spOnse ct the worm and the sisters uf the clay'
The midnight stars were TO her eyes bat
ePanGi"s on very pretty dom '.-Eternity was
In her view simply Il dull, rrpu,iye word winch
the clergylnen use III their serH ms. lEinty
was an idea Of which she never even dreamed
OF trying to form conception; and lmnonali.
ty, that thought which is the richest nheii-
tance of every soul TO awake 20 the true eA.nta-
ton and dignity Of its lineage and its destiny,
was something which sue had vague and pain.
fn Idea she ought to think Of before she Should
die. Poor Mrs. Jones SIZE was nothing but
an amiable, knd-Iearied, rich aud fashionable
woman. One evening, returning from the
Opcra, she took cold, aud it settled upon her
lungs; lever ensued she nioaned tor a few
ifTht hnr
W hat a catastrophe, for probationary life to end
with one VINO, from the cradl, to the grave, has
never entertained Il thought that HE was in.
tended as Il scene Of probation
Mr.. Jones was now litly.iive years of are
louisa was nine,eeD. instructive love led her
to shed many tears at the dedtu uud burial Of
her mother. But the loss OF such Il parent |
could not, by any possibility long be teii. She |
had never lett any permanent impress upon her .
daughters mini. Louisa soon arain re Jained
her wonted compOsGre ani cneeriuIness; Mf |
Jones began To look abroad Tor another wite
and Mrs Jones was by all the world forgotten.
1t IS not strange that Louisa, with her per-
sonal and mental accompl plisnments, and being
an hcircSs OF so large fortune, oull fad .
many admirers. She accepted the offered hand
Of young gentleman in mercantile lie, with
a very promising character and prJsj ec's, aud
IL
had observed with much sullcItudc, that her ia
ther, for several weeks, had looked wan he
was taclturn at his meals, and with no appetite.
',he at hrs thought that it was griet for the
death of her mother; but she soon had iudub-
table evidence, from the ar of ind. ference with
which he always alluded TO her, Ina; that loss
was sorrow, which did not lay with any op.
pfessly weight upon his hcar
One evening Mr.. Jones, after sitting in per-
feet silence for couple OF hours, apparently
absorbed IN thought, gazing upon the coal ire
glowing IN the crate, turned aUrlptiy to 10
lsa, and win Il calm and desparin! energy
said, " Louisa, am ruined ~ Then dra WING
his handkerchief from his pocket and bowng
MS head, buried it in it, upon his knees, he wept
and soobed like child. Louisa was amazed
and boWIdered and tried to speak some words
of consolation to her father; bat she little knew
what it was to be ruined. Mr.. Jones had made
some unfortunate spcCulations, and after some
months OF the most agunizng endeavorS to meet
his liabilities in winch he found himself, like a
strong man struggling in the mire, ever sink
ing deeper and deeper, he had at last given up
III utter despar-a hopeless bankrupt. 1t WAS
beyond all possibility for him to meet his debts;
he had already passed the meridian OF hie an
IT was too late now even to hope to retrieve his
fortunes, l1 few wods the humble and wce-
stricken father related to his daughter the in
extricabe embarrassment OF hls affairs, and
then, taking a ligat, retired to the pillow which
sleep had so long refused to visit
Louisa sat at the fire side, lost in the most
painful reserie, when the door bell rang, aud
the young gentleman 10 whom she was cngag-
ed was ushered into the paror. She had no
tlced for some time that he had appeared rather
sngulary cold and reseu ea, but she thought
that now trouble had come upon them, all The ,
fountains of his love would be opened airosh.
She Immediately unbosomed to hm all hcr
cares and sorrows, and was cut to the heart ,
with the apparently unfeeling spirit with which
he listened to her tale. lie was polite, but no
word of consoling endearment fell from his
lips, and he studiou,ly seemed to refrain from
any gesture even Of sympathetic carcsS. At
an hour earlier than usual, and with more for
NAL cylity than was his wont, he took leave of
his impoverished friend. The ambitious young |
merchant had for some time heard rumors of
The embarrassed situation of Mr.. Jones, and in ,
The spirit of that profit and loss calculation