Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1851-07-18

lhc iallcn lnTluncn uI lhc lshlry lAmllys
CuiFrTH u.
ln the city Of New York, Mr. Ashley rank.
I'd, at no very late period. as a merchant ol
very high rcspcctabiliiy and wealth. 1t va,
his misfortune, as II has been tha, Of ,hous.
ands, To imbIbc a mania for speculation. -
leaving the more safe track of commerce, b.
entered deeply into stocks, and other Wal
Street gambling, and for season his vessel
plidol smoothly over the irclchcrous sca.-
Al. hal be- bot bccn content when his balance
sheet showed him a clear profit of ono hund-
fci Thousand dollars, free of the world, But
be- was not -. Flushed with success, with
the s,mr rrckl-sncss a. the gambler, BE-
h"ldly pushed venture upon venture. 81
lrugth fortune bcgan to wavcr. Mr. Ashley
WAS no longer successful but, with every
luss sustained, NJ fr from prufrng by It,
lesson. he rashly doubled tho r.sk, Ia the vain
hope of rcjcsminr all 1t was too late. The
tide had set too strongly against him. H.
vas ruined. This happened, too, unforu.
naicly, at time when the commercial prus-
pc,ily uf thr country Sls unusually pros,a.
ted, anl therefore the broken mcrchln, found
Il impossible To obtain rhl, assistance neccs-
sary to place him in a way Of retrieving the
false step he Lad taken.
Poverty, actual poycr'y, now stared him 10
the hcc.
Not the poverty of the bankrupt who rents
his thousand dollar mansion, sports hi, dogs
and horses, his hoS At the Opera, his club,
aud kicks the danning iradcsmcn from hi,
door; Who, drawing his luxurious rlsy.chlir
tn The polished CRATE hcaPcd with glowing an
thncile, rails, as he sips hi' wine, a, the hi.
tsrHe" Of por0iy
Not such vas that felt beneath the nov
lowly roof OF Mr Ashley.
In this hour Of need, be heard by accidcn,
of a situation as superintendent of small fac
tory in a New England village aud be, the
once wealthy Pearl street merchant, gladly
aylIlcd himself Of the opportunity. lie aP-
piled at once for the office, and deemed him
self truly fortunate tia, he was successful IN
his application. Mr.. Ashley Immediately re-
moved with his family to Ro.syilc, and took
possession ola small cottage.
The expectation or desire for riches M
longer daEzled his mind. To eat the bread Of
homes, induslry-to free himself frum the
gnawing fctters Of depcndence-io earn a
competence for those he lOycd-Was now the
boundary Of his desires. How nobly Mrs.
Ashley and Ellen sustained their new posi-
iion in life, the reader may infer from the
scene described IN the preceding chapter.
As unosicntl,ous in manner IS 10 rank,
,hoy cane among the inhabitants Of ROssyillc
with no prcicnsions to favor bu, their virtues.
They had saved nothing from the wreck OF
fortune TO tell the tale Of former splendour.-
They kept no domestic, Ashley and
Ellen performing all the household labuurs,
which they did with a eheeriulness and un.
complaining spirit tia, would shame the mis-
trcss Of many a fine mansion, whose score Of
pampercd domcstics await her beck and call.
But notwithstanding their humble position in
the village, there was a native ease and re-
fncment Of manner about them which greatly
perplexed their neighbon; quiet dignity
which forbade all rudeness, and checked the
prying tongue Of the curious.
or course they are not appreciated in Ross
Vile and, although nearly year had elaPs-
ed since the Ashlcys first took up their resi-
dence in the village At the time Of Gertrude
Fay's arrival, but very few Of those calling
themselves tho arsiocracy had dcigned To
look in upon the family Of the superintendent.
Gertrude was the only child Of wealthy
southern planier,--her mother the sister oil
Mrs. Ashley. She was an amiable, impul.
sive, high-spiriied girl, deeply attached to
her uncle aud aunt, and TO her cousin Ellen
and in their days Of afIluence many happy
seasons Of her young life had been passed be-
meath their roof This, to Gertrude, sad
change in their fortunes greatly grieyed her
"a grief to which she gave way, as already
seen, with all the natural imPetuosi,y Of hel
character.