The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1851-11-10

number of young men who crowd to large cit,
with the uncertain hope of obtaining prof
mercantile employment and of gliding smoothly OF
into the enjoyment of a future fortune.
Some come to the city burdened with load O
the stereotyped letters of Introduction, which they
with sanguine confidence, half painful, IA,
amusing to the observer, consider sure d,ass n,
Fortunes bank-.-lettsrs, which are Indifferent,
glanced at BY those TO whom they are addressed
commence on with cool, brief courtesy and dis
m's'eo nom remembrance 90 soon as the saneuin,
but mscalculating bearer passes out, carrying will
him treacherons hope and formal, meaningless
promises. Some bring few or no letters witt
them, but know Mr.. So-and.So to whom the,
have on some occasion been very polite, and who
in turn, will be very polite to them. Some trus
in the divinity of luck" and if faith be fed b,
energy Of character it may finally brighten the
future and show the road to good fortune. Som,
bring with them few hundred dollars; some
bring moderate sum, barely sufficient for q
nonth's board and washing; some bring nothing
City life is expensive, and slender means, withou,
employment yielding an increase, melt away witt,
painful and embarrassing rapidity.
It is not the mere fact that young men come to
city, that employment in mercantile life is diff.
cult to be obtained, or that large cities are expen
sivs places particularly to the strangely that we
refer to in these remarks. The earnest simplicity
Of faith the insubstantial reliance, the annoying
and notifying struggles, the bitter disappoint-
ments we have found in them, prompt us to this
notice Of them. II the young men who flock to a
large city confident of fortune, were always, or
even generally, well prepared for city life and of
stubborn energy of character, we SHOULD look upon
their cases as the fortune Of les battle and know
that they prepared to endure or conquer their
difficulties.
But exactly the reverse is the case. Thew are.
most frequently, young men of sanguine and
visionary character, in whose imagnations life
in large city is reflected as goldenly tinted in
good fortune and rose colored in endless eniov.
ment In fact, there is no life SO stern and
strikingly real, exactngy practical as businesses
life in large city. Every energy must be de-
voted to it, and it leaves but little opportunity for
the eddy Of amusements, which the saneuine new
conner fanoifully dreams must inevitably catch him
up and whirl him on in its pleasures. Then, too.
fortunes are not made in day. Salaries are, pro-
portionatey, not larger in great than in small
place, expenses being generally much heavier in
the proportion. Advancement is matter of "a.
pacity and industry, and time. Wealth seldom
comes in the heyday of youth, unless as a sin.
gularly lucky accident. One must bide his time.
and labor. And yet, these young, hopeful, vision.
ary adventurers imagine they have only to come
to city and grow rich. They meet hard, stern.
solid, immovable facts. They beat idly and mas.
slonatey against the iron-door of their enchanted
castle and fatigued worn down in their desperate
they pass into condition of Frustrated
confidence and nervelsss irresolution. Their
means ebb out-the necessities of life press upon
hem-and they finally resort to some friend (who
90 frequently burdened with such labors for
rlendship's sake, has grown chary in his LIBERAL.
W for supplies to enable them to get out of the
ity and return home-to return to places in which
hey have destroyed their business relations and
an only resume them by lucky chance or friendly
influence. This result is the more mortfyng from
he fact, that in ninety-nine out of one hundred
asses, they came to the city with an exaggerated
lea Of their own desirable qualities. Young Don
luixottes warning upon the busy Windmill!
We meet dozens of such young men so un.
oubtingly confident SO painfully embarrassed
bitterly to be disappointed, every day upon the |
treets. One tells us that he is known to be an
xcellent book-keeper, or splendid salesman. and
onidently intimates to US his positive conviction
lat his superior abilities may even command a
remium upon ordinary salaries The chances
., however well-founded his character for cana.
ty, he is the only witness to it, and as he has
be taken on trust, he will not be taken at all
mother informs US, that Mr. -, a gentleman of
amense influence, is a particular friend of hi,
mily. Mr.. - will probably shake him BY the
Ind, ask him to take chair, remember him when
calls and forget him when he leaves "fIIl
ar OF any thing that will suit you, will let
~ know" -" will be happy to serve vou,nI
ID such like phrases are sufficiently solid for
. airy visions builded by the unoue,tioning
nndence OF the young. And yet, how treach.
Gus and meaningless! On such things as these,
Jung men little vsrssd in the world, fresh from
provldential kindness of parents, and warm
the trust OF undeceived and undeceiving faith.
'lio' and are bitterly deceived Business care.
. engrosa'ng; the tumultuous struggles of CITY
. are selfish and absorbing. and the great mer.
lant has but little time to think of or notice the
'ung adventurer.
Inc misfortune of all this is, that, in nine
.'s' out Of ten, these young and hopeful adven.
rers abandon comfortable and secure position.
tempt the uncertain fortunes of a large c;tv
40 involve themselves in unnecessary and try.
3 struggles If young man desires to ,rv his
rtune in large city. and can command inau.
ice which il really worth any thing, that inan.
ice may readily be made to be felt in his bs.
W. without surrender of an established posi-.
IN and secure comfort, and without his throw.
himself into the vortex of city life and the
ais OF uncertain expectation and embarrassing
penses. If that influence be really worthless
a general rule, "well enough " should be
ct alone," or clear idea of the difficulties to
encountered manfully summed up. Hope is /,
fact; confidence is not success; aspiration ,
not fortune; and if the young adven,urer, for.
ling this, find the many colored glories of the !