Hillsdale Whig standard. (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1846-1851, 1851-03-18
Extraordinary Avarice.

IN the year 1902, an extraordinary III
stance Of averice occurred 10 France. A
miser named Foscue. who had amassed en-
ormous wealth, by the most sordid parsimo-
ny and discrediable extortion, was requested
by the So.e.nment 10 advance sum Of mon
ey as a loan. The miser, In whom fair in
teIest was not inducement sufficiently strong
to enable him TO part with his treasured gold,
declared his incapacily 10 meet this demand;
he plead severe losses and the utmost power
IN. Fearing. however, that some OF his
sghbors. among whom he was very unpop-
usr, would report his immense wealth to the
g$ernment, he applied his ingenuity 10 dis
cosr some effectual way of hiding MS gold,
shqld they attempt to institute search TO
ascetain the truth or Iasehood Of his plea.
With great care and secrecy be dug a deep
cavep his celer; TO this receptacle for his
treasse he descended by ladder, and TO the
trap dor he attached spring lock, so that
on shifting, it would lasIen of itself. By
and byhe miser disappeared; inquiries were
made; Se house was searched; the woods
were exlofed, aud all the ponds were drag
ged; buupo Foscue could they hnd; and
gossips bsan TO conclude that the miser had
fed with us gold TO some part, where, oy
living iHcsnito he would be free from the
demands o. the government.
Some tine passed on; the house in which
he had livetwas sold, and woTkmen were bu-
silly employu in its repair. In the progress
Of their wor they met with the door OF The
secret cave, 9Th rhs key in the lock outside.
They threw ,sck the door and descended
with light, The first object upon which
the lamp was reflected was the ghaslly body
OF Foscue, thSmiser, and scattered around
him were heas bags Of gold aud ponderous
chests of unto treasures: a csndleslick lay
beside him on ~ floor. This worshipper of
mammon had bne into his cave 10 pay his
devoirs TO his glden god, and became sac
rifce TO his dtotion What must have
been The seusaths Of that miserable man
what The horror; OF his situation, when he
heard the doorclose after htn, ana the
spring lock eifeclslly imptIson him within
IFS secret mlne p0w Dl,Isy mast have beee
the last STRUGGLED II that ava,icious SOUL
How terrible The Speals Of conscience with
III mat sordid snfr How each bag must
have dIsgoSged usreasure, and each piece
OF gold have dancd IN imagination, around
him as demonA How hated, when the
gnawing Gangs OF arvaton came upon him.
must have been Gh4yeilow vision; his very
heari must have grdn sick at that which he
once so dearly loved
Gold in hags; gd 10 chests; gold piled
up IN he"ps; go'd 100 pillow: gold stTewed
upon the ground i'l him TO lie upon!--
Whist ms taper las'a turn where he would
ms eyes met noth'nl but his gold. But
when The last Ticker ed away, and the mi
ser Ielt 10 darkness to yell upon his coming
death, and upon his nDy sins. how awful
must have been the aaies of conscience,
How, surely, amidst th(gloom Of that sep
ulchre OF gold must thPoor whom he had
oppressed, and the unfortunate whom he had
ruined by his avarice, h,e risen up TO re-
proach him; and, as the md became fevered
by It's last deadly sIriggleshow the faces of
haggard poverty. OF hate'tnd loathing for
the mlser, must, in one OuSliscordant cbo
rus. have cried for yengeancand retributiop
upon his guilty soul.