The organ of the temperance reform. (Cincinnati, O. [Ohio]) 1852-1853, 1852-10-29
NUMBER-41.
THE TRUE USE OF RICHES,

In an old newspaper flle we IND one OF tho
| Off-hand, happy efforts, Of the late M. NJ.
| Noah, than whom few writers Of our country,
| have thrown more of the best impulses Of the
heart, more Of kindly and benevolent feeling
into their compositions. When he would
cast off the politician and interest himself
with domestic scenes, the affairs of the fire
side, social life-the welfare and happiness
7 OF his fellow men, his essays had much Of the
charm about them that in latter years has
made those Of Mr.. Dickens so universally
| popular. The following, though written some
years since, is not inapplicable to the present
| time.-Ed. UaioA.
Why am | not rich MANI said q very in
| teIIlgent person to us, while looking at q
splendid equipage which ratified down Broad
| way. r...... -.-
IT was the equipage of man Of wealth.
man OF yesterday: o parUe9He in the most
fashionable phrase-who made fortune sud-
denly, by buying farms and selling them out
in lots, and who was determined by his house,
the magnificence of his entertainments, and
richness and variety of his liveries, his loud
talk and consequential air, to show that he
did not belong to the quiet families of some
hundred years distinction and wealth, who
never offend by ostentation, nor exhibit q
heraldry to which they are not entitled. We
gazed at several OF similar growth-the riches
which sprung up over night, like Jonah's
gourd; some by speculation, others by access
sion, some by fortunate marriages, and some
Creditably by mechanical labor and inge-
nuity.
Why am not rich MANI said my friend.
| must purchase somewhere in the west, or in
the moon-no matter where; / must plunge in
the current Of speculation, and swim Ou to
fortune and emmenee-must be rich; every
body tries to be rich--why shall / not be richy
! am liberal in my disposition, hospitable and
free. should like to have such a coach and
pair-a house OF corresponding magnifieence.
/ should like to throw It open several times
year for the gay and fashionable throng;
should like you to dine with me twice week,
and punish few Of old, very old Madeira.
Why am not rich MANI / deserve to be,
said he musing, aud at intervals dropping his
voice, as he slowly Withdrew his eyes from the
long cayalcade Of coaches and phaetons, and
whiskered footmen,
I Hundreds, no doubt, thought as he did: huns
dreds expressed the same feelings, and felt the
same desires, and all under the same delusion
| thatmoney is wealth-that sheer palpable gold
and silver constitute riches; and that it is un-
der this delusioR that thousands OF our citi-
zens are racking their brains by night,
thoughts by day, toiling and sweating, and
managing, and twisting, and turning ont OF
the common, settled, and regular order Of
things to get gold and silver, under the inn
preston that with their possessions they will
be rich. ed ..y ~
Statesmen, politicians, nay the government
itself, is inOculated with the same mania, and
if all should succeed, we should be compelled
to blacken our own boots and wait upon our
selves at table, The delIsion, however, con-
sists In this, in considering piece of gold the
only representative of wealth. We are for
the most part rich, without exactly knowing
it. The anvil of the blacksmith is, to him,
with his handicfaft, a valuable, mighty lump
of gold he lives by it, and to his mind,
habits aud wishes, he lives as well as he who
pays out his eagles and half eagles in the
market-sO with the painter-sO with the pro-
fessional man, the sculptor, the musician, the
man of talents; all who possess the means Of
acquiring wealth, are actually wealthy for,
if temperate and industrious, all these facul-
ties are convertible into wealth; nay, are
more valuable and durable, and available,
than the mere man Of gold and silver. Let
such man swim to the shore from his ship
wrecked vessel with the mechanic and man of
mind, and see who can succeed in earning that
morsel of bread necessary to sustain life
What does the man of princely income do,
which gives to him so many advantages, and
opens the door to such mOoted happinessl
He rises late, turns day into night, dandles
his time away in trifling employment; drives
for ostentation, and large parties for fashion
and is at best, poor, dlscontented, dyspeptic
patrician, respected only for his gold and sill
yer, and Of no possible use to the community.
Take the man Of moderate means, and he
employs his life as life ought to be employed
"a mixture Of employment and recreation,
Of rational pleasure and discreet hospitality.
Go down to what is called the poorer classes,
which we call the substantially rich-the har-
dy mechanic, and see how he enjoys life. Ri
sing with the sun, his labors do not cease un-
til the sun sinks into the west. He returns
to his little family and tenement at night, and
finds an ample board spread by frugal wife;
the smoking steak, the good cup Of coffee, the
white bread and butter, and an appetite sharp
ened by labor. His repast is over; he takes
his chubby boy upon his knee, pinches his
dirty, rosy cheeks, aud runs his fingers
through his matted hair; talks with his wife
upon household affairs; reads his paper, or
c0nverses with his neighbor on the best means
of serving the commonwealth; and when the
hour of rest arrives, he stretches himself upon
his hard but healthy bed, and soon his senses
are stepped into forgetfulness, and his sleep is
sweet and sound until the shrill clarion Of the
cock awakens him on the morrow to renew
his labor. But he has no coach--has henot?
He has only to go into the street and to hold
up his finger, and splendid omnibus and
four elegant horses drives up to the sidewalk,
and he jumps in; it is his coach while he oc-
eupies it, and he leaves it when and where
he pleases. a
Can the man Of gold or silver do more?--it
is all an error, misconception, a delusion /.
We are all rich when we possess within oar
selves the means of acquiring wealth. We
have no poor except the idler and the drunk.