The Literary echo, and Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1851-1854, 1852-04-15


of elegance and wealth.
Aminadab GRIPPE, or Esquire Gripe,
as the people addressed him, while at his
back he was dubbed "Dab Gripe," was
the sole owner, manager, proprietor, and
supervisor Of Gripeville proper Il. e. his
part of it, and as such, is by far the
most important parsonage, whom l shall
present to you; it would therefore be
the highest insult to his dignity if more
inferior one should be introduced first !;
and since there are some things con-
cerning him which 1 wish to defer until
other persons have been brought for
ward, l have determined to make him my
alpha and Omega, the first and the last
subject of my epistles, and if he OCCASION
ally makes his appearance in other parts
of my narrative, do not, l beseech you,
regard him as intrusive, but remember
that he is privileged character. Dab
Gripe was the only child of parents who
died while he was yet an infant. A dis
tant relative of his father took the young
and destitute orphan to bis home, ten
derly cared for him and educated him as
if he had been his own son and then
died, bequeathing him an immense estate
with the only incumbrapce of pretty
and much loved maiden, whom he easily
persuaded to become bis partner :" for
life." Being thus raised from depend
ence to opulence, he placed the manu-
factoring establishments which composed
his wealth in the care Of others, and
being fond of that obsequious homage
which men of narrow minds are ever
ready to yield at the shrine of riches, he
took up his abode in New York, where
with his beautiful wife and his heavy
purse, he created quite sensation
among the quandom gentry of the supper
ten" But here his golden reign of
prosperity was destined to be brief, for
bis lavish expenditures, together with
the " hard times" which then oppressed
the manufacturing interests, and the
mismanagement of those who had the
care of his estate, combined to ruin his
fortune; and when he imagined that his
star of prosperity was just approximate
ing to glorious elimination, he found
to his utter dismay that it had sunk be-
low the dark horizon of obscure and
unhonored poverty.
1t was with sad heart that he sub
mitted his splendid mansion and his i'll
managed factories to the hammer of the
auctioneer, where they were disposed of
for less than half their real value and
it was with a sadder one that he observ-
ed the cold contemptuous smiles and
averted looks of his former dear and
affectionate friends, and learned that
saddest of all lessons, that it was his gold,
not himself, that had won the homage of
the butterfly throng which had so lately
welcomed him and showered upon him
their most fattering and devoted atten-
tions and he was at last compelled to
believe what their altered manners so
plainly told him that the poor insignificant
Aminadab Gripc, with proud heart and
an empty pocket was altogether a differ
ent and inferior person when compared
with the rich, aristocratic Mr.. Aminadab
Gripe, with princely fortune, and an
open yet well-flled purse.
Happy would it have been for him
and for the poor care woln laborers who
toiled for him, if he had
profted by the bitter, yet wholesome
lesson which he was thus compelled to
lcarn-if he had learned to despise those
yold-bought honors which are paid only
by men of shallow minds and narrow
hearts, at the shrine of " filthy lucre,"
md to strive to gain the appreciation of
he good and benevolent, the blessings /
If an unaccusing conscience, and the
approval of just and merciful God.
But such, alas was not the ease. for /,