The Literary echo, and Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1851-1854, 1852-11-18
Sclcftc0.
Rise IN BUTTER MARKET,
BY T. s. ARTHUR.

Between cause and effect, philosophc
maintain that there exists a ust IelatiO
= and this no one can doubt-yet, Il
all, We cannot hell sometimes wonder
e ing at the extent of the effect whe
compared with the snIallness of tn
i cause
,, Large streams from little fountains flow
- Tail oaks from I'll. acorns grow
e And this apparent insigni6cance in tn
e origin of things in the world of nature
: has its counterpart in the world Of uIind
r How liz liter than a feather, in compari
son, sometimes, is the cause which pro
: duces unharpine>s! How often is tn
comfort of whole family abridged b.,
some tiAing circumstance, that ugh
not to have made visible impression
How often is the sky dark ned by
cloud which, at first was no larger thar
d mans hand
Causes that, to one unaffected b,
them, seem the most ridiculous, are per
mitted week after week and month afte
month, to come within the family spher,
and keep it ever in state of disturb
ance. Of these, perhaps the most fer.
tile of domestic inquietude, are the fuc-
tuatlons in the price of that necessary
article Oft table comfort-BUTTER Don I
smile, grave reader, at this seeming fail
in the dignity OF our exordium. Even
while you smile, you may leave unoblit-
Grated some furrow that would never
have narred your couutenance had but
ter never risen, in some period of your
history, to the extraordinary price Of
thIrty-hve cents a pound Yes, our
assertion is true, and We are prepared
to prove what We affirm. We believe
that, especial y in our large cities, one
OF the most active causes of domestic in
felicity lies in the fuctuant state of the
butter market. How many an honest
citizen, or worthy matron head of fam
lly, has gone to market in the most
amlable mood possible, and after the
absence of an hour, come home sadly
changed in temper, to throw shadow
over the pleasant household And
why: What cause has been potent
enough to effect so sad change; But
ter has risen FIVE cents in the pound
Yes, there is the explanation. 1t is no
more nor less. Butter has done it.
Flour may 90 up to ten dollars, beef
to twenty cents, and ev,n potatoes grow
scarce at dollar a bushcl, without in
the least abridging either the moral or
physical comforts of Mr.. and Mrs. Live
well, or affecting unpleasantIy any mem
Der of their family; and these good
things of life, creature comforts" as
they call them, may fall to the minium
market rate, and not produce a visible
change in the thermometer of their feel
ings but let there be rise in butter,
and down goes the mercury The frcez
ing point is thirty-seven and half cents
a pound, and Zero fifty. You may
come within few cents of the price at
almost any time, by just looking into the
face of Mr.. and Ms. Livewell, or any
of the junior Livewells, from Tom who
has been passed into the High School,
to little En-, who has been elevated to
the high chair, and who likes butter
with her 'lasses. We verify believe,
that if butter were never to go above
shilling pound, the Livewells would be
the happiest people in the city; and
were it to keep at thirty-fve, they would
bp the most miserable
ooh, dear what are we coming to 2"
said Mrs Livewell, in the midst of a
few friends invited to spend a social
evening not long since. Butter is
so terrible high What do you think
l paid for it :"
=" Thirry-one :" inquired a lady pre-
sent.
Thirty-three !"
"Ah;"
eyes, indeed Why, did you get it
for thirty -one 7"
Mrs. D. told me that she paid
thirty y-oue for excellent butter this morn
ing," said the lady.
Thirty-one Then I was cheated !;
that's all Did you get II for that :"
" l only paid twenty five"
" Twenty-Five :" Mrs. Livewell ac-
tually arose to her feet. Twenty-Five
did you say 7" There was look of
profound astonishment on her face
I" Was it good butter Z"
:" L never tested better. But / have
it engaged" returned the lady.