The Literary echo, and Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1851-1854, 1852-07-29
Patch on Both Knees
and Gloves ON.

The following, from the Boston Cou-
rier, is one the clevcrest essays we have
met with for many day. Similar in
style, it is not inferior in point to Frank
Inns best
When l was boy, it was my for
tune to breathe, for long time, what
some writer's term the bracing air of
poverty. My mother-light lie the tur
upon the form which once enclosed her
gentle spirit-was what is commonly
called an ambitious woman for that
quality which commonly overturns
thrones and supplants dynasties, finds a
legitimate sphere in the humblest abode
that the shadow of pov rty ever darken.
ed. The struggle between the wish to
keep up appearances and the pinching
gripe of necessity p oduced endless shifts
and contrivances, at which We are told,
some would smile, and some, to whom
they would teach their own experience,
would sigh. But let me not disturb the
veil of oblivion, which shrouds from pro-
fame eyes the followed mysteries of pow
erty.
On one occasion, it was necessary to
send me on an errand to a neighbor in
better circumstances than ourselves, and
therefore it was necessary that l should
be represented in the best possible as
pect. Great pains were accordingly
taken to give smart appearance to my
patched and dilapidated wardrobe, ant
to conceal the rents and chasms whicl
the envious tooth of time had made il
them and by way of throwing over m
equipment certain savory and sprink
ling of gentility, my red and toll harden
ed hands were enclosed in the un anil
lar castings of a pair of gloves which ha'
belonged to my mother in days whel
her years were fewer and her herr
lighter.
l sailed forth on my errand, and or
my way encountered much older anC
bigger boy, who evidently belonged to o
family which had all our dragging pow
erty, and none of our uprising spirit o
wealth. His rags fairly futtered in tn
breeze his hat was constructed on tn
most improved principle of ventilation
and his shoes, from their venerable an
tiquity, might haze been deemed a pai
of fossil shoes-the very ones on whic
Shem shuf1led into the ark. He was a
impudent varlet, with dare devil swag
ger in his gait, of Pm as good as you
lear in his eye-the very whelp to thro'
stone at a well-drcssed horsenlan, be
cause be was well-dresscd; to tear
boys rufaes because he was clean. A
soon as he saw me. his eye detected tn
practical Inconsistency which character
lied my costume, and taking me by til
shoulders, turning me round with u
gentle hand, and surveying me fro1
head to foot, exclaimed with scornf
laugh of derision, "a patch on bo,
knees and gloves on
l still recall the sting Of woundt
feeling which shot through me at the
words. To parody celebrated line
the immortal Tuscan
That day wore my gloves no more" {"
But the lesson thus rudcly enforce
sank deep into my mind and in aft.
life, l have had frequent occasion
make practical application of the wor,
Of my ragged friend, when have o
served the practical inconsistenci
which so often mark the conduct
mankind.
When, for instance, / see parcr
carefully providing for Ae ornamen
education Of their children, furnishi
them with teachers in music, dauci
and drawina hut rive no Thought Cor 4