The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1853-09-29

steamer brought 4 remittance OF several
thousands in specie, it was on the whole,
the most disquieted day the family had
ever known. Stepping cut from daily
employment and looking upon such a
store Of uncounted gold, and then feeling
such restless desire to appropriate it in
such manner as to make themselves
happy; was anything but agreeable to
lookers-on. Singular as it may appear,
they began to be selfish in the very be-
ginning; or rather they were so contracted
they had no regard to supply anybody's
wants but their own, and herein lay the
secret of feeling such disquictude In
deed, so entirely had the family immured
themselves in consultations at home, that
they were not regretted as they might
have been, when they removed from their
cheap, small tenement, to the granite
house upon the hill Once, however,
fairly settled in great splendor in their
new abode, the name of Athol glittering
showily upon the door, inquiries were at
once commenced among the neighbors as
to who occupied the dwelling, and being
told how they had suddenly risen from
daily labor to be Somebody the wealthy
old aristocrats' children, if not their sircs,
turned up their noses and laid veto up
on their acquaintance.
The first winter, therefore, was passed
in most 'inglorious ease John AthOl
dressed in broadcloth and had nothing
to do, and more than all, he had no as
sociates-for his former companions in
toll he foolishly supposed would interfere
with his dignity, by coming too closely in
contact with him; and to most of the old
citizens, John had an ungainly appear
ance which broadcloth could not hide
His wife too, was never SO unhappy be
fore. She kept great supply of servants
and enormously concluded she could be
thus relieved from all labor herself. In
a very short time, however, she heard
disagreement among the servants, and
saw waste and destruction in larder,
kitchen and cellar; and sometimes forget
ting her wealth, she plunged into domcs-
tic matters as formerly, and somehow she
confessed she felt much better than with
her hands folded in the drawing-rooms.--
She supposed it was natural to her to
work, but now she hid her labors from
observation, lest it should not be credita-
Jie to her station.
J But the children much more readily
fell into the new mode of living They
soon learned what it was to be fashion
able but it evidently did not agree with
their constitutions They grew puny,
wasp WASTED, and dependent. The boys
were in fair way to be ruined? They
aped the complete dandy-wore patent
leather boots or French calf-skins, car
ried walking sticks with gold heads, wore
broad-brimmed hats and fashionable
neck ties; and more than all, rose late in
in the morning, because they were out SO
ate at nights. Evidently John Athol's
family were depreciating, and before long
he became aware of the fact, that money,
invested in mere luxuries, dwarfed the
better part Of human nature.
! Still there came continual remittances,
and Mr.. Athol was now forced to consult
with a broker as to investing it. He
bought stocks in newly formed companies,
in the expectancy Of doubling his proper
ty-but his schemes did not all work as
he promised himself; still there was
large margin wherein he could speculate.
. 1t looked to John Athol like prairie grass
to a northerner, when lie has just left
stinted, half crop at home. Yet gradu-
ally the money seemed to elude his grasp,
and he soon found it was quite as much
task to learn to keep it as to earn it,
and far more unsatisfactory. The chill
dren grew clamorous-they grew dys
pcptic, too, from want of exercise, and
they grew inpatient and unhappy from
want of employment. The girls were in
no fair way to keep their present position,
for one was flirting with prohigate dan
dy, and the other was engaged to one
who lived on ice creams and drank sar-
sapariIla bitters, if nothing tronger-
and he had character corresponding to
his diet.
John Athol and his wife began to be
alarmed about their children, more than
/ themselves. They therefore concluded to
break up the city establishment in the
spring, ,and begin new life. They con-
cluded upon a trip across the water, and
all the family embarked for Europe. On
the passage there was a clergyman with
whom they formed decided intimacy
John told him all his former history
They had serious conversations by moon
! light upon the deck of the vessel, and
/ the rich man seemed troubled in mind.--
Sometimes he seemed to be impressed
that he was not making a right use of his
| property, and he began to be afraid to
give an account of his stewardship, No
ear could rise up and plead for him; no
eye could say they had been blessed by
him, no widhw's heart ever sang for JOY
because he remembered her low estate
He told his wife of his wretched misgiy-
ings. She tried to comfort him, yet her
self felt condemned. The children only
| laughed at their superstitious fears.
There came heavy storm upon them