The Belmont chronicle, and farmers, mechanics and manufacturers advocate. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1848-1855, 1854-08-18
MI s G ELL A N ECU s.
From the Portland Eclectic.
Measuring n Mans Purse.

country adopt the practice Of "measurirg tn
purse" of each guest whom they receive, an
of bestowng their civilites according to tn
estimate Of the individuals means. Whoeve
registers his name at hotel, making tn
least pretension to style and gentiity, will
find an inventory of his posse ssons taken il
the active brain Of boniface in less time thai
it requires to write his address. Let persoi
make his appearance, whose pompous and al
dermanic air and sleek exterior pronounce!
him "soid," and whole regiment of menials
from landlord to boots, wait on his steps to dc
him service. Or a gentemen whose fash
ionable dress and dashing demeanor bespeal
him "fast" and ''rocky," is speedily followed
by the whole household troop, from clerk tC
chamber-maid, all anxious to propitiate his
favor and do him kindness. But let man CI
coarse and humble externals and unassuming
demeanor enter himself as plain "John Smith
from the kedntry," and when he calls for a
room, he will hardly fail to hear the order
"Show this gentleman to 64O'-always up
seven pair of stairs and on the backslde, over
looking the stable and pggery.
In the city Of M, in New Hampshire,
one of the leading hotels-and good one it
Is, too, as we are willing to testify-is kept
by -, he wouldn't like to see Lis name in
print, and we will call him Mr.. Surface. Like
most other men of his profession,- he "meas-
ures the purse" OF each stranger who comes
to his house, and awards him entertainment
in keer ing with the imagined extent of his
"pile." The portly rich man sits at the head
OF the table. The rusty poor man sits at the
foot. The man OF fashion sleeps in No. l.,
ut the head of the first fight. The man of
business or labor in the attic. And SO, with
out acknowledging partiaity, he yet makes a
wide distinction among his patrons in the be-
slowing Of the politeness and hospitality to
which all are equally entitled.
Not long since, there stopped at This house
a stranger, whose dress and n amer bespoke
him from the "rurul district, apparently
| man of intelligence anu some knowledge
of city life and the world, but of the rudest
and most Questionable garb To conceal no
part Of the story he wore farmers frock.
This ornament denoted to the observant eye
Of the host the nsignifcance of his worldly
position, and he was accordingly treated with
dispiriting was the GOODNESS on al! sides man.
iiesited towards him, that, as the evening
wore away, lie thought to enliven his mind
with glass of brandy and water. III ere is
no law forbidding such consolations under
such circumstances. And waiting hill
portunity, as group of factory agents dne'
men of capital retired from the bar, where
they had been lounging, he stepped up and
ordered drink Just as he reached out his
hand to receive the ''sni!ter" from the bar.
tender, the landlord approached him hastily
and with an air OF menace exclaimed
"You can't have any liquor in this house,
sir! We don't keep ii for such as you. There's
a cellar across the street. Go over there and
get your brandy
The man in the frock took the rebuff meek
ly-rel ,,uished his dram, and went cut.
But if he had need of "soother" before, he
had now double necessity. SO Down he
went into the cellar, which was kept as an
"oys,er saloon," and demand of the dealers in
JivalpeS, "Srandy and water"
The wary oysterman, eyeng his customer
a moment, asked rudely:
"Where do you stop!"
"Over to the NJ House," replied the
unsuspecting countryman.
'Then go over there and get your liquor.
Old Surface sends his guests over here to
drink, and then has US prosecuted for selling.
We don't thank him for his custom. You
can't have anything here, sir"
The dscomfted stranger went out in wrath
That night the poor man went to bed "dread-
ful dry" and not little sour. Nor was his
anger in the least appeased by being able to
look from his elevated situation, through the
pindo,c in The roof, to the peaceful heavens so
near him. He even intimated to the waiter
who lighted him to bed, Il at he thought the
advantage of chamber in such position
didn't repay the toll of getting up to it.
His slumbers were by no means refreshing,
and he arose next morning very across. His
sensibiities had been sorely wounded. Al
other afr nts he could have borne with pa
tient endurance; but 10 deny man his 'berks'
was the sum Of all indignities, and an extreme
of injustice which irritated his temper and
provoked him to uEforgiveness.
He descended the frs, flight Of stairs just
as the gong was sounding for breakfast. Lay
Ing dSlue iiiS nat. uC StoPPCu iHto Tue uihinS
room, and seated himself near the head Of the
table. Scarcely had he placed himself in the
chair, when the landlord touched him on tie
shoulder, and directed him to a seat at the
extreme foot of the table, and at some dis
tance from the other guests. He quietly re-
moved to the place pointed out, and atdown
in silence. Not until all others had been
served, did the walters give the slightest at
tention to his wants, and he wus justly ap-
prehensive of wholly losing his breakfast 1t
was fortunate that his naturally excellent ap-
petite had been suddenly lost, else he might
have suffered fer lack of the qualification.
After breakfast he remained few moments
in the office, awaiting the entrance of the
landlord; and when the room had become
we'll filed with the borders and transient
guests oil the house, he walked to the desk
and demanded his bill Without waiting to
learn the amount of his indebtedness, he
thrust bis har d carelessly in his pocket, and
tbrew down a thousand dollar bank note. The
J;n, Iandlord looked at il in blank a.