Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1855-06-12
s nr, n CT Is D IT a. e.
OLD P A u L.

" ~ ~ A " 40
'OLp PAuI. is dead-and who cares
No.body for old Paul was a sloven, a
slu,toa, and a drunkard disgrace to
his family, a laughing'stock TO his
neichbors, and a nuisance in society
and when he died, the world said "Good
radiance to bad rubbish F.: like beas, he
has lived, like beast he has died, and
let his memory perish" Still, old Paul
made mos, respectable appearance, as
he passed through the village on his
way ID the grave.yard-thc most fcspec'
table he had made in it in twenty years
for. instead of that old broken.down
rack .of.boncs he was wont to drive IN a
harness tied together with two strings,
old Paul was drawn by a stately white
horse, in rich trappings; and instead ol
that crazy old wagon, with rickety
wheels and splintered shafts, cid Pauls
carriage (though, for some reason, but
few like TO ride in it) was certainly eve'
nv way respectable. Nor did | now see
thai: poor old man, in his sloveniy old
fashioned, white sur,out, and jambed'uP
hat, with sore, blood.shot eyes, and
burning face, and long, grizzly, filthy
beard ; for old Paul had driver, and
rode himself inside. And instead OF the
+ crowd of rascally boys who were wont
to follow him-deeming it rare sport to
see humanity sunk below the brute-old
Paul was followed by long and mos;
resp &c, ia BILE runeral.traln for he had
many relatives, though no friends y and
they were all most respectfully dressed
. in mourning, g,thoush in all the sable con
course that stood around the open grave
| saw not one quivering lip, or one iall
f ing tear as the first earth clods iell heaV
). lily upon the collins lid.
- Old Paul's wife left him near twcnt.
- wears ago, and the world excuses her 10
3 it; for how,said the world, could an
;, woman eve. live with such brute /
y But old Aunt Prudence shook her hea
at this off.handed verdict OF the worlt
as much as 10 say, it was not alway
, thus. Once he was rich, young, dashln
!. Paul; and Polly Jones, proud an
~ handsom as she was, met him more tina
,o ,o halfway, it we could believe gossip I'LL
w. se years ago; for he was rich and she, wt
= moor. And, "ir the truth must be told
=. :" said Aunt Prudence, knocking the ASH
u, from her pipe, and lowering her voice
Io confidential tone, es il AFRAID Oh o
w, W. ing overheard by some tenant oil u
%, %. graveyard "if the truth must be tol
Il" they du say" forgetting the tongu
once busy with such gossip, all exec
l., ber own. had long been silent in t
so. crave "they du say that Paul mari
l;ss. for beauty, and Polly for money; a
'nd md YOU know-as old Billy, down at I
nj nj poor.house, says-life's wagon will
viii hard when there's no love to grease
les wheels" Yes, gold had dazzled a
,iv blinded the one, and beauty had dazz
or and blioded the other. But the hon
Va. moon soon waned, and they woke up
or the reality: the one, that the gold VIII
the inspired her ay.dreams might, alter
,wn w be but the whiting Of sepulchteI,,
dis. mere surface. gliding Of a coarse and
tai nature the other. that the bea
which had so bewitched his fancy,
hey rrost.work glittering in moonlight M
ma. be brilliant, and at tho same time
so zins cold that it might be but the ]
mon lsh 9 on cold, dead marble-the brill
,ssi. covering of proud, unwomaniy'
with sympathizing heart.
ID to "How shockingly they have abb
irect them pens !" exclaimed old Pauls
,ture the day after he was buried, on retur
and to the house that had been her h
mean for more than thirty years, where
Pa. children had all been born and son
. nor them had died. Old Paul was inde
,ense brute, and he was well.matched with
who, under such circumstances,
think of such paltry trash.
good But three short weeks had passed!
luty ? heard that old Paul's wife was 81
ilton, next day, worse--and the third
rela. dead. And she had to pass owe
70 felt same road, drawn by the same rlchi
IN, he parisoned horse, in the same much q
-ecian ed carriage, to be laid in the grave b
but By Paul's side.
one m One day, I chanced to take a wa
"er Of old Paul's house. The spring W
its glory. The forests covering the
eye were clad in their richest vsrdure.
apple.trees were in full bloom, and
the air with fragrance, while the
IGHT. feeding upon their blossoms, III
me all with dreamy murmur. Inc col
lat you Just peeping from the ground, q
Ifye.felds were beginningto wave