Demoine courier., 1855-08-02
MODERN COMFORTS.

l. is very common to talk Of the "good
old times" Of a few centuries back, and
there are some who live go entirely in
the romance of the past that their eyes
are shut 10 the conveniences and COM
forts that modern science, skill and In.
1elligence have provided. History sell
dom presents US with the details of the
domestic life of our forefathers, and as
poetry colors and groups them for her
peculiar purpose, We insensibly become
used to looking back, upon the Golden
time" with a reverence that hides its i'm.
projections and exaggera'es its virtues
But this Golden ,ime'' was without doubt
vastly inferior to the present age, in NOR
alily, intelligence and refinement, whilst
it was utterly destitute Of the comforts
and appliances which now constitute SO
imporlan, an item in the aggregate Of
human happiness. Some of our mos,
common enjoymen.s were in the middle
ages unprocurable even by the wealthy.
Indeed, when we come TO examine how
our ancestors lived, we almost wonder
why they lived.
A Roman Senator, who, in the En-
pire's palmy days. possessed estates in
Naples and Britain, from which he drew
an income tina, would be equivalent to n
royal revenue in this day, had neither
glass to his windows, nor a shirt TO his
back, and when he rode in his coach Of
solid gold, without spring or covering,
might envy Dur laborer who goes on. TO
work liza railroad car. An Earl Of
Northumberland breaafas,ed off wooden
irenchers and dined ~ias,ate off Of pewter
and when he was absent from Alnwick
Castle, the glass was taken out of the
windows and laid up IN safety. No. a
cabbage. carrot, turnip. or other edible
root grew in England during the early
par. Of the reign OF Henry the Eighth,
and from the scarcity of fodder, fresh
'nsat was OILY obta'nable during the
= INNER, sailed hogs flesh being gene
iiy used by all classes during the rest
ii the year. So important an article,
then, was cattle, that i, was known as
live money and our word '.capi,al
which signifies stock generally, was de.
rived from the Latin word '.capi!a," or
heads OF beasts. The etymology OF the
law term ~.'chaules.'' is similar. Queen
Elizabeth was satisfied to breakfast of q
tankard Of ale, and dreamed not of the
day when tea, coffee and sugar would
Become necessaries to the poorest house
hold of her kingdom. The cause of all
the increased comforts, which the moss
modest income will now procure, and
many Of which were formerly beyond
the reach Of even the richest, is found in
the accumulation of commodities, and ia
the accumulation of capitsl, augmented
and diversified in its employment. by the
security given TO il by The demand which
il in turn produces for labor, and the re-
ward i, holds GU, for the discovery Of he
new and useful in science, arts and me.
chanics, and by the facility Of exchange,
BY which all the products of labor and
skill are bartered directly or indirectly
for one another. Civilization and pro
gress have brough, to every country in
which they have found Judgment, more
real luxury and happiness than were to
be found in any of the regions pictured
by the poets; even though a fruc,ious
fancy represented their rivers as flowing
with milk; The trees dropping honey, and
the acorns as edible as cheslnu,s. A
single bright thought, worked GU. into
the means Of extending the happines.
and dominion of man, does more for the
world than all the tabled gifts Of the goods
Of classic antiquity. Amer.
icdn.
n In st. Louis. on Saturday night a
young man named Blessing. Of good
family, took his sister, who has been
leading a dissolute life. out riding into the
country and there shot her. He then
returned 10 the hotel where he was stay
-. ..l.. C..An, ahot bincolf & =