Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1856-01-16
From the Olive Branc
STOPPING THE NEWSPAPER.
A HOME SKETCH.
by E. A. W. H.

Clothed in clean Bingham, her dark
chestnut hair parted back from her high,
white forehead, and twisted into a simple
knot behind; with a sadly questionable
smile upon her thiE lips and that red rose
upon her cheek which Death sends as a
love gift to the consumptive, sits Mrs.
Lane, the mother of three children, whose
ages range from nine to thirteen. Paul,
the eldest, is a bright boy, with his moth
er's high, pale brow, and slight form, her
own dark locks, and large ~lustrous eyes
and with the least bit of sarcasm about his
handsome mouth, provoked into existence
by the superciliousness of his self cleo
tol superiors. in the great world, which
he is of late beginning to see in its true
colors.
Freddy, the second, is of a less refec-
tive nature with blue eyes, a more robust
frame, and more daring spirit and Effe,
the daguerrotype of her once beautiful
mother, is the %softest, sweetest little fairy
in the world.
Mrs. Lane has always a pleasant voice ;
but now she addresses her children in that
soft undertone which all human beings
should reserve for the ears of the best be-
loved.
Il I'm always sorry, my dear' children,
to deny you any innocent pleasure but the
times are hard, our expenses heavy, pay
fot my own labor comes in slowly and |
have concluded upon reflection, among
other curtailments of expenses, to have
discontinued some Of our newspapers.
There is The Times VIC will not give
up, because from that we learn all about
the great changes taking place in the world
continually aud the Gazette we will re
tain, because it is the opposite of the
'Times' in politics, and | wish you, my
sons, to grow up thinking, manly boys
judging for yourselves of the relative mer
its of public men, and opposite parties
But those Magazines and Litery Journals
which we like so well, and those count.
papers, which remind US of dear little vii
lagos, where for a few years, at certai
points of our checkered lot, we have mad
our home, we must give up, for to pay fc
SO many papers another year would be
serious inconvenience, and a SIN
Pale, high minded, reflective Paul, rea
izing at once the wisdom of his mother
words, with his eyes bent resolutely on tt
glowing CRATE. and his hands clasped tigh
ly together, (child-man that he is } repli
mother, you are right we cando witho
those papers l am glad you have thong
of this
r please, mother keep my favorite, IT
White Lilly says more thoughtless Ere
e dy; think of it! good stories and paint
flowers, all for one dollar-that isn't mut
= Let me write to the printer, paul C
> make the capitalist will tell him h
v poor we are, because fathers dead, and y
are not we'll, and VIC are all so little a
h may be he will gre 1t to as next year,
cause we have taken it so long
Poor young dreamer! how little J
,e know of the human heart !! she respon
he as a single tear falls upon her lap, and II
ne downward to the hearth stone.
it always has such pretty pictures, g
talks so pleasantly about good people
little children but Cont mind about n
Ii keep the 'Lady's Book which you h
lie. taken ever since you were a girl ,
sweet little Efie winds her arms lovin
about her mothers neck, with a spiri
self denial worthy of one twenty years
bo senior.
oft your happiness has always been de;
M to me than my own, my children; an
Of in after years, you should be tempted
les selfish thoughts, remember, that J
tai mother never coveted for herself any
Iuc ury beyond your reach She covers
les face with slender fingers, through wi
,ck hot tears gush for one bitter moment
lly the worst is over.
ere She seats herself at the table, WI
ind hastily to different publishers, e~nclosin,
ike arrearages, seals and sends those lei
ils, away. Outwardly, her cheerfulncss
the turns for she would not, for want of
low control, cast the shadow of her own
hat cry over those sunny joys which are
on, birth-right of all innocent children
by another thread is woven with the m
,ath web of care upon her temples, for, O
ipa- the cares which necessity has laid upol
ugh shoulders, this, Of giving up those
asst, families newspapers, has been one oil
and hardest and heaviest.
d. A publisher sits in an easy chat,
larry convenient desk. He wears a rich
and of cashmere, faced with silk yeIye'
, on hose are silken, his slippers richly en-
to dered, his vest is of the most app
ing pattern, and his neck-cloth is tied alan
now He is intellectual, and gentlemanIy, "
the clear cold eye, compressed lips, a m
mathematical forhead, a steady hanc
and be brief, he is "a business man."
and opening letters, and, as his eve runs
the the unfolding sheets, he murmurs II
ming "sPlease discontinue'-"we can do
the out him-thinks his two dollars per
of great account to US, and we are a.
nory lated of course, "-'enclosed find tw
!; to lars for the next years subscription
en- is a man'-'discontinue' "again-
to and sweet,"-'a few stamps0pape
stec- three monta5--"niggardly"-'aha !!
acea- Lane'-after patronizing US for fifteen
holy very reluctantly declines our acquain
q for She is poor'-whcn will women le
ON a write strictly business communicate
'evIs- as if we had anything to do with her
cling liar circumstances well, we'll, y
ICY" live without her, and all the rest oft
heart How little knows that cold, b.
1t man of the fierce struggle between il
olup- ton and duty which bowed the ST
ms OF his ex-subscriber to the very dust
dark sent the pang of disappointment Il
Cnnly Al -