Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1856-12-17
MISCELL A n Y.
A Short Story.

A Short Story.
We must work. Many who have been for
tunate in business, and having early acquired
wealth. have retired from the active pursuits OF
life. TO find what they call ease, have found in
stead an accumulation of cares and evils, real and
immaginary, which they never supposed to be
connected with life of ideness. There, for in
stance is our friend Coffee, for many years one
of the firm of Coffee, Rice " Co., wholesale gro
GERS in South street Coffee commenced busl-
ness in early life, and being enterprsing and EN-
ergetc, and las busy as bee, ''the business pros
pered and the firm became widely known Tor
their successful trading. After Coffee had been
in business for about twenty years he concluded
that he would retire from active life and spend
the rest OF his days (he was only torty-hye) IN
some secluded spot, where the fluctuations OF
pork and inolasses, would disturb his quiet soul
no longer. He would not be an anchorite, not
he. He loved good living and good society too
well for that He would build himself man
sion in the country, far away from the noisy
sound and noisome smell Of South Street. He
would provide ample accommodations for his
friends who might come to partake OF his good
cheer, and he would lead pleasant and easy
life. Such were his plans. Bat alas, poor Col
fee whilst thou was acquainted with all the
inns and outs of trade, thou vast ignorant OF
thine ownself.
The partnership was dissolved, the site for
house selected, and in time, splendid mansion
was built. 1t was the most elegant mansion IN
all those parts. The honest rustics gazed in as
tonishment on the evidence of wealth displayed,
the country storekeeper congratulated himself
ON the probable acquaintance of a customer, the
village doctor calculated OH an additional pa
tient.while the poor parson rejoced in his heart
that there was a probability Of retired mer-
chant For the first month everything went on
admirably.
Coffee had enough to keep him at work ar
ranging matters around the hew place, and get,
ting everything in proper order tor permanent
use. But when all this was accomplished, time
hunp heavily on his hands. There was nothing
to keep him employed-ior all the work ON his
nlace was done by hired hands, and he was de-
tern,ined to be free from all care, he even EN-
Moved n man as overseer over the whole. The
sum total OF Cotfee's daily occupation was eat
ing drinking, and sleeping, with little reading
and an occasional ride. 1t was not long before
symptoms Of dyspepsia and of fgout appeared, ,ano
after suffering months of untold agony, he lef
his spleudld mansion for "the narrow house ap
pointed for all living" Poor fellow lie died
because he had nothing else to do.
Then there was his neighbor LapStone, who
tried hard to keep souls into the bodies OF him
SELF and wife and eight children, by daily plying
his honest trade of shoe-making. Lapstone'
bu,nble house was almost under the shadow o
rLe great mansion, and he often sighed, as ht
looked up from his leather seat and saw the ricl
Coffee wllirl rapidly by in his splendid coach
and was as ofteu tempted to break the tentf
commandment, and wished himself away from
his wax ends and his avis, and in possession o
some of his neighbors riches True, Lapston'
was in comfortable circumstances, though NJ
WAS a poor man. He had little garden patel
where he could labor an hour or two every day
and while providing for his table, he prepared
himself by outdoor exercise for the indoor con
fnement of his trade. Then his wife was a per
feet model of woman, frugal and industrious
while the eight young Lapstone's were heart!
and robust and some of them old enough tt
help in the shop. But Lapstone had tancied, a
he saw the wealth and show of his nelghbor
that it was fine thing to be rich and take tn
world easy. Therefore he had sighed when HI
neighbor rode lazily along in carriage, whll'
he sat for ten hours day hammerlng Soie-leath
er. But when, at length, he saw the tunera
train which carried the rich ider to his lonl
home, he came to the conclusion that heaIth acq
better than aoealth, md cOntentment more to b
desired than great riches. And that's the mora
of this story.