Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1856-10-01
gxe. 5.
The Curse of Riches.

When We look around and see the reckless
squandering of property, and the deep indul-
gence in dissipation by young men, who, on
reaching their majority take possession If
large estates, we are more and more c lnvin-
ced of the unwise, though universal, dispo-
sition of parents to heap up riches for the
enjoyment Of their offspring. Fathers will
delve day and night, deny themselves the
comforts of life, and undergo all manner of
privations. in order that their sons and
daughters may step forth upon the arena of
life with the selfimportance of rich young
gentlemen and ladies"-little thinking they
are laying the groundwork for their chill
dren's everlasting infamy and overthrow
Let the reader cast his eye back for twenty
years, and how many who have possessed
the advantages of wealth on arriving at man
hood. have ever made distinguished state
men, eminent professional men, or common
dable patterns in society Such young
persons are thrown into the giddy Whirlpool
of fashionable excitement and dissipation
the bottle and the gaining table are their
constant coinpanions-unprincirled and de-
signing men become their hatterers and
sycophants, and ere they are aware arc stripped
OF their riches, deserted by the vampires that
leech-like stuck closely to them for the blood
they extracted, and they are left helpless.
hopeless upon the world, receiving, as they
deserve, the jibes. scorn and neglect of those
very ones who have led them on to ruin
oh J in such an hour, how they curse their
riches-curse the misjudged policy of their
! ancestors which has brought this ruin upon
; them J Had they been turned loose upon
the world, with a good education-with a
heart buoyed up by a sense of their mental
superiority. genius and power, they might
have listening Senates charmed, and carved
their names high in the proud temple
h. of fame and usefulness. But alas now, who
so low as do them reverence? Such an one
may excite the pity of those who sympathize
ce with the unfortunate, but who can extract
a the poisoned arrow of remorse which il
he singing him to the death ? How frequently
in does the weapon of the suicide close the scene,
:, or the grave cover the bloated wreck Of
on him, who in a few years has squandered the
hard earnings of honest industry, sunk him
self lower than the brute creation, and des.
at sended those dark vaults where hope never
~. comes. Verify riches is a cursel Rejoice
of Oh young men of energy and talent. tina
you are not numbered with it. By well-ar
Use piled means, you may become a public bene
len factor, and the world be the better by you
on, having lived in it but had the luxury @
emf wealth been your inheritance, you might hay
ub- been a curse to your country and a foul bic
are upon the character of man.
. a How sensible the ejaculation-"g give m
neither poverty or riches"-but of the twt
ncs to the young man wishing a respectable pc
the sition in society, the former is far preferable
on for while the one chills and freezes, it ma
be overcome by determination and a stror
ised purpose to succeed yet the other stupef'
.apa into a dull, supine iuertness, which i ma,
n to only the more helpless by being bereft of Il
LOT only stay upon which it relied for support
iele- JUvENAL had maxim, which reads "V
more do not commonly find men of common sen
" as amongst the highest fortune"