Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1857-06-13
M | S G E L L A N Y.
A SHORT STORY.

We must work. Many who have been for
tunato in business and having early acquire
wealth, have retired from the active pursuits
of life, to find what they call ease, have found
instead, an accumulation Of cares and evil, real
and imaginary, which they never supposed TO
be connected with life of idleness. There,
for instance, is our old friend Coffee, for many
years one of the firm of Coffee, Rice & Co.,
wholesale grocers in South street. Coffee
commenced business in early life, and being
enterprising and energetic, and as busy as a
bee, the business prospered and became widely
known fo- 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
Che was only forty fys) in some secluded spot,
where the fluctuations of the flour market, or
the rise and fall of pork and moasses, would
disturb his quiet soul no longer. He would
not be an anchorite, no not he. He loved good
society too well for that. He would build him
mansion in the country, far away from the
noisy sounds and noiseme smell of South
street. lie would provide ample acrvmurvda-
tions for friends who might come to partake of
his good cheer, and he would lead pleasant
poor Coffee while thou vast acquainted with
all the ms and outs of trade, thou vast igno-
rant Of thine own self.
The partnership was dissolved, the site fol
house selected, and in due time, splendid
mansion was built. 1t was the most elegan
mansion in all those parts. Honest Iustic'
gazed with establishment on the evidences o
wealth it displayed, the country siorekeepe
congratulated himself npon the probable acqui
sition of customer, the village doctor calcu
lated on an additional patient, while the poo
parson rejoiced in his heart that there was som
probability of having his small salary increase
by the liberality of a retired merchant.
For the first few months everything went o
admirably. Coffee had enough to keep hi
at work in arranging matters around the me-
place, and getting everything in proper ord'
for permanent use. But when all this was al
eomplished, time hung heavily on his hands,
There was nothing to keep him employed-f
all the work on his place was done by hire
hands, and as be was determined 10 be FIR,
from all care, he even employed man as owe
seer over the whole. The sum total Of Coffee
daily occupation was eating, drinking al
sleeping, with little reading and on an occ
sional ride. 1t was not long before symptor
Of dyspepsia and of govt appeared, and aft
suffering months of untold agony he left i
splendid mansion for the ''narrow house a
pointed for all living" Poor fellow
died because he had nothing else to do.
Then there was his neighbor Lapstone W
tried hard 10 keep souls in the bodies of hi
self and wife and eight children by daily pla
L.,b 40 c.ba
humble house was almost under The shadow
the great mansion, and he often sighed, as
looked up from his leather seat and saw
rich Coffee whir rapidly by in his spent
coach, and was as often tempted TO break
tenth commandment, and wish himself aw
from his wax ends and his avis, and in poss
sion of some of his neighbours riches.
True, Lapstone was in comfortable circu
stances, though he was poor man. He |
a little garden patch wher he could labor
an hour or to every day, and while provd
for his table be preparing himself by out-d
confinement of his trade. Then his wife "
4 model of a woman, frugal and indnstro
while the young Lapstones wers hearty
robust, and some of them old enough to W
in the shop. But Lapstone had fancied, as
Jaw the wealth and show of his neighbor,
it was a fine thing to be rich and take
world easy. Therefore he had sighed W
Ms neighbor rode lazy along in his carric
while he sat Cor ten hours a Gay hammer
sole-leather.
But when at length he saw the funeral Il
which carried the rich idler TO his long no
be came 10 the conclusion that health is b,
Man ,cealth, and contentment more 10 be DIES
han great riches. And that's the moral
the story.