Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1857-08-05
~FlETEEN YEARS In HELLm

As, with stamp of the foot he dashed on the
table the pen which had made him a bankrupt
and beggar was the exclamation of gentle
man of sixty, who had been born and reared in
luxury and wealth. This excellent man, in the
course of business, had become involved, but
was hoping and striving, as honorable mon do,
to swork<Q out Of his embarrasSments; )" and Tor
all that lBng time, he did work, and worked
hard-allowed himself no indulgcnces, sacrificed
his large property freely, whenever necessary to
meet s engagements" But all would not do,
and closed the strife by saying, /" am old and
1,oor and hare no home"
Not long ago, a gentleman who had failed in
business but had subsequently paid all his debts,
and was now acting in a capacity which, while
it involved no pecuniary responsibility, was suf-
ficient to enable linn and his family to live COM
fortably, said, 81 am one of the happicst men
in New York, and no amount of money could
induce me to repeat my former career. l could
not do it. The efforts to keep up the name OF
our firm would now cat out my mind"
Another gentleman, still in active business,
who lives in his own house, and who is adding
to his fortune every year, said with the serious
ness of man who in moments retroSpcctlon
had lived over the strfcs of quarter of a CEN
tury of business, Gould have known the day
I entered New York boy, the cares and anx-
ietcs which have had to encounter, Manhattan
Island and all that is upon it, would not have
presented the slightest inducement to undertake
lie task"
Within month a gentleman whose "house,"
in single year, cleared six hundred thousand
dollars, has been sent to the lunatc ASYLUM,
and has since died, at an age but little beyond
that at which men arc fairly prepared to live to
purpose.
Little docs the careless and pcnniless light
hearted passer-by of the splendid palace of Fifth
Avenue, and Union Square and Fourteenth
street. imagine what storms Of passion and OF
fear, what wrecks of heart md hope, what with
ering of the sweet joys and anticipations Of
youth, what 4 drying-up of the better and puIer
feeling of our nature, these stately mansions
have sometimes cost their owners.
"NEhat did that house cost ?" is not an un-
frequent inquiry. "I am ashamed to tell you y
or ''lnorc than it is WORTH" is very common
response. The true answer in many instances
is, "h has cost me my soul !"
To maintain good name at the bank, at the
exchange or OH the "street," is an idolatory
with many New Workers; and to that idol,
rather than be sacrificed, men will offer heart,
conscience independence, everything. A good
name, certainly, can never be overvalued; it is
worth more than millions to the man in busi-
ness il is as much his duty as his interest to
maintain it at any pecuniary cost, at any perso-
nal sacrifice; and it is highly creditablc to our
business community that so honorable feeling
generally prevails. But the error consists in
men placing themselves in positions which pre-
sent the strongest of all possible temptations to
sacrifice independence, and heart, and con-
science, in order to maintain their standing in the
business world. Beyond all question, the uni
versa error of the agein this country, is "hassing
to be rich;" and this neglect brings with it, in
multitudes which we know of, the premature
decay of body and mind together, and in the
sweeping ruin carries with it down to deat-.