Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1857-12-16

trench, Sir, but rest assured / shall not
adopt any habits of plebian economy to
crafty cold, selfish, unrefned, cruel hus-
bandp
:" ] am much obliged to you, madam, for
your opinion of me so candidly expressed
/ had hoped was neither over selfish or
crueLhearted. But let that pass there
arc other matters of more importance to
be discussed at present. assure you /
am on the very Verge of hopeless bank
ruptcy--ny liabilities are beginning to
crowd upon me, and to meet them, am
compelled to make ruinous sacrifices; and
yet You insiat -s.ssst srosyrl xtfaEszanee mslst
be increased, rather than diminished. But
/ will convince you it shall be remedied."
"Our manner of living, sir, is not beyond
the fashion of the circle in which we move"
"Fashion Fashion That, madam
has nearly ruined our country. We court
foreign fashions and foreign vices; the We
ry furniture that adorns this room is taken
from some French model, and your bonnet
and shawl have some odious transatlantic
name attached to them, and it is wonder
/ if they are paid for-and this is all fash
iondbLe! But you spoke of change
Well, you shall have it, or am not mas
ter of nv means. Everything shall be
changed. This household shall be chang
ed from one of the most foolish extrava-
gance; changed from a mansion of useless
display to a cottage of humble comfort !;
changed from a family of idleness to one of
. =, Il. II all
other jewleled gewgaws to implements
of housewifery changed, age by the lord
Harry, complete change and revolution
!, from garret to cellar, or am lifeless dupe
to your vanity-a martyr to your folly
= and bankrupt"
"Mr. Ketchem !" exclaimed Mrs. K.
"Oh Pa, Pa p joined the daughters
"Oh! you may all exclaim as much as
5 you please, but the long and the short o
the matter is this your extravaganza has
} brought you and me to the brink of begga
}. ry; for this morning only five hundred
3! dollars could be called mine, and not that
: for many times that amount is due m,
= creditors, who fortunately, think me abl
e meet my demands-my name alone keep
# this shelter over your heads. When j
It once gets ahoat that am bankrupt, whicl
n is inevitable, you and |, and my dear frien
l. Skinem will all be turned loose from tn
l. fashionable tide to work for our bread.'
d ooh mo, Pa" exclaimed Ritty, but Ketch
D em had become familiar with exclamations.
N "The jewely, the plate, the furniture, th
d, house, everything, Snnst be pa7yned for me
yho% Il ohe
re "Mr. Ketchem, | must have money
redeem that bracelet from the Pawnbr
kers, and the girls must have their shawls
or "You heard what | said so you ma
n, commence on the new programme to mo
he row."
vn "Oh dear sister," said Clara, eve a
er ruined the shawls dear sister, the shawls
ty "Could'nt you borrow, my dear husban
lis and cautiously reinstate yourself, or at let
keep up appearances for while" said Nj
Ketehem considerably softenedin in her ma
~ ners since she saw the course affairs we
ed taking.
lP "Can Crocus borrow?"
so "What aOiU our friends say! !"
vas "Say we are fools, Mrs. Ketchem."
/ is "Oh ! our daughters fortunes will
to ruined Mr. Ketchem, you must M
me age to keep up appearances for their sa
Remember they will never mary if tn
nds fortunes are blasted in the way you spt
"" of; remember it rests with you to cit
see them married off to good match
which they will be if you but preserve Y,
name for wealth, or to see them Injured
ad- hardship and toll, the constant attenda
of poverty"
low "Then you would have me mantle th
exa- with cloak of pretended wealth, hide tt
ives imperfections with amask of deceit and
the ing, and thus cheat some honest fellow v
ym- a doll Of whalebone, cotton wadding
hen silks, which he, poor dupe of fashion, VIC
nell take for prize"
,uld care they not your daughters 2" was
re- simple yet potent argument of the po
YES mother.
tch- The arguments of Mrs. Ketchem, joi
ed" by the entreaties of the weeping daugh
were successful in inducing Mr.. Ketcl
nave to use all his strategy in maintaining
der name for wealth, at least until his dal
ousi- tiers were married and he in turn TO
our them to terms of retrenchment in the
rant, of future expresses, but the majority c.
tho see no place to reform except at the
ang- when no company was present. To
rove the Ketchem council agreed.
hui At breakfast the next morning
ul to family gathered around the table L
with few simples almost too meag
, Mr.. satisfy the most devout Grahamite, al
rent shade of humility rested upon the b
It my of the proud wife and daughters, We
-ions; murmur escaped their lips; itwas mi
xpect compact, consented to in council, an
would they devoured the cold ham in silence
ssoci- same ham the mere mention of which
,laced the cause Of an octave being hurled at
4 nat est Eaton's head the day before,
Yes, | now being consumed, while Eaton, v
ONE" characteristic it was to grin, now rev
| am at least two more of his ivories than {
S rap dinary occasions. He was so much s
sed at the course Ketchem events we
is to king that he wondered "wat de saint
Crocus would be nexm
'you
ses = KITCHEN IN HIS OFFICE.
uch a When Mr.. Ketchem went to his OF
Pinchpenny Row he found Crocus
was a before the fire with his face resting
honest hands.
,ppress @Good mornino Crocusn