The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1857-10-21


uuayoiduble-on Of the incidents Of our snc-
cess. III h3a tr 1
All this was very encouragiug-h was
step forward aud upward; but il was attend
ed with certain great esils, which, collect
lively, are the causes of ihe present distress.
There is srea, ex,ravsgance of expenditure.
Perhaps no minister was less severe on the
indulgence IN luxuries than be was, because
he saw ,he functions they performed; and
besides, he never saw, house TOO COM
Portable for men and women, or dresses too
elegant though he had seen great many
houses apd dresses too costly for the weater's
means. Look at the general style OF dress
among women-iis exceeding coslinessj not
only among the rich, but everywhere, except
among the very. poor, who would, but can.
not. The fault is not with the women, who
bear all the blame, and are the butts alike for
the salirisl's. wit and tbe minister's dulness.
I If men wished women 10 be clad in sack
cloth, il would be done before Tomorrow
night: for though women has gteaier love
of decoration than man, il is far less than her
desire TO please him. And, Indeed, The very
love OF dress is with her more love Of pleas
ing others than feeling Of self-salisfaction.
Then comes the increased cost of ships, hou.
ses, shops, banks, offices, and The like, which
renders the transaction OF business more cost
ly. Then there is The increased expense OF
city, town, and State governments, ard the
foolish and wicked wsste of municipal mon
ey. Though the property of Massachusetts,
has increased tenfod within few years, The
ratio OF taxation has doubled, and in some
cases trebIeJ. Then there are the idlers. In
the town of Somewhere lives Mr. Manygirls.
He is a tosome merchant, his wife hard.
working housekeeper. Once they were poor,
now they are ruinous!y rich. They have 7
daughters whom they train up in utter idle
ness. They ars all do nothings. They spend
much money, but not in works Of humanity,
not even in elegant accomplishments, in
painting, dancing, music and the like, so
paying in spiritual beauty what they take in
material means. They never read nor sing:
they are know-nohings, and only walk in
vain show, as useless as ghost, and as ig.
norant as the block on which their bonnets
were made. Now, these seven "ladies" Gas
the newspapers call The poor things, SO in.
significant aad helpess), are not only idle,
can earn nothing, but they consume much.
What load OF finery on their shoulders, and
beads, and necks, Mr. MaEygi,ls- mani ,
men and women TO wait on his daughters
idleness, and those servants are Withdrawn
from The productive work of the shop or The
farm, and set to the unproductive work Of
nursing the seven great srown-up babies.
On the other side of the way, Hon. Mr..
Manyboys, has seven sons, who are The ex-
act match Of tho merchants daughteH-rich,
idle, some Of them Observation-Disclosures
coming before their beard--alI useless, earn
ing nothing, spending much and wasting
more. Their only labor is TO kill time, and
in summer they emigrale from pord 10 pond,
from lake to lake, having fishing line with
worm al one end aud fool al the other--
These are the first families in Somewhere
Their idleness is counted pleasure. Six oil
these sons will marry, and five, perhaps, oi
Mr.. ManygirPs daughters, and what families
they will found, TO live on the toll of their
grahdfather's bones, until commercial cri-
sis, or The wear and tear of lime has dissi-
paled their fortune, they are forced, reluctant.
Iy, to toll. II ig i.-
Besides, there is an enormous waste oi
food, fuel, clothing, Of everything. We are
the least economical civilized people on the earth
OF course, the poor are wasteful everywhere
They do not know how to economize, and
they have not the means. They must live
from hand to month, and half of what is pul
into the hands perishes before il reaches the
mouth. So likewise are the rich wastefu
who have inherited money-almost never
such as have earned it. The grast mass o
the people are not economical, but wsslefu
1T is the habit of the whole county.
The next cause is the rashness of expert
inert. leading men TO engage in enterprises
not well planned, and which turn out i'll
cost much and come to little. Hence come
attempts to develop new forms of industry
or old forms in new places; the building oi
railroads in advance Of population, or ia ad.
vance of business, and the great increase ol
shipping. But this is q falling that cleans 10
virtues side" sa W si!ls t.Et !. ses
Then the spirit which prevails in our trade
J is not very honest one. He would not gay
that we were worse than other nations; he
was sure we were better, iuster, more honest
than our fathers were 100 years ago. The
wealihiest merchant who did business in
tais city so years ago, would not be tolera'
ted on Change a single day. But look al
the defalcaiions of men intrusted with public
funds-look at the great swintlings by off,
GERS of railroads and banks--remember how
lightly all these things are passed over, and
how very seldom great thiei gets punished
! al ali-Aremember' ,ha, men fail In trade,
leaving half a million of debt, and oue-tenth
of million 10 discharge the debl--remem.
beI how the Pacific Company put 81 ,600,'
! 900 in gold of other meme property, and SOC
Of their living bodies into ship, with only
six boats, and no pump tina, could throw
J walsr-in ship thst had q: Eepu,ation 90 bad
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