Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1857-05-30
Mistellaneous,
A SHORT STORY.

We must work. Many who have been
fortunate in business, and having early ac-
CURED wealth have retired from active pur.
suits of life to find what they call ease, have
found instead an accumulation Of cares aud
evils, real and imaginary, which they never
supposed to be connected with life of idle
ness. There, for instance, is our old friend
Coffee, for many years one Of the firm Of
Coffee, Rice x Co., Wholesale grocers, in South
street. CoAe commenced business in early
life, and being enterprising and energetic,
and as "busy as bee," the business pros
pered, and the firm became widely known for
it, successful trading. After Coi!c hs,a been
IN business for about twenty years, be concu-
ded he would retire from active life and spend
the rest of his days (he was only forty -iye)
in some secluded spot, where the fluctuations
Of the -four market, or the rise and fall OF
pork aud molasses would disturb bis quiet no
longer. lie would not be an anchorite; no,
not be. He loved good living and good So
ciety too well for that. He would build him
q mansion in the country far from the noisy
sound and noisome smell of South street.
He wonld provide ample accommodations for
friends who might come to partake Of his
good cheer, and he would lead a pleasant,
easy life. Such were his plans But alas
poor Coffee while thou was acquainted with
all the inns and outs OF trade, thou vast igno
rant OF thine own self.
The partnership was dissolved, the site for
a house selected, and in due time a splendid
mansion WAS built. 1t was the most elegant
mansion IN all those parts. The honest
rustics gazed with astonlshment at the evil
dences of wealth it displayed, the country
storekeeper congratulated himself on the
probable acquisition of customer, the village
doctor calculated on an additional patient,
while the poor parson rejoiced in his heart
tat there was some probability of having
his small salary increased by the liberality of
retired merchant For the FIRST few months
everything went on admirably. COTE had
enough to keep him at work in arranging
matters around the place and getting every
thing in proper order for permanent use.
But when all this was done, time hung heavi-
ly on his hands. There was nothing to keep
him employed, for all the work on his place
was done by hired hands; and as he was de-
termned to be free from all care, he even
employed man as oyerseer of the whole.
The sum total Of Cofiee's daily occupation
was eating drinking and sleeping, with little
reading and an occasional ride 1t was not
long before symptoms Of dyspepsia and gout
appeared, and after suffering months of
untold agony, he left splendid mansion for
"the narrow house appointed Tor all the liv-
ing" lie died because he had nothing else
to do.
Then there was his neighbor Lapstone
who tried hard to keep souls in the bodies of
himself, wife and eight children, by daily
plying his honest trade Of shoemaking. Lap
stones humble house was almost under the
shadow Of the great mansion, and he often
sighed as he looked up from his leather seat
aud saw the rich Coffee whirled by in his
splendid coach, and was so often tempted to
break the tenth commandment and wish
himself away from his wax-ends and his avis
aud IN possession of some of his neghbor's
riches. True, i.apstone was in comfortable
circumstances, though he was q poor man
lie had little garden patch, where he could
labor an hour or two every day, and while
providing for his table be preparing, by out
door exercise, for the indoor confinement of
his trade Then his wife was perfect model
OF woman, frugal and industrious, while the
eight young Lapstones were hardy and robust
aud some OF them able to help in the shop
But Lapstone had fancied, as he saw the
wealth aud show of his neig ghbor, that il was
fine thing to be- rich and take the world
easy. Therefore he sig he'd when his neighbor
rode laZily along in his carriage, while he
sat for ten hours day hammering sole
leather. But when at length he saw the
funeral train which conveyed the rich ider
to his long home, he came to the conclusion
that health was better than wealth, and con-
tentmeut more to be desired than great riches.
All that's the moral of this story.
I