The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1857-02-04
Hey, Doneld, mon, dinna ye ken yer old

SA>A
frien's?'' cess
The man looked up in astonishment. 1t was
Donald Lean. His amazement at our appear
ance was heightened by its style, and 1t was
with the greatest difficulty that we could induce
him to enter our carriage, and answer our num-
erous queries as to old friends. 81
Different men ''start in life" different ways.
1 believe, however, that mine is the only IN
stance on record ola gentleman who owes wealth
and happiness to rolling over with pretty girl
in stream Of water.
|. An esteemed subscriber, residing in the coun-
try, sent US the following article for publication.
+ It originally appeared in the N. Orleans Bulle-
tin, and is worthy of serious consideration.
'To MOTHERS WITH MARRIAGEABLE DAuGH-
TIERS. Under this somewhat suggestive cap
ton we find communication in the Vicksburg
Wing, purporting to come from gentleman,
desirous Of marrying somebody's daughter
containing good deal Of sense which applies
to other localities besides Vicksburg. As il
touches upon matters which have occupied some
considerable attention of late, and refers to a
growing evil in this country, we have thought
it worth while to give our readers the benefits
Of few paragraphs from it which they can make
the most of, or not just as they please. TIC
vein Of satire which runs through 1t Is well de-
served in many quarters throughout the south
'sOur hero describes himself as passably
good looking, neither drinks whiskey, chews to-
bacco, nor smokes cigars; and has a credit in
his bank book, sufficient, with economy to pay
his board and dry goods bills for al least one
year in advance. This is the saving OF seven
years labor, just half the time the good pat1'
arch labored for two wives-the writer wants
but one He also has a cerkship worth $500
per annum, and is twenty eight years old, and
as the Tennessee horse jockey says, "sound il
wind and limb.' In community where labor
is respectable, and where the industrious mar
and busy house wife, and not the idler and plnl
saucer Miss, are the gentleman and lady; witt
such a capital and future prospects, the mos
timid votarv of Hymen would have nothing tt
fear in kneeling before the altar and pIlghtne
VOWS with the one beloved; but here, where the
music of The spinning wheel is an obsolete idea
and the dusty brogans and rough hand of toi
are pushed aside by patent leather, and kic
| gloves, and pomatum, and the "balm OF a thou
sand flowers preferred AS hair and skin preser
vatiyes 10 the sweat OF the brow that earns the
bread, man who, with such means and pros
pecjs, would commit matrimony, would be es
| leemed by those who have ''seen the elephant
AS either a, fool CT a madman; for 1t would take
the half Of his bank capital to pay house ren
for year, and the balance to hire his servants
to do what the bride would most cheertuly do
if twas only respectable, but the doing of whicl
would lose her caste, and ladies of 'ton' woul(
not visit her-and that would be awful, yo1
! know
| Well put The extravaganza which, in ml
tation OF worthless New y York gamblers ant
! forgers, is working its way through our country
is having most mischievous and dangerou
! tendency. People in order to be tashlonabt
must, to keep up appearances, live beyond thel
income, and in order to accomplish the object
all sorts of discreditable and disrepuable shift
have to be resorted to- That which would sup
port family handsomely, and scatter the gen
ial sunshine of content and happiness throug
THE household were ii fashionable TO be simpl
and economical, is entirely insufficient to sup
port that ostentatious and inflated style of livin
which is rapidly spreading itself over the land
Ii no wonder that prudent, sagacious and real
~ HONORABLE and honest young men OF moderat
means, who always make the best husbands
/ the best heads of families, as we'll as the mos
useful, enterprisng citizens, and most distin
guisbed men stand appalled, at the idea Of in
curing the expense Of family ndulging i
The extravaSant fooleries and practices of equi
vocal morality, to say the least of them, no'
beginning to flood the country. The great mas
Of people in every community must necessar
be in The enjoyment of only limited resources
even under The most favorable state OF society
and of but small resources under every othe
state. 1t is, therefore, utterly impossible 70
them to indulge in the follies of dissipation an
dleness, and be honest. If they do SO, some
body must suffer, and the young man depend
ing upon small salary who undertakes to sup
port wife and family in the deterlorating hab
lis aud usages of the spendthrift and proflIgate
must calculate to do it at the expense Of bis in
tcgrity, good name and ultimate prosperity
This the Young wife, as we'll as the young lad
before she becomes wife, and her mother an
| relations, ought to know and reflect well upon
| This whole idea of family extravaganza is found
ed upon false and most pernicious view c
things in relation to social fife; and like all 9th
er false and pernicious views it leads to its M
tural and legitimate results. Tie grand crro
! lying at the foundation OF the whole matter is
that labor is derogatory to social position, to tru
! gentiIity-a greater and more degrading false
! hood than which never cursed human society
1t was proclaimed to Adam as primal la"
that in the sweat of his brow man should ca
his bread, and he who undertakes to reverse 0
conravene this law, as experience everywher
proves beyond all controversy, arrays himself i
opposition to the bthests of Providence, and wi
I to certainty find himself, or herself, worste
in the struggle. Accordingly, we find that idle
ness, as we'll in woman as in man, is the paren
of almost every evil. Without it, or its equiv
alent, health gives way; discontent, sourness
''moping melancholy" and thoughts that lea
to all sorts of vices take possession of the mind
making life curse rather than blessing. l.
addition to this, the idle must be supported b
somebody, or commit crime, or both An
fashion OF tendency ofthe times, therefore, ,whic
any kind of honest labor to be looked upon a
something not quite respectable, must necessa
/ rily be productive of evil, and only Oil to an
community where it may prevail =aa
There is another matter very closely connec
ted with the subject of our Vicksburg writer
! complaint which deserves attentlon--an evl
/ that has led to not little wretchedness and ma
NV crimes Mothers-and fathers too, as +