The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1857-11-07
rraoAana.:

I - ~ 8 leGO AHD 4 i. ssa 81, /
have but one enemy in the world
COMPOUNDED fellow called Ego. He and |
were thss best possible friends formesly.-l
Whcse We were boys together though he
got me into q few school-scrapes now and |
again, and once made me run away from |
hOns7-sna had ~ merry time Of it ON the |
whole. But when grew up to manhood he |
became my ruin. He spent all my money
he wos.liinsista on my drinking too much |
brandy; he urged me on to quarrel; he
taught me how to gamble; in short he un-
dertook TO convey nae by express to the
devil.
The worst Of, it is, that the fellow has,
and always had, certain fascination for
me-. lie has such gay, PLAUSIBLE way Of
leading nae aetray. Whenever am led in
~ temptation BY him, and the thing is all
over, and am mourning over my past fol-
lies, | invariably find myself trying to cx-
cuse Ego. He did not mean it should end
SO. The thing might have turned out DIFF
fcrently. Anybody-why not Ego?-would
have b.cn deceived.
when couple Of years ago, I undertook
to keep a bachelors establishment of 81 m
did proportions on two thousand dollars a
year, it was Ego that persuaded me to this
rash step. ~
<sMy dear fellow" said Ego, ssyou will
save by it. You can get nice small house
FOR Eve hundred dollars a year. Your dress
will cost you FIVE hundred more; and for
fifteen additional you can supply your mod
est table and personal expenses. This, you
observe, will DC five hundred more than your
present income, but that small sum you will
more than realize by having home of your
own. You will remain more within doors:
you will work more; and the chances are
that instead of adding five hundred you viii
add thousand dollars to your income"
1took the house, at rent of six hundred;
but as Ego said, what difference did one
hundred dollars make to me in the long run.
furnished it; that cost me two thousand,
the payment Of which, as l have no ready
money, had to install with monthly INSTALL
ments, with mortgage on the goods to my
creditor. | was obliged to have two SER
wants, who robbed INC. lam not inhospita-
bic, and, as have large acquaintance of
young men about town who like good bot
tie of wine. My first three months in my
new d0micile was a scene of dinners, suppers,
and champagne breakfasts. Not much work
done that quarter. But Ego told me that
next quarter could make up for lost time.
Somehow didn't. How could l? Men
dined with me every day. From dinner they
remained to supper. Generally had too
much wine to 60 home. Plenty Of spare
beds in a bachelors house, you know. Of
course a breakfast next morning. Who
would think of giving an ordinary breakfast
to n lot of seedy men who went to bed the
night before half drunk, and who wake up
with unstruug nerves and a craving for
stimulus? Overture of champagne cock
tails; then, an hour afterward, oy sters, dew
lied turkey, omlets, patti de .toi gras, with
etceteras. Sauterne, claret, eliminating in
Meet and Chandon's imperial. Then the
siemi tasse, with the pousse cafe, of Kirch-
wasser, brandy and Curcoa. After all, CT
CARS and conversation far into the day.
Meals such as this can not in any country
be called inexpensive, and series of them
recurring three times week brings up the
household bills to quite an aristocratic pro-
portion. 5f4
Such meals, besides, have the curious
property of disinclining person for work.
Now when person spends money very fast,
and doesn't make any, the result must be an
aperture in the vocal composition, other
wise hole in the ballad. Ego could not
contrOvert this.
OF course, there was soon a hole in my
ballad. My furniture was seized. Not hay
ing been able to pay my rent, was uncer-
enormously ordered out Of possession.
had host of Infatuated tradcsmen lowering
around me, us the Cossacks lowered around
Napoleon's army in retreat. To crown all
my misfortunes had to board. Board after
six months of such luxury us mine! The
reverse was terrific.
have been in difficulty ever since, but
would have saved enough to have gotten
myself out Of them long ago, if it had not
been that this abominablc Ego is always Sc
ducing me into spending in some frivolity
tho money destined for better purpose
He whispers to me that must have n new
coat-one of the late fashion. Mine has
been out of date nearly three weeks. lie is
enraptured with breast pin at Ball and
Blacks-a charming trifc Of eighty-fve
dollars. He is consumed with envy when
he perceives young Belzcbub wearing long
winter boots, when have only the ordinary
Wcllingtons. l must have pair of enam
cled leather. So the fellow goes on. There's
no resisting him, he has such a pleasant,
plausible way with him. He has a wonderful
knack Of presenting the bright side of things
to you. He is dangerous fellow, this Ego.
Seriously, l have been coagitating for
some time quarrelling outright with Ego,
only don't know how to accomplish it. !
can't cut him, for the fellow won't be cut.
It's no use to tell him to leave me, for he
won't take the hint. He has been with me
SO long that have become a sort of second
nature to him. can't fight him on account
of our near relationship; and can't kick
him because my gymnastic education has
been neglected. | have sometimes thought
Of refuge--suicide. But if were to take
my brains out, am not quito sure that
would escape from Foo.