American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1858-10-29
Alisrellai,eol,s.
nGx WITH'E CoUSTrf.
A STORY WITH A MORAL.


time, bat having understood that he
was in affluent circumstances, was but
little prepared for the condition in
which found him. Through informa-
ton derived from Philadelphia direc-
tory, / went to one of those alleys with
which that city abounds, and found his
name on sign, associated with that of
another man over o dark and dingy
shop. The sign purported that they
were locksmiths and bcll'hangers; al
so that locks were repaired and keys
fitted. Without ceremony I walked
into the gloomy recess, where there
was blacksmith's forge, and where
among several muscular looking men
up to their armpits in work, was "my
wifes cousin" He received me most
cordially, and for moment intermit.
ted filing huge brass key at which he
was engaged, and the shake of my own
dexter by one of his broad, brawny
hands, / can liken to nothing nearer
than the shock Of a young earthquake.
Take a seat, take seat" he observ-
ed, and just as soon as finish this key,
we'll make tracks for home"
Assoon as it was completed he wash
ed the worst of the dirt from his hands,
hung up his work apron, and putting
on his coat and hat, remarked in a
cheerful tone, "Come now, Cousin AL
eek, lets SO and see if wife has got any
tea for US.
After we were in the street, our con-
versation insensibly ran on business,
and took occasion to say to him that
had been of the opinion that he had
retired from his trade on handsome
competency. "Don't say a word a.
bout retirement" he replied "it near
ly makes me sick to think of it. Peo-
pie talk of retiring from business while
they are healthy and able to work ;
why l tell you, Aleck they don't know
what it means. / didn't know what
it meant until I tried it, but now re-
tirement and misery sound, to my ears,
like words of about the same meaning.
"You see, Aleck, it is about three
years ago, that, having, as you would
say competency, made up my mind
to stopwork and move into the country.
80 l sold out my share of the business
to my partner, spent year or more in
looking at two or three score Of coun-
try places, and at last found one, that
wife and myself were considerably
pleased with.
"For two or three months matters
and things went on very we'll, because
had something toattend to in making
o few little improvements about the
house, and in furnishing number Of
the doors with locks of my own inven,
ton (; but as the whole premises were
in excellent repair when l bought them,
| L soon came to q point where there
was nothing to look after but the cul-
tiyation of the garden. I was not
long though in making the. discovery
that 1 had no genius or taste either
for digging around roots, or pulling up
weeds, and so as my wife didn't wish
the garden to run to waste, / employ
ed a regular English gardener to carry
the thing regularly through.
swell, didn't mind the expense he
put me to; but somehow | folt out of
my gearing in not having the right
kind of employment. Wife did her
best to coax me into gentlemanly ways;
had the old mechanical CRIME all thor
oughly scrubbed out of my hands--fin-
ger nails cleaned out and rounded--so
as to make it appear, that had new
er done any manual labor.
! "Then we must get behind O couple
of Morgan ponies which had purchas-
cd, and make fashionable calls in the
daytime ON those who had called on
us; and wife wanted me to soften down
nay voice, and to be particular about
my grammar, and the subjects talk
ed on; but sometimes forgetting my
self would revel in the proud memo.
Try of the locks and keys had han.
died in happier days, and commence
a history Of my exploits in that line,
when my wife would look as though
she was going tosink through tho floor.
In fact she wished to keep perpetu-
al lock on my lips $50 far as our ante.
cedents were concerned, with the key
in her pocket. But sighed for the
shop, and time hung so heavily on my
hands, that an hour spent in stupid
4 listlessness about the house, seemed
longer to me than day did, when I
had orders ahead for locks, and was dri-
wing hard to get them done at a given
time.
My youngest brother, who is o col.
lego'bred man and lawyer, sent me
at my request, 6ne collection Of