Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1858-07-21
.~ EDGEFIELD S. c., JULY 2 1858

the family to listen to iireslde lecture. But
what was Lord Jcffrey's CONSERVATION, when
the entire household being assembled in the
drawing room, the worthy minister said, in o
solemn voice, "Nly lord, always begin my ex-
animation with the head of the family. Will
you tell me, then, 'What is effectual Calling"
Never was an Edinburgh reviewer more
thoroughly nonplused. After pause, during
which the servants looked on in horror at the
thought that judge should not know his cate
chisn his lordship recovered speech, and an
swered the question in terms which completely
dumtounded the minister
"Why, Mr.. Smith, a man may be said to dis
charge the duties of his calling effectually when
lie performs them with ability and success"
4 SENSITIVE DEBTOR DRIVEN TO SUICIDE.
The Cincinnati Sunday Dispatch, of the 30th
ult., has the following The daily journals yes
terday told Of poor man by the name of VIM
ter who committed suicide by drowning himself,
and they added that embarrassed circumstances
were supposed to have been the cause of the
rash act. And this was his obituary, and he
went down into the dark waters, and none, save
some half dozen orphan children, who are cast
upon the broad, troubled surface OF q selfish
world, will give passing thought upon the poor
suicide.
And what were the embarrassed circumstan-
ces' which could weigh so. heavily upon one
conscious of an Immortality beyond the grave,
as to make him rush heedlessly into the dread
unknown, and, peril his eternal welfare? Poor
sonl it is said that he owed hard-heartei cred
itor paltry sum of S35. With his scanty sala-
ry, and large family of helpless children, he
found himself unable to pay it. The creditor
sued, and shark-like, hungry for the marrow of
his victim, after obtaining judgement, for the
poor fellow was too honest to gainsay the debt,
he attached the paltry sum left in the hand of Eis
employees. This was tautamount to seeing his
little ones turned into the street, for the money
attached was intended to pay his rent, and pro-
vide other necessaries for his motherless children,
and so despair took possession Of his soul, and
feeling that the dear ones for whom he had toilcd
and struggled could not be worse Oft, even if he
were no more he took the fatal leap, and as the
turbid waters closed over his head, there was reg
istered by an invisible hand damning record
of life sacrificed to avarce and cupidity.
Millonaires may swindle their creditors with
impunity, and the law will not touch them. Cap
itasts and bankers may close their Golfers, burs-
ting with yellow ore, to the demands Of their cred
itors and starving victims, and still the world
will take them by the hand and deem them mar
velous proper men, and smart withal. But the
law-we had almost said curses upon it-can
take the paltry savings Of q poor wretch who de-
pends upon them to purchase food for bis fami.
iy. 1t can teach him to be honest, even at the
expense of his temporal and spiritual life; but
thank Heaven, it cannot pursue him beyond the
grave, and we take vengeful pleasure in. be-
lieving that the balance sheet between the rich
,Rs5;eeutpr, and his victim will some time be
Struck.
We do not know who the relentless creditor ID
that drove poor John Winter to commit the last
desperate act; we do not care to know him but
we do know that we would not exchange onr
honest poverty for his conscience, with the
wealth of CrGsus thrown in.