The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1858-02-18
Cursed with Blessings.
BY 7, 9. ARTHUR.

BY T, g. ARTHUR.
~Cu,s.d with blessings" closed the page,
and leaned back in reflection.
-. Hete is another paradox" said I. "Cursed
with blessings! Itis simply contradiction in
terms. What does the writer mean p
-'fsI turned TO the page again. and read on
"a There is such o thing as being cursed with
blessings, so that the earthly good man seeks,
shall become the creates evil iha; csa be visited
upon him."
- some CLEANS Of light passed into my mind
Thought and memory went TO work; and soon
around the POSITION gathered host OF il'ustra-
ting incidents. Remembered the case Of man
who, in early and middle Lille, slwaye. in family
prayer brought in the pe,ition-'' Increase our
basket and store." And the worldly good thugs
he SO much desired. came came IN rich abuii'
dance. He added house 10 house, unit! his
rents came howing back upon him, prncely
income. But his selfish heart made all h!s
earthly blessings q curse. Like she miser, his
lite was ia his possessions; aud when anything
threatened these, trouble of spirit came. The
dread OF loss by fire. haunted him like mut.
deIer's conscience He insured, but felt only
half protected by insurance. tof there were dis
honest companies, flaws in contracts, quibbles
in the law. He had suffered one loss III this
way. IL was not serious. but enough to break ms
faith in Insurance as reliable projection
bell, by night or by day, gave shock to his
nerves, and sen, psng OF fear to his hesrt.--
Sweet, refreshing sleep, became stranger to his
pillow. The ghost OF apprehension was forever
BY his side, fearful vision.
Then morbid dread Of poverty and, aftera
time, his day-dreams and httul night visions,
began to be OF psuperism and the slms-hous'.
AT sixty he was insane, from this cause, and
died in the hallucination OF abjeci want. leav-
ing hundred thousand dollars Of property.
which passed TO heirs, who made the blessing
curse also as he had done, bu, in another way
In five years from his death, his two sons rsa.
lised their fathers fears. and now NIL paupe"
graves }' :,
= "Cursed with blessings Even so" ! said.
'ss memory closed the page on which this his
tory was recorded. Like the mama which
the children of Israel gathered in the wilderness
lfe's blessings must be used to day--if horded
sslfishly, they will not keep
Another illustration memory gave: knew
man who set his heart upon wealth, as means
OF comfort in old age. 81 am willing 10 " ork
now," he used to say, while am young and
vigorous; though business 10 distasteful to me.
IlOve ease and freedom. and for the sake Of
gaining them toll on i'll early manhood"
And while he toiled on he was comparatively
happy. / can remember him as one Of the most
cheerful men in my circle Of acquaintance.--
But competencs rewarded his labor ere yet his
sun Of life had swept beyond the z'nith, and ms
basket and store were full. His toll was
crowned with blessings. And so he retired from
the busy world to enjoy those good things which
had come TO him in return tor useful INDUSTRY
Alas for my friend. He had no taste for books.
no love of art. no fondness for country life. or
pleasant gardening. His mind had only been
educated In one direction. He was man OF
business, and that alone. And so. he had moth
dns to do but to Sit down and enjoy himsel T.
How impossible that was. ne discovered III
less than month. During the first and Sec
ond season, he tried Cape May. Saratoga,
Newport, and . trip down the Lakes and
the ST. Lawrence. But he did not really enjoy
himself How could he? There is no enjoy
ment for man living without purpose
Mere killing time is on'y slow. soul-ki'ling
Operation, and 10 always accompanied by pam
II. Ten years ago it was when my friend retired
from business to enjoy his fortune. HIS cur
OF blessing was full, and he has been holding II
TO his lips ever since trying to find sweetness IN
the draueht: but Judging from the expression oi
his face the tone OF his voice, and the charsc
ter Of his remarks. I think the wine in hi
cup must be dsshed with unusual bitterness
His blessing has become curse.
Another received . moderate fortune from
distant relative. He happened to be heir-st
law. and the relative. dying without will, he
came most une xpe ctedly into possession of sbOu
ahirty.ive thousand dollars in cash. He was
clerk, with salary of thousand dollars year
living frugally with his wife and two children
ina small. rented house. Few men enjoyed
life with keener Iest than this young msn.-
But the fortune proved his ruin. The clerkshiI
was at once given up for business venture
Abe hired house for handsome purchased dwei
ling; Omnibus rides for drives in an elegant car
risge; social tea companies for elegant parties
His course was brillisnt but brief. The blessing
ives made curse. Soured. dissatisfied. mad
dsned BY sudden fall from the height up t.
which he had SCARED. away down into tho vale
Of s6ject poverty. he lost self respect and Sc I
control Drink mads the ruin complete. Hi
pale. widow sits toiling now early aud late. sri
wing to keep the hungry wolf from her door.
Shall we 60 on, varying these illustra ions @
the tsEt7 They may be taken from every coll
dition in life. and from all lite wide relations.
There 10 not a reader who cannot supply hi
quota, and set them even in stronger light tina
We have done. Aud there is not a reader VIII
nav not with the writer. hnd in his own pas
''history almost unnumbered instsncrs, in whic
he has turned his good things into evil n
blessing into cuTsins. We all do IT, VIII "
lei Affection rest in rprN nalutsl and sensu'
things, Instead Of makiRg these things minisis'
Of he souls higher life. Worldly possessl"n