M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1858-10-21
SntGtsting stOrp.
From the New York Commercial Advertiser
MY WIFE'S COUSIN.

of Philadelphia. ! had not seen him
for long time, but having heard that
he was in afhuent circumstances, | was
but little prepared for the condition in
which | found him. Through infor.
nation derived from q Philadelphia
directory, went to one Of those al.
leys with which that city abounds, and
found his name on a sign board, as.
sociated with that of another man,
over a dark and dingy shop. The
sign purportcd that they were lock-
smiths and bell hangers; also that
locks were repaired ana keys ftted.-
Without ceremony | walked into the
gloomy recess, where there was q
blacksmith's forge, and where among
several muscular looking men up to
their armpits in work, was "my wite's
cousin" lie received me most cordi-
ally, and Tor q moment iutormitted
filing a huge brass key on which he
was engaged, and the shake of my
own dexter by one Of his broad Draw
ny hands, can liken to nothing near
or than the shock Of young earth
quake.
"Take a scat, take a seat" he OBJ.
served, sand just as soon as finish
this key we'll make tracks for home"
|, of course, replied that | was in
no hurry, and at once became interest
ed in the facile manner in which he
was mctamorphosing a rough casting
into polished key. AS soon as it
was completed he washed the worst
of the dirt from his hands, hung up
his work apron, and then putting on
his coat and hat, remarked in cheer
ful tone, Come, now, cousin Aleck,
let's 60 and see whether wife has got
any tea for u.s."
After we were in the street, our
conversation inscnsibly ran on bust
ness, and took occasion to say to
him that | had been of the opinion
tnat he had retired from his trade on
q handsome competency. "Don't say
a word about retirement" he replied,
"it nearly makes me sick to think Of
it. People talk of retiring from bus.
iness while they are healthy and able
to work; why, | tell you, Aieck, they
don't know what it means. ! didn't
know what it meant until | tried it.,
but now retirement and misery sound,
to my ears, like words Of about the
same meaning"
Perceiving that | had struck a sub.
| iect on which he could easily be COM
municative, Hooked inquiringly, when
he rejoined, "Perhaps you never heard
the particulars OF my retirng9"
On my replying that had not, he
proceeded. you see, Aleck, it is
about three years ago, that, having as
you would say a competency, | made
up my mind to stop work, and move
into the country. So sold out my
share of the business to my partner,
spent year or more in looking at two
or three score of country places, and
at lastfound one that wife and myself
were tolerably well pleased with
Fine double house, four acres beauti-
fully shaded, vegetable garden not to
be beat, and soil of a superior quail
ty. The place is still in my possess
ion, but before would 60 and live on
it again, I'd give it away; yes, Aleck,
I'd see it sunk in the middle Of the
Dead Sea. But am getting little
ahead of my story. For two or three
months, matters and things went on
very well, because | had something
to attend to in making a few little i'm
provements about the house, and fur
nishing a number of the doors with
locks Of my own invention; but as tht
whole premises were in excellent re
pair when | bought them, | soon came
to a point where there was nothing tC
look after but the cultivation of tht
garden. | was not long though il
making the discovery that l had nj
genius or taste either for diggin!
around roots, or pulling up weeds, ant
so as wife didn't wish the garden t
run to waste, | employed regula
English gardener to carry the thinl
handsomely through.
swell, ! don't mind the expense h,
put me to in the way of guano, new
tangled gardening tools, and paten
watering apparatus; for l had full
expected to spend money, and thank
to our previous economy, we had tn
money to spend; but, Aleck, it wa
really very amusing to see what tn
fruit and vegetables raised from ou
garden stood us in. Making use c
the little arithmetic | was master of,
recollect that l cyphered up the cost
some of the table tixins, and the re
) suit was-cucumbers, seventeen cent
IA, T.,,-- -'-~Nn peas, a dollar and thre
ulu Iho Do 90 ',L- Fl
replied that, "One va,