Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1858-02-04
0m strag 8gak.
The Diamond Earnings.
A STORY FOR THE TIMES.
BY L ASHTON.

in moderate circumstances.
Is there 50 much happiness in diamond
earrings. my dear?" quietly replied her
mother, the sole other person in the roo
with her.
Happiness? ] should be perfectly
happy. You don't know. mamma, what
a beautiful pair Esther Hawley has. All
the school girls envy her.
I'm afraid. my child" said Mrs. Al
lingham, 9 that if you had the earrings.
you'd soon he wanting something else. for
in a little while you'd get as much used
to them as you are to your pearl Ones
Besides | don't believe in young girls
wearing diamonds. So, even if your faith
er was richer. ! should oppose your get
ting diamond earrings"
Mary sighed. No one but herself
knew what a serious disappointment this
decision was to. bar. The possession Of
diamond earE had. long been secretly
her ambition. btffaware Of her mothers
aversion to costly %jewelry for girls, and
doubtful Of her fathers ability to pur-
chase such extravagant gems, she had let
nearly a year pass before she could sum
mon courage to speak on the s~atiect.
That evening when Mr.. and Mrs. Al
bingham were alone together. the latter
mentioned her daughters wish.
Il saw the tears come into Mary's
eyes," she said, when I denied the re-
quest; and it almost made me wis h e
could afford to CRAFTY her. fl had not
thought it would feed the vanity, which is
-, b0. ono xr,ook foiilo 7 clarl1 lo-a
quite wished it,"
Mary is a good girl" replied Mr.. Al
bingham, refectively. Maybe, too. if we
gave her the ear rings, it would teach her
a lesson. She'd soon find that happiness
does not consist in fine jewelry, but in a
contented and cheerful spirit"
$50 / told herr
"But there's no. teaching like expert
ence. Though The world is many thous-
and years old. each generation refuses, as
ohstinately as the very first did, to accept
the lessons Of life at second hand. We
all despise the wisdom Of our fathers, and
secretly laugh when they moralize, though
in turn, we are foolish enough to suppose
our own children will give heed to US
Its human nature, and there's an end OF
it."
"And you think we. can afford the ear
rings?"
They may save us greater cxtrava;
gances after awhile. One can't always
deny an only daughter. Mary is sensible
and will learn, | hope, the lesson we wish
to teach ner. if we crafty her in this mat
ter. It will be a cheap way, in that
event, to make her ecomical."
and c%ontented?"
Yes! for that's even better than econ
omy."
So the earrings were bought, to the
svifd delight for-no TAD given
up all hope Of Them. and could hardly be-
lieye her eyes, when she saw them on her
dressing table, on Christmas morning.
How proudly she wore them to the great
family dinner at her grandfather's that
day! How she fancied everybody was
looking at her at church! How green
she thought Esther Hawley turned with
jealousy when they were worn to school
for the first time!
But Mary, as her mother had foretold
soon began to tire OF the ear rings. She
found they did not make her as happy as
she expected. AS she grew older and
went more into society, she met girls who
had diamond bracelets. and who were Just
as much more richly dressed in compari
son. At first this made her envious. But
as her father had said, she was both good
and sensible; and gradually she began to
see. that, as she could Tot have every
thing she wished. it was better to put a
limit to her desires ut once. She observ-
cd that such Of her companions IS We're
most contented were also the happiest.-
A poor widows daughter, Susan Bonnet.
was the most cheerful OF them all.
Mamma is right she said to herself.
" 1t isn't what We wear, that makes us
happy; it is the contented mind within
One day. she entered the room, where
her parents were sitting. 1t was a cold.
bitter winter, aud there had been much
suffering among the poor.
Pa" she said, Il have brought you
ny diamond earrings, for if you have no
objections, | should like to have them
sold, so as to give the money to the poor.
There's old granny Winslow, they tell
me, hardly has anything to eat. | know
you gave me the earrings. not because
you thought them suitable for me, but
because | had set my heart on them. /
lnd now, that | was unhappy, not because
had no diamonds, but because | was
daily breaking the tenth commandment
-as4d gpilty tousness. She hang
down her heak with shame. $50. If YOU
please, I'll do without the ear rings. and
be content with my old pearl ones, which
are more appropriate to your means, dear
papa"
The tears cameiQto the eyes OF both
Mr.. and Mrs. Allinglfam. as they pressed
their child by turns, to their hearts.
Mary has since married a wealthy mer-
chant, and has diamonds in plenty; but
she has never forgot that first lesson, and
often alludes to it.
Rich as we are she said, only the
other day, when talking to her mother,
: there are many things we cant ARD
| saw.such a beautiful pictnse. Of Ayy
Schafer, when we were IN Paris and vas
tempted for o moment, to wish Henry
would buy it, though / knew it would be
a bit OF extravaganza, considering how
much our trip had cost: but | thought Of
the earrings, and was contented to do
without it,
A Hint FoR FARMERs.-The German.
town Telegraph says :-'s It looks as tho
there mipht hn comnthinr IN thiS