Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-10-15
ONE OF THE "UNCOUNTED LESSONS
OFLIFE',
From the Knickerbocker Magazine. !

ing but HOU suggestive little sketch, was sent
us ten years ago, accompanied by note still
attached to it, assuring us, on the honor of the
writer, that it was but the simple d" record Of
an event, and Its contingent reflections, which
occurred the day before"
"Twenty-one, in New York, out of money.
These three ideas mOnopOlized my mind
early on the morning of December Is, iS4-.
was at the time engaged in teaching in
Brooklyn. L lived in a little room in the New
York University. had a shilling left.
. had no fire. couldn't afford it-sn odd
old stove, which was in the room when came,
stood staring chilly at me out of its single
lslnglass eye, and seemed to shrink with the
cold, close up to the wall against which il
stood. .-
- took down my cloak and wrapped myself
up In 1t, went to my closet and took out par.
eel OF crackers. ] lived on crackers, they were
cheap. L put them on the table, took up Car.
lyle's Heroes and Hero worshirpers,' and con.
menced to read and eat. At page I49 Carly,e
B speaking of the Hero as Man Of Letters'-of
samuel johnson. '0n the whole one in vearv
oil hearing of the omnipotence of money. I will
say rather, that for n genuine man ID is no evil
70 Dc poor that there oNght to be literary men
poor. 70 show whether they be genuine or not ,
=" So swallowed q cracker, 1they are yerv
DRY eating, and commented According TO
MI Carlyle it is fine thing to have holes in
on' pantaloons, exclusive of those the tailor
made 80 long ago. Yes, it must be that he
means, among other things, that literary men
snoold nave solutions OF continuity in their
garments, so that curious un- literary men NAV
look in and see that he is not a mere bones no,
a Hnulacrum, nor an GENERALIZATION with a
mead. That so, the un-literary man may glad
oen the heart Of the literary with a dinner
giving dollar, secure that the digestive appa-
ratus intended to be benefited thereby actually
exists.
90 How manv bolas rnaLo .-:,
q" Is Mr.. Car yle himself genuine?
poked my finger through q hole, and sat
lshed myself tnat was genuine ?"
ate crackers until the paralyzed saIiyary
glands refused to moisten the pulveruIent sub.
lect matter, and thought of those thievish Hin
uoos VINO are detected by their vain endeayor
10 mos en- rice flour in their wicked mouths
pat away Carlyle and went out to 90 10
my senool. The sun shone clear, but very cold
were the Icy ground and piercing wind Peo-
PIE went about like the smoking lamps which
the patriarch dreamed Of in old time: the sim
minded man with his mouth wide open.
pouring forth curling, graceful volumes of
lung steam, the business man, the tight-minded
and sly, with mouth close shut, the two svift
squlrts OF steam darting forth ever and anon
from either nOstril. Warm men hurried on
with heads up and confident step. Cold men
shambled alongw with that spreadedness of arms
Peounar 10 them, and to persons who have
fallen into the water
went 10 school and taupbt-snd cama
back. could not ask to be paid in advance
1 knew that my Principal was a genuine man.
L came up Broadway Borne up on the tide of
life which rushss every day along the outer
edge Of the western sidewalk Beautiful wo-
men, handsome men, busy tradesmen, we'll
dressed FaHsuys, and every one Of them looked
as If be had at least five dollars besides small
change, IA his pocket. / began to be bitterly
angry. why was not in such a case? Why
should not youth and health bring wealth with
them Can not use and enjoy this miser-
aole money better than nine-tenths of all these
that have enough and to spare9 1t almost
chOked me to think that nv poverty sbouId
shut me out from all those happy faces and
merry hearts. L think must have looked as
ugly rs felt; for L saw a most startled and
surprised expression on the face of fair Young
girl, whose eye L caught as 1 went scowling
and grumblipg along
" had an old silver seal which had halonoad
to my grandfather. stopped at a jewellers
In Broadway, Frenchman's-oSe c.; L
offered to sell him the trinket. He shook his
head, looked sour, and pointed to the door, in
n way peculiar TO dissatisfied Frenchmen. /
enumerated very general curse upon all of
mis- nation, and left his shop, making to myself
various reveDgeful and dispsraying remarks
upon himself and his compatrio;s
Il stopped at a bakers in Greene street, and
bought one pound Of crackers. 1t was the last
money had that bought them. 1 trembled with
inward shame and rage, as tossed the money
on the counter, for I saw the two shop girls
gigsle and wink at one another. They evident.
Iy understood the case. And they were fair,
pleasant looking girls too. was astonished as
WslI as enrsged that they should laugh
"A Hell-dressed young woman stood at the
counter eating pie or some such confect did
not envy her the dainty, but that she could
snord H. And L liked her: thought that she
did not laugh. l cast savage look upon the
two giggling girls which made them smooth
their faces suddenly, and left the shop. But
resolved that at some future time when should
have more money, would 20 thither and de-
YOUR pie aud cake until could eat no more, and
buy vast quantity Of crackers, Just to show
them that was not poor, and to give them
withal a blessing for that heartless unseaSon-
able laughter of theirs
Il returned to my cheerless den of q room:
sat down and gaEed at the old staring stove,
and ate crackers again. / sat very long boil
Ing Inwardly with rage and modification .See,'
said to myself, what have come to. that
have been Sc delcately nurtured, have under
taken, IN independence and nobility of soul to
earn an honest livelihood for yself, and this
is the bitter end! l am laughed at by two fools
OF snop girls as spend my last cent for meal
that beggar would scarcely relish. wish
they had been men, that might have insulted
them tor their laughter, That is the portion Of
NV lrVOh III eols oOu WOTl1-u6Yll world -
nothing commands respect that is not we'll
dressed, and does not eat pie. IL had called
for piece Of pie instead Of crackers, / should
not have been laughed at In such wise sat
until late in the evening, communing with the
bitterness Of my spirit"
We have said that the foregoing, although a
very simple; was yet a suggestive little sketch
Let us explain why it Is so: the writer is not
only now able TO buy cracker, but the estab-
lishments Of the wesl,hiest Of those who make
then-including pies an things of all sorts
and descriptions.
And the lesson implied In all this, is that
which We desire every struggling reader of
ours especially to bear in mind. We do not
say. Labor oHEia riHert, " for this is no more
uniformly true than that the race is always to
the sNift, or the battle to the strong, or favor
10 men oi skii but good heart and
perseverance are winners in nine cases ont of
ten.