Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1859-01-07
HARD TIMES.

. VINO was drlNiuS huc ho's@
ing one hundred dollar sleigh, trimmed
with two buffalo robes. "Can't you pay
NE little money? am in great want
of some to buy provisions for my family"
81 really can not was the laconlo reply
"the times are SO hard, | can't" The whip
cracked, and he dashed on.
"Oh these hard times!' said the
man in the sleigh followed him to the
billiard. table, and saw him lose ten games
and twice as many shillings, which were
paid free as water. There were no hard
times to this man when the music Of the
billiard balls fell on his ear, nor would he
hesitate to stake fifty times the mechanic
note on the game of bras these hard
times.
"Oh these hard times !" said the man
in broadcloth to his wash-woman, as be
turned from her bill for the last months
washing. 81 have no money now and
he flung himself into the street. l saw
him pay ten dollars for a gold-headed rat
tan, and twenty for new fashioned fur
cap. He never thinks of hard times when
he wants to deck out his own dandy car
case.
"Oh these hard times"' said the ia.
ther, as he turned away the schoolmaster
who had presented his bill for the quar-
ter's tuition of his son. "Three dollars
in these hard times for school-teaching
| can not pay but one" Soon after, he
paid the dancing master ten dollars for
teaching the same child the accomplish
ment Of dancing, and said nothing about
lard times.
awe truly must be excused this year
from doing much for our pastor or other
church purposes-positively, We get no
money" Aud yet they find money for
pleasure jaun,s and parties, for new dress
and furniture, for perncious books and
periodicals, for circuses and low concerts,
or to shave note for poor neighbor, or
drive sharp bargain with a needy brother
or sister church member-plenty of cash
to subserye schemes of the Devil, but little
or nothing for God, "these scarce tines
"Never saw the like in my life," said
the youth who was silently and sueakingly
investing his every doliar-no matter how
he got tin lottery, gift, or other swind-
ling games, and refusing to pay his honest
debts, while poor father or mother or
sister is toiliug to find the great calf his
daily bread aud clothes.
Cant sign cent-times too hard,
said the prosperous mau who refused to
give anything to any charitable object or
public good, but who spends many dollars
weekly in cigars, tobacco, oysters, drinks,
eating shops, or still worse places.
"Really,we can not pay SO high wages"
said the lady in silks and furs as she rose
from devout study of the latest fashions.
"Our seamstress and hired help must work
for less, there is SO little business doing"
The wages of industrious females generally
are hardly enough to keep them from des-
pair and utter ruin, yet "bard times" are
made as an excuse by Christian women
whose mere luxuries would give support
to many respectable families-for reducing
those scanty means of existence.
"Ah these hard times. ~ said robust,
red-faced man, as he turned off his tum-
bier of brandy and sugar, and paid the
bar-keeper shilling. al can see no
prospect of better Hard times these for
a poor man to make money. l can not
get money enough even to buy the COM
forts of life, let alone the dainties. Why,
landlord, as you live, l baV had to do
withou: butter in my family for month,
and can get no money to buy any. Good
brandy, that and he filled another
tumbler. Thus goes this strong, able
bodied mans money these hard times.
ooh! these hard times ~ said the
merchant to the poor woman who asked
him to throw of shilling from the piece
of calico which he was selling at one hun.
dred per cent. in advance. ave can not
take cent less, these hard times" At
the ten pin alley | saw him pay fifty times
as much as be refused to allow the poor
woman. Thus our merchant spends his
money, these hard times.
"Oh these hard times" said loafer
as he stretched out bis legs over three
chairs by our stove. ooh! these hard
times ~ and there he sat all day, repeat.
ing, like a parrot, "Oh! hard times
hard times! hard times ~ And pitied
the man from my soul, for l believe be
thought it was hard times, when be alone
was to blame for being lazy and spending
what was better than money-his time
these hard times.
"Taxes too high, and too poor crops, to
take a county paper" said farmer, who
paid twice as much for trashy, swindliug