Nebraska advertiser., 1859-08-18
Hard Times.

Cant you pay me a little money on
your note, to-day!' said a hard-working
mechanic of our acquaintance the other
day, to a man who was driving a fine
horse before dashing one hundred dol
lar sleigh, trimmed with two buffalo robes
Can't you pay me little money, l am in
great want of some to buy provisions for
my family
Ireally cannot was the laconic reply.
The times are so hard l cannot.' The
whip cracked, and he dashed on. .
All! said | to myself, are these times
so hard? Is money so scarce that tie
industrious poor cannot be compensated
for their labor! Twill observe the say
ings and doings of men, for one day, and
see.
'Oh! these hard timesD said the man
in the sleigh, as he was wrapped in warm
buffaloes. | followed him to the billiard
table, and saw him lose ten games, and
twice as many shillings, which were paid
as free as water. There were no hard
times to this man when the music of the
billiard balls fell sweetly on his ears; nor
would he hesitate to stake fifty times the
mechanics note on the game of brag,
these hard times. rgfu.i
oh! these hard times = said the man
in broadcloth TO his washerwoman, as he
turned away from her bill for the last
month washing. i have no money now,
and he flung himself into the street. L
saw him pay ten dollars for a gold head.
ed rattan, and twenty for a new fashion
ed fur cap. He never thinks of hard
times when he wants to deck out his own
dandy.
sOh! these hard timesr said the faith
er 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 l
cannot pay but one.' Soon after he paid
the dancing master ten dollars for teach
ing the same child the genteel accomplish
ments of dancing, and said nothing about
hard times. le-.
'Oh! these hard timesp said robust.
redfaced man, as he turned off his tumbler
of brandy and sugar, and paid the bar
keeper shilling. i can see no prospect
of better. Hard times these for POOR
man to make money. l cannot get money
enough to buy the comforts of life, let
alone the dainties. Why, landlord, as
YOU live, have had to do without butter
in my family for month, and can get no
money to buy any. Good brandy, that's
aud he filled another tumbler. Thus goes
this strong able bodied mans money,
these hard times.
'Oh! these hard timesr said the mer-
chant to the poor woman, who asked him
to throw off a shilling from the piece of
calico which he was selling at one hun
dred per cent. in advance. we cannot
take cent less these hard times At
the ten-pin alley l saw him pay fifty times
as much as he refused to allow the poor
woman. Thus our merchant spends his
money these hard times.
'Oh! these hard times p said loafer
as he stretched out his legs over three
chairs by our stove. oh! these hard
times p and there he sat all day, repeat
ing like a parrot, Hard times hard
times And l pitied the man from my
soul for believe he thought it was hard
times, when he alone was to blame for
being lazy and spending what is better
than money, his time, these hard times.
oh! these hard timesn said a young
man who had been married year. i do
not know how shall live this winter
can get no money to buy my winter
stores And / followed him home, where
found man, woman and boy, hired to
wait on him and his wife, in these hard
times.
oh! oh! these hard timesp and /
thought if these men would be industri-
Gus, economical, and content to live with
in their means, these hard times would
soon become easy, and so concluded these
hard times would be attributed to these
lazy, spending men. And while these
hard times continue, the industrious sup
port the idle.