The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1859-04-27
ACHApTER I'm REAIsLIFE

On almost any day IN the week, upon the
sunny side of the sidewalk IN Third street may
be seen an aged man hobbling. along upon q
staff, his whole appearance indicating that all
his reflections are memories, and if he knows
single hope it is fixed upon acountry beyond
the grave, where penury and want cansnever
enter s--sEz 2-7grsTz -s- 1As
The history of this old man vas yesterday
narrated to us. . For convenience sake we will
speak of him as Mr.. james. Some time ago
Mr.. James was man of comfortable substance
He owned a farm, with stone house and barns,
and cattle to match, in the most fertile part of
Montgomery county. The devil, in the shape
of bank president, induced Mr.. Greene,
neighbor of Mr.. james, to mortgage his farm,
get note discounted, and build Grecian cot
tage with twenty-four columns holding up
nothing. Mr.. Greene, went ahead and built
the cottage. Mrs. Greene then took on airs,
and allowed that she could no longer associate
with them Jameses' This angered Mrs.
James, who informed Mrs. Greene that she was
t.not to be trampled upon" Mrs. James al
lowed that her folks were as good as "them
stuck up Greenes," and that she had asmuch
right to a Grecian cottage and twenty-four col-
umns, as ssthem snips on the next FARM. Mrs.
James kept up her din for some, weeks, at the
end of which time the subject of this sketch
struck his colors to his wife, Even wise
man will often do foolish things to escape
curtain lectures He borrowed good round
sum from the bank, gave his note, mort
gagged his farm, and built a Grecian temple--
For brief period Mrs James was as happy as
a dowager, and now that Mr.. James had an
abundance of. money, and could get as much
more as he wanted, came on shopping excur-
sion every day, except Sunday. Mrs james
purchased the most extraordinary bargains, and
hattered herself into the belief that she was
cut out for commissarY general.
Z So far so good, In a little time Mrs y ames
began to fdget again. The rusty, homespun
carpets were as old as Adam, didn't cover one
half the floors, and were a disgrace to the,
Grecian temple !; while the storekeeperss were
advertising Kidderminsters at a trife beyond
drime cost Poor Mr.. james! He was q
poomed man from the time he obtained his
first discount. Mrs. James procured a three
hundred dollar carpet for her parlors swhile to-
keep it company, Mr. James had to buy a
seventy dollar mirror, set of fifty dollar win
dow curtains, and forty dollar hearthrug.--
The rug was what the dealer called agen, 1t
had very happy design-a vplture eating an
aptelope-a bank financier s1doing" Mr.. James.
All this "splurge2 carried beautitude to the
heart of Mrs James and made her as happy as
a fool at fireman's parade. Despite all this,
however, Mr.. James ran away with the idea
that s'NIr and Mrs. james of DruIds Dell,
were making asses of themselves. Mr. james
became lowspirited and felt that his farm was
no longer his own.l The Grecian temple and
his fertile fields, instead of being source OF
enjoyment, only increased his regrets, as he
felt that ere long they must inevitably pass
from his possession. One of those periodical
tornadoes to which the credit system is subject,
was heard ruinBling at a distance. The bank
began to sink into collapse, and Mr.. james
was apprisedby the cashier that his notes would
not be renewed, and that there was no telling
how soon the institution would be subject to a
run.
The sequel of the history is that James
notes went to protest; the mortgage was fore--
closed, and the farm and temple were knocked
down at public sale, for just enough to pay the
notes. The property was bought in by the
cashier who thus converted paper promises In
to hand. asz5 sT'a gs
Mrs. James pinned away, and died of disap-
pointed vanity, and poor james has, at last.
! found shelter with distant kinsman, where he
shares the common lot of age and poverty
neglect and contempt. He is now upwards OF
fonrseore years of age, waiting patiently for
call to world where he humbly hopes to ind
rest in the presence of his Savior. HIS hlsto-
ry contains moral, and thatis, that snarilng,
snappish and discontented wife invariably
drives her husband to one of the three things
E-intemperance Generalization or bankruptcy.
There are many women in the world having
precisely the indiosyncracies of Mrs. james
North american, Philadelphia, FA