Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1859-07-29

Excuse my bringing you into the kitchen
said Mrs. Cottage; but 5ou know we are poor,
and can't afford two fires
s.Glad % see you, Mr. Mark, = said Mr.. Cot
tage, .sbut sorry to lose so coed neighbor, for
hear Jon are going away. hope you will
come back rich y
I "Thank you, / hope So, too; though money
don't ensure happiness always
/ s+That's true,'' said Cottage @Look at MS.
/ We are poor enough, but we have health, and
food, and shelter, such as il ii; and as l0ng az
We have work, We can keep fthe wolf from the
door, as the saying is, and don't VERY for
more As 70 my wife, she can speak for her
self.n
4 doa't want 70 be any happier said Mrs.
Cottage, sand can't expect it. | see SO many
! unhappy people, that it makes me thankful
that we are as Will off as we are, though we do
ligu very hunblg
You arerich in having such ad;spositions
retur1ed Mark, comparing their contented faces
with those ho bad just parted from--sricher
than some of your neighbors.'
! think thai replied Mr.. Cottage, smiling
archly, we every day manage TO give something
70 the unfortunate. who come TO Us after hav-
ing been turned away from other doors. Few
50 poor that they don't see poorer. l ofien
wonder il the rich ever think, when they close
their great doors on the starving and ragged,
that they MAJ be poor themselves
They deserve TO be, 1t aug ratr,' said Mark,
| without the luxury which q poor man has, IN
his own applauaing heart, Khen he gives from
his little store 70 a poorer BROTHER
Mark took his leave, and, on the following
day, ba1e 4 long farewell to bis native land;
as ber shores receled behind the blue waters,
| over which, IS be gazed, ha felt he might never
pass again. To the distant mart, where he had
chosen to east his lot, his business bound him
for period Of len years; aud then, With ea-
ger heart, he returned from bis long but pros
porous exile
sI WONDER thought he, as the vessel neared
! bis native city, show our old neighbors of the
court get along2 Dead, or gone away, per-
haps. IL vii! be interesting to know; and the
alteration may be q comment upon The traits
they exhibitc1.'
| Soon after lauding, be repaired TO the old
/ familiar court. But neither Coyets, Clutches,
] Crashes nor Cottages were 10 be found there.
iie ascsrtaiasd the address Of the Cottages,
! however, aud called upon them forthwith.
| The carpenter had become rich man, and
now lived in handsome mansion. Industry,
enterprise, integrity, and contented spirit
had found his way to fortune--powerful auxil-
iaries to his skill in his craft, and, after con-
graduating the worthy family upon the agreea-
I Die changes in their affairs, Mark asked them
what had become Of their old ueighboTs.
The Clutches, you will be astoaisLed to
hear, now live in a n4serable cellar, in an OBJ
scure quarter of the city. Two years after you
left, their house was destroyed by fire, without
insurance; and by the failure OF bank and a
land speculator, they were reduced to nothing
- with not friend to help them. In their
prosperity, they were kind to nobody; in theif
adversely, none were kind to them.'
sAud the Crashes p
They crashed, for about four years ago every
thing was taken from them; and they now board
out somewhere, and, perhaps, are taking useful
lessons ip honor, industry and foresight
sAnd the Coyetsp
'Both died of dyspepsia, consumption, or
some kindred complaint, brought on by worry
ing about the affairs of other people. They
died within year of each other, and are now
resting where there is no chance to envy their
neigabors; for all are situated alike on the last
great democratic level"
| AS Mr.. Felix Mark wended his way to his
hotel, he pondered seriously upon the great
changes which had occurred to those four fami-
lies within the short space of ten years; aud it
seemed to him, that if some poor story writer
should be made acquainted with the facts, he
might deem them worthy of narrative, if only
for the moral they contained.
The SickIes ReeOncfFfaftOn--Ee efter
fr0m the Injured buG F0rgfying
Husband.