Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-04-08
nIscEIIA11ous EI1D1se.
LIVING BEYOND ONES MEANS.

editorial head:
1--WE have once or twice, recently, alluded
, to practice prevalent among business men.
ofiping beyond their p,edns-and thus bring
ing upon themselves failure which was no
fault Of their mode of business, but only of
their manner Of living. 1t il not safe to lnok
only at mans store to know bis standing
| in business; you must look also at his house
Hissplendid profits may entirely merge them
selves in his splendid dwelling. so that, if he
should suddenly fail, his assets would be
! found to consist chiefly of carpets, mirrors,
frescoes, pictures, marbles, furniture, and Il
variety Of similar articles, all belonging tn
the inside of 'brown-stone 'front.' Now, if
what is poured into the top OF a pitcher runs
out through hole in the bottom, it will
take continual pouring to keep it full; sud
den stoppage will leave it empty and dry
We need hardly say that it takes large busi
ness 70 support a fine house; and when the
fine house taxes the business to its utmost.
small reverse, which otherwise man would
hardly have felt, may now occasion his rum.
The foundation of mans fortune is laid on
two corner-stones-one in hisstore the other
in his house If be builds too heavily on
either of these, he will have the whole roof
down upon him. Many man who has been
known rs the architect Of his own fortune.
has built unwisely upon one or other ofthese
foundations, and, has at last been surprised
with worse fall than the tumbling of the
State Arsenal,
ut is true, the line of difference between
living within cne's means and living beyond
them, may sometimes be difficult to draw, So
as to give the greatest proper limit to free
srot I,.
able to keep horse and buggy. and live
two horses and carriage, would be living
in the city, and be able to afford it, who, as
soon as he builds another in the country, is 60
ing farther than his money will follow: A
man may give an ice-creem party. and not feel
it, who, when he gives fancy dress ball. will
suffer for it month afterwards. A man may
pick his teeth on the steps otthe St. Nicholas,
and be living frugally within his means, who
fhe were once to pay for his dinner at the
hotel would not have cent left for his sup
per! When a man is conscious that be is
straining point for a splendid house, or a
fast horse or grand soiree, or an extraya-
CANT table, he may be sure that he is the man
who is living beyond his means! ....
The temptations TO such extrayagance. in
city such as this, are very great. In this res
pect the improved architectural taste exhib.
ted in our modern dwelling-houses has exerted
favorable and also an unfavorable influence
on the community-favorable so far as the
progress of art and the culture of the people
, are concerned; but uniavorable in having in
cited desire for ambitious display. in which
men seek to indulge themselves beyond their
means. What would have been called an
elegant residence twenty years ago, is now
regarded as mere common three story house.
Compare aristocratc Blocker st., with new,
arist0cratic Fifth avenue The best houses
in Bfeecker street-which were the finest that
our fathers or eldest brothers ever thought OF
building--are now mere respectable brick
fronts--nothing more! But the least preten-
tious houses in Fifth avenue are solid brown
stone, or solid white marble-nothing Less
This change is, on the whole an improvement
in the increased beauty Of the city: yet 1t can
not be denied that the rage for luxurious and
ostentatious living melted and tostered by
the introduction of this new element into our
private architecture, has never before been so
great as now! In fact, nine out Of every ten
opinions given in accounting for the late COM
mercial crisis, alleged this general extrava-
gance as the cause of the revufsion. When
one-third of the merchants of q greatcity hang
One-third of their fortunes upon the lace man
ties of their wives, merely to make glitter
by gas-light at grand sOiree, it IL not ut oil
surprising that the ghost of mercantile Girls
| is should be seen stalking behind the guests
after they leave in the dead hour of night!
Theexpense ola we'll dressed wife or daughter,
in the simple article of jewelry, tor single
evening, is oftentimes as much as would orr
ginally have bought the entire island Of Man
haitian, before the times of Peter Stuyvesant
When the little bills for these trifles are sent
in and paid, the crisis may be imagined as
bringing up the rear, like Banquo's Ghost
I'VE write true eptaph when We say that
many mans failure has resulted. not from
losses in his business. but losses to which he
is blind, because they are hidden in parlor
carpets, enameled furniture and gilded cor
nices or in pearl necklaces, topaz brooches
and diamond rings!"
AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS, SEEDS, &c.
7 AM NOW IN RECEIPT Of q very large A.
/ sortment of every thing in my line which am
prepared a. sell low, for cash. or 70 punctusi Gus
toners. ! name in part .......
PLOWS-Minor 4 Horton, Cast Share; Minor s
Horton, Wrought Share Riches Iron Beam, cas,
Share; Titus Pointer, Iron Beam; Rough and Ready;
SAM, Wrought snd Cast Share; Davis do; Cuff &
Brace: Ruggles 4 CO., Hill Side; Minor Horton,
do. do; Subsoil Plows; Gung Plovs, Wrought and
Cast Tooth. Large assortment Of Castings TO It,
CuLrrvAroas--Garden Plows, with extra Cultiva
| tor. .-r ...
CUTTING BOXEs.-Sinclair L Co.'s Mastics.
tor, which are guaranteed 10 any one who will Try
them, the most desirable and best Cutter made
Raw Hide Rollers, from S5.7O TO $l2; Universe
Cutter; Cummings, dc.
CORN sHELLERS.-Boston, Pennock, Gin
ton, &C. price from s. to S+5.
FoRKs, Spades, Hoes, shoyels, Rakes, &c;
have fine assortment Of the best quallty Of
Manure, Hay, and Garden Forks also H. IL
Spades; Shovels; Garden and Ditehing Spades
Hames; Trsce Chains; Or Chains; Horse Collars
Chain Pump fixtures; Grind Stonesi Wedding Hoes
Hillipg Hoes; Steel Garden Hoes; OK Yokes and
, Bovs: Ss.dsowers; Wheslbssrows, 81, Se..
sEEDS.-I have now fne assoLinsnt Of Ault'
celebrated English GARDEN SEED, put up in
packages, suitable for farmers or gardeners, war
ranted fresh and pure. Also, Timothy Seed Or
: chard Grass; Herd Grass; very superior lot o
Extra Cleaned Kentucky Blue Grass; Englst
: Lawn Grass; Seed Potatoes; Seed Oats; Buckuheat
&c. DC. DRAYTON G. MEADE,
Alexandria Agricultural " arehouse, -
!, NH lS-tf No. IL. Fairfax street, Alex'a, Va
0AZn,S pyCPI SJoR ANIpTIATEU