Kenosha tribune & telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1856-1859, 1859-01-06
Hard Times.

VI eAlhSS5 AAoi ~ pAbA~cs nCBC
are the words on every body'S lips, just
now. How many hundred times has
not each man and woman uttered them
within the past two or three months {!
There is no need of asking, What is the
news? for the reply is sure to be one or
the other of those stereotyped express
ions, "Hard times" dull business y
mo money!" and various notifications
of the same old tune. The newspapers
have no need to give the news in this
particular, for every body is well posted
on the "hard" news, from the least even
to the greatest. Every body sees them;
every body feels them and to feel them
is much worse than to hear of them
from distant parts of the country.
Hard times" hang over us, and
around us, like dark, heavy cloud, OBJ
structing our progress, and at times de-
pressing our spirits and darkening our
prospects. A cloud - and only a
cloud. Who ever supposes, when n
cloud covers the heavens and obscures
the brightness of the sun, that ia will
alwayS be so? Clouds come and go
but the sun shines above them all, as
brightly as ever, untouched by the
gloom that overshadows this lower
world.
We stood, one summer morning,
on the top Of Mount Holyoke. The
sun had just risen, and was throwing
his beams over the valley; but that val
ley, as fsr as the eye could reach, was
covered with heavy fog, which settled
upon particular localities, leaving the
greater part of the valley entirely free
from it, where the bright sun could shed
its beams upon the earth without OBJ.
struction. Such, we thought, is pic
ture of life-here dark cloud surround
ing us on every side, obscuring the
prospect, and exciting the thought that
all the earth is draped in the same man
tie of gloom. But an eye looking from
above sees it to be otherwise, and that
the cloud which seems limitless to the
obscured vision, is really of small ex-
tent and limited thickness. And if q
UOice could also come from above, what
words Of encouragement would it not
utter-what assurances that light and
Joy are not far off, and that one has only
to keep up heart and courage with per-
severing efforts to reach them! Many
have sank down in diScouragement,a and
given up the contest, when only a few
steps more wonld have brought them
to the light.
"Hard times will not always last.
They will pass away as a cloud and
when they have passed away, they will
be forgotten amid the joy Of better
things. But will the lessons which they
have taught be forgotten also? Shall
we again pursue course of reckless
speculation, needless extravaganza, and
rash dependence on the fckleness OF
fortune?
But if our wagon has got fastened in
the mud, we cannot extricate it by
standing by and grumbling or swearing
about it nor will Jove himself extri.
cate it, if we do no more than that
Heaven never helps the impracticable
grumbler, but only those who put then
shoulders to the wheel and help them.
selves. But how is this to be done in
the present state of things? There arc
various methods F.; but chiefly, those
who have money should put it in circu-
lation, as far as this can properly be
done, and thus doing sonaethj,ag, no
matter how little, to relieve the pressure
Of the times upon others. Every debt
should be paid, as far as possible; no
matter if it be small-so much the more
easily it can be paid. A single dollar
put in circulation in payment of a debt,
may help to pay score of debts in a
day; and he who pays a debt, gets rid
of burden, and adds something to his
own happiness, as we'll as to that of 9th
ers. And lastly, let the wheels Of bust
ness be kept agoing as vigorously as
possible. Push along, and thus avoid
being pushed; and the moon will not
wax and wane many times ere we shall
see brighter skies, business active, and
money so plenty that we shall not know
what to do with it all.
Fly swifter round, ys wheels of time,
And bring the promised hour!"