Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1859-05-18


He did not answer.
Father! Do you hear me?'
Yes; what is it?' The voice OF Nh
Dunlap was neither clear nor steady.
CAM have smbles this winter? w
set my heart on it. l saw muff and
'ippet to-day. for two hundred aud fifty
dollars. that are superb. Just what
want and must have
Mr.. Dnniap did not reply. and SO hi
daughter Came again to the charge.
You say yes. OF course. When shal
| get them? To MORROW?
He was suli silent.
VERY well. Silence gives consent
I'll call Io-morrow morning, and get The
money. krew you would let me have
them. Oh, bu they are elegant! The
haudsomest set have seen this season.
And the young lady rocked herself
with an all of the most perfect satisfaction
But her fsther had no. said word -
There was something in his manner that
caused MIS- Dunlap to let her hands fall
in her lap, and look towards him with an
expression of concern on her face. He
had again relapsed into the state of ab
straction from which the remarks of his
daughter had aroused him, and now sat
with his chin almost touching his breast.
What was the picture in his mind? We
will make au effort to reproduce it.
A small SOON. the floor covered with
q poor quality of striped carpet-Balls
not even papefed. A cherry breakfast
table; a pair of brass candlesticks on the
mantle piece; and figured paper blinds
at The windows. This is nearly a com
pleie schedule Of ihe furniture. The in
mates are himself and young wife. He
has just returned from bis days werk as
porter in large drug store. The leaves
of the cherry breakfast table are spread
open. and the top covered with a snowy
table cloth. made white By the bands of
his wife. The same hands have prepared
their evening meal; and though the tea
seryice is scaHt and plain, yet love and
hope are smiling above their humble
board. as they SIT together. and talk of
the coming future.
That wss the picture! But it was IA
ded soon, though while it remained dis
tinct. it was vivid as life itself. Poor,
industrious. frugal, self reliant, SIR Dun
lap and his wife had started in the world
just twenty years before. Sep by step
they bad assembled the ladder of fortune.
until they stood high up among their
fellows.
Like pictures in kaleidoscope. life
scene after lie-scene came and went,
each showing some marked change in
their external condition, until wealth and
luxury Gro ened their toll and self denial.
Mr.. Dunlap had been naturally proud
Of his success in life; and we will not
wonder that, from the eminence on which
he stood, be sometimes look d down with |
feelings Of self-confdence and sell con
graduation.
But to light self-confdence and self !
reliance were gone. He had built his
fortune on what seemed an immoya bic |
foundation. But it proved to be of sand,
yielding with strange and frightful sud
denness, and letting the beautiful edIice
he had erected with such care and labor,
sink into hopeless ruin.
Sables at two hundred and Fifty doIla,sl
No wonder the unhappy man, in whose
mind the certainty of his ruin, as mer-
chant, was gaining more palpable form
every moment, did not reply. And no
wonder the Incidence and pride of his in
dulged and spoiled child, intruding at
the moment, sent memory back to wipe
the dust from pictures of the long ago.
Was she better than they were? Bet
ter than the faithful wife. her mother,
who had walked in patient. humble in
dustry by his side in the Spring time of
life? Even in bis deep trouble of mind.
the thought disturbed, and almost an
gered MIR. Dunlap. Not the incident of
this evening alone, SO far as Jane was
was concerned, now fretted him but
many incidents which intruded them
selves like unwelcome guests, involving
such false ideas of life, and such mise
rable pride and vanity, that he turned.
half losthing. from the mental image of
his child.
II riches come at price like this, then
wealth is q curse instead of blessingI'
The thought seemed scarcely his own.
as he gave it Involuntary mental utter
ance. Yet, almost strange to say, the
fearful image cf misfortune, which had
glared in tie face of Mr.. Dunlap, lost
some of its repuisive features.
The stern discipline of misfortune.
have heard it said. is always salutary.'
How timely came the suggestion. It
was an hour of pain and darkness; and
yet the hand, as of an angel, was among
he clouds.
Janet 1t was the voice of Mrs. Dun
sp that broke the silence of the apart
nent. u