Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1860-10-05
GENTEEL POVERTY.


that one half the world do not know how
the other half live. This truth arises
less from want of curiosity on the one
side, than studied deception on the other.
Poverty, for instance, is neither legally
nor morally crime, and yet, aside from
its inconvenience, there is discredit, in
every sense Of the word, attached to it,
which renders it's posscssor very jealous
of its discovery. In worldly judgements
we too often find that the sin is in the de-
lection, not the commission of the offense.
A man may live in garrett, and dine on
stale bread and mouldy cheese, and yet,
with the exactnals of independence, his
company will be often solicited at the So
cial meal or festive board. But let his
domicil and his means be detected-let
his coat lose its freshness, his nat lis
smoothness, and his boots their polish,
and the felon's brand would not more GER
tainly excommuncate him than the poor
mans garb. Men often prefer the sus-
picion of crime to the suspicion of penury.
Poverty and beggary are very distant
relations. The beggar never knows po-
verify, he only feels want. 10 him tho
mere daily necessities of life are suffi-
cient. He begs without disguise. owns
to the world his restitution, eats the rich
mans crumbs, and shores upon the flint.
How dilferentis the condition Of the 9TH
err. In him, the cravings of hunger re-
feet tho blandest Of smiles, he talks of
dinners he never saw, aud fancies sup
pers that he never knew. He believes
himself suspected Of meanness, because
he declines some picnic or other pleasure
party, where the expenses are SO much
per head. He never ventures on river
excursion without first secretly searching
his pockets, and deducting the cost from
the sum total Ii under a sudden wind
fall, he asks a companion to take an oyster,
he trembles lest his whole fortune may
with the oyster, disappear down the throat
of his quondam friend. Thus the poor
bachelor lives, spending one half his time
in some mysterious occupation, whereby
he receives the means of keeping up APP
pearances the other half. He dies, and
is forgotten by all, save perhaps some in
innate friend, who wonders he is not APP
pointed executor
But it is the married man, the man OF
family, who most deeply feels the mis-
cries of gcnteel poverty. His personal
suiferings are merged in the thoughts Of
home. He would gladly throw off the
disguise-gladly resign his fashionable
acquaintance, and seek bis happiness,
when the days labors are over, in the
bosom of his family. But the inexora-
BILE world decides otherwise. lie can
never escape the grindstone to which he
is tied. Country cousins must be enter
tanned, family reunions given, summer
jaunts undertaken. He knows full well
that as the handspring Of thc whole ma
chlnery, if he once give out. discord and
destruction are the inevitable result, and
he works on, hopeless and desperate. -
Finally, the anticipated crash comes
He loses nothing-he had nothing to lose.
But pow he may gain all for which he SO
long sighed The play is over, The lights
are out, and the gaudy trappings of as
sumcd wealth may be replaced by honest
homespun. But it is too late-the in
toxicatiDg bowl of worldly vanity has be-
come too necessary to the depraved taste
to be now resigned. Once it might have
been, but not now Again he starts up
on the fatal race, again he for a moment
hovcrs above the horizon, and then for
ever disappears from sight, and it is
heavens mercy if his memory is untaint-
cd with guilt. philadelphia Inquirer.
True. The increasing demand for
newspapers, and in connection with it, the
extension Of advertising is working a
great advantage in business, especially
among retailers. Thirty wears ago. a