Smyrna times. [volume] (Smyrna, Del.) 1854-1987, 1860-06-14
Independently Rich"

One of the popular fallscies of The period is
that riches make man independent. Money
makes the mare CO." but no amount of money
can make man really independent. The
phrase Independently rch' is just about as
meaningless and fallacious as anything that
could have been invented. Many a poor rich
fellow has found, to his cost, that his depend
ency really began just when the world called
him Independently rich.
In these days, says the Boston Herald, the
possession of pelf involves the necessity of sur
rendering independence of feeling aud action
to the usages Of" society,"" and the richer one
becomes. the greater are the claims which So
ciety sets up with regard to him. To say moth
ing OF the follies of men who have d0llars--and
who have also false notions concerning fash
lonable expenditure, the women of this age are
fearfuly extravagant and terribly exaeting in
their notions of fashionable life. Therefore, if
the possession of money does not turn The head
OF the man, it is sure to set the females of his
family up very high in their notions Of style.
The possessor of given number of ibous-
ands IS required, by the usages of society
without which he 10 50 nobody TO occupy a
house OF given dimensions, and keep up a cor
responding establishment. He will fnd that
| society and the women will keep his establish
ment on very extravagant scale--unless be
makes himselfa perfect bear" and assumes
to act according TO his own pleasure. If, for
instance, man is worth one hundred and fifty
thousand dollars, the conventional rules of
fashionable society--rules which his wife and
daughters will not fail to impress on his mind
will probably require him to purchase or build
a swell front brick house, four stories high,
furnished at pretty high figure. Three hun
dred thousand dollars involve, by the same
j rula Gva s<.b f.oo
stone front, plate-glass windows, velvet carpets
and mirrors of astonishing size, in which Folly
may see herself reflected at full length. OF
course, in all such houses. servants must be
numerous; and wo to the parUenu WHO'S placed
at the mercy ola set OF servants. He 10 a slave,
to be pitied by all who have any bowels OF com
passon--there is no more peace for him than
for the wicked. We would suggest 10 learned
! divines the thought whether more rich men oi
the present day will enter the kingdom of Hea-
ven than they have dreamed Of in their th0ol-
ogy, through the discipline inflicted on them
by their servants
Even when the internal machinery OF a fash
ionable mansion works smoothly, how much
leisure and domestic enjoyment is the occupant
deprived of by the frisolItes Questionable lifs
in what is called the best society" in ouI
cities.
No man who has any regard for his owl
peace and comfort, no one who would have lei
sure to devote to the cultivation Of his intel
; Iect can afford to be rich, unless ne has indie
pendence enough to repudiate the customs o
parve'u srislocracy which entail extravaganza
in expenditure, and Abolish and criminal vast
of time. The prayer Of Agur, "give me neitfe
poverty nor riches, but fesd me with food con
venient for me-" should be on the lips Of al
!. those who would in reality be independent
rich. Many rich man has Loaf his independ
!, ence, almost his personal freedom, just as 500
as be had become what the wefld calls g indie
pendently rich has become a slave 10 III
!, proprieties Of fashion of class with whom h
: was previously but little acquainted, aud who's
. fashions were comparatively new to him. w
like to see men possess sufficient energy an
enterprise TO acquire fortunes, but would III
:, TO sse them display little more independents
! 10 their modes Of enjoying their money.
THs THEORY OF THE BREcg.---A boy hearr
le biz father say SIT was poor rule that woudr
u work both ways" said, +" if father applies th
rule about his work, | VIII test it in ny play
i'd 50 81 ting up row of bricks, be tipped ov
Id the FIRST, which, striking the second caused
a. to fall on the third. which overturned /
fourth, and so on, until The bricks lay prostra
Fl; ssWeII," said the little boy each brick i
j. knocked down his neighber. only tripp
ch one. Now will raise one and see If he "
in raise his peghbor" He looked in vain to
OIL them rise. Herr, father" said the boy.
poor rule that VIII not work both ways
IL, They knock each other down, but will not ra
ed zach other up
cor, nd nd af4kA