The Lambertville press. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1858-1???, 1860-06-27
Independently Rich"

One Of the popular fallacies Of the
period is, that riches make q man indie
pendent. Money makes the mare
CO." but no amount of money can
make man really independent. The
phrase independently rieh," is just
about as meaningless and fallscious as
anything that could have been invent
ed. Many poor rich fellow has found,
TO his cost, that his dependency really
began just when the world called him
independently rich.
In these days." says the Boston
Herald, "the possession of pelf In
wolves the necessity Of surrendering
independence of feeling and action to
abe ussges Of society," and the richer
one becomes the greater are the claims
which society sets up with regard to
him. To say nothing of the follies Of
men who have dollars-and who have
also false notions concerning fashiona-
bic expenditure, the women of this
age are fearfnlly extravaganza and ter
ribly exacting in their notions of FASH
ionable life. Therefore, if the posses
sion Of money does not turn the head
OF the man, it is sure to get the females
Of his family up very high in their no.
tions Of style.
"The possessor of given number
of thousands is required, by the usa-
ges Of society--without which he is
nobedy'-to occupy house of given
dimenaions, and keep up correspond
ing establishment. He will find that
society and che women will keep his
establishment on very cxtravagant
scale~-unleas he makes himself per
feet bear, and assumes to act accord
3 ing 20 his own pleasure. IT. for in
stance, a man is worth one hundred
and fifty thousand dollars, the conven-
tiOnal rules of fashionable society
rules which his wife and daughters
viii notfaA to impress upon his mind
will probably require him to purchase
or build q swell front brick house, four
stories high, furnished at pretty high
figure. Three hundred thousand dol
lars involve, by the same rules, house
i've stories high, with q free-stone
front, plate-glass windows, velvet car
pets and mirrors of astonishing size,
in which Folly may see herself reflect
ed at full length. OF course, in oil
snch houses, servants must be numer-
Gus; and wo to the poyUe1u who is
placed at the mercy Of set Of SER
wants. he is slave, to be pitied by
all who have any bowels Of compass
sion--there is no more peace for him
than for the wicked. We would sug.
gest to learned diyines the thought
whether more rich men Of the present
day win enter the kingdom of Heaven
than they have dreamed of in their
theology. through the discipline inaict.
ed on them by their servants.
Even when the internal machinery
Of fashionable mansion works smooth.
y how much leisure and domestic en-.
joyment is the occupant deprived of
by the frivolities Of fashionable life in
what is called the "beat society in
oar cities.
mo man who has any regard for his
own peace and comfort, no one who
would have leisure to devote to the
cultivation Of his intellect can afford
to Be rich, unless be has independence
enough to repudiate the customs Of
our parvenu aristocracy which entail
extrayagance Ia expenditure, and a
'oliah and criminal waste of time
be prayer Of Agur, give me neither
7verty nor riches, bat feed ne with