New Oregon plaindealer. (New Oregon, Iowa) 1859-1866, 1861-05-17
KILLING NO MURDER.
BY JAMES X. PAULDING.

f BY JAMES X. PAULDING.a .....,
I am sober, .middle-aged, married
gentleman, Of moderate size; with
moderate means, moderate family,
and everything moderate about me, ex-
[cept my house, which Is too large for
my means. or family. It is however
or rather, alas! it was an old family
mansion, full Of old things Of no value
but to the owner, as connected with
early associations and ancient friends;
and I did not like the idea Of conver-
ting it into tavern or boarding house
as is the fashion at the present day.
Such as it was, however, although I
sometimes, felt like the ambitious snail,
who once crept into a Holsters she'll
and came near perishing in q hard
winter, 7 managed for ten or twelve
years to live in it very comfortably, and
to make both ends meet. My furniture
to be sure. was little out Of fashion,
and here and there out at the elbows !;
but l always persuaded myself that it
was respectable to be out of fashion,
and new things smacked of new men,
and were therefore, rather vulgar. Un
der this impression, lived in my old
house, with my oll-fashioned furniture
moderate sized family and moderate
means, envying nobody and indebted to
no one in the world. I had neither
gilded furniture, nor grand mantle-gl
ses, nor superb chandeliers; but then
l had few fine pictures and busts, and
flattered myself they were much more
genteel than gilded furniture, grand
mantel-glasses, and superb chandeliers
IN truth, / looked down, with CONTEMPT
not only on these, bat on all those who
did not agree with me in opinion. I
never asked 2 person to dinner a Sec
ond time who did not admire my busts
and pictures, considering him a vulgar
genius, and an udmirer Of gilded trum-
perry.
But let no man presume, after read
ing my story, to Aatter himcelf he is
out of the reach of the infection of
fashion and fashionable opinions.
He may hold out for certain time,
perhaps, but human nature can't stand
forever on the defensive. The Example
Of all around us is irresistible, sooner
or later. The first shock given to my
attachment to old.fashioned furniture
and a respectable old four-square double
house, was received from the elbow of
a modern worthy, who had grown rich,
nobody knew how, by presiding over
the drawing of lotteries, and who came
and built himself narrow four story
house right at the side of my honest
four-square mansion. 1t had white
marble steps, white marble door and
window-sills, folding-doors and marble
mantle-pieces, and was as fine as
fiddle, in doors and out. 1t put my
rusty old mansion quite out Of counte-
nance, as every body told me, though
I assure my readers I thought it ex-
eessively tawdry and in bad taste.
But alas!-such is the stupidity Of
mankind, I could get nobody to agree
with me.
what has come over your house late
ly?' cried ole good-natured visitor;
somehow or other it don't look as it
used to do.
What makes your house look so rus
ty and old-fashioned? said another
good-natured visitor.
Mr.. Blankprise has taken the shine
off Of you, said Mrs. Sowerby; 'he has
killed your house!'
Hereupon the spirit moved me to 60
out and reconnoitre the venerable man
sion. 1t certainly did look little like
chubby, rusty, old-fashioned Qua
ker by the side Of a first rate-dandy.
I picked quarrel with it outright,
which by the way, was very unlucky
quarrel. I was not rich enough to pull
it down and build q new one; and it is