Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1861-05-22
81 F.''
BY VIRGINIA p TowNsEND

"If could only live my life over again."
said the old man, as he plunged his hands into
his deep coat pockets and looked up at the Of
fee ceiling with sigh, 'itshould be very diff.
ferent lite from what it has been. would not
give all the joy of my youth, and oil the strength
of my manhood, to getting rich-catch me!
Id have good out of my life and do some, too,
instead of toiing early and late, and taxing
brain, and weniug my nerse, over rdiroad divi.
dends, and bank stock, over investments in lead
and coal mines, over real estate that is to come
down here and go up there. No it isn't the three
score years that are on my head that have bleach
ed my hair and wrinkled my forehead so; it's
the wear and tear of watching the market, and
forestalling the changes, aud looking out for
the right time TO come down with bargain.
overheard one man say to another, as got
into the omnibus last night-"There goes old
Grainger-good for million and balf-lucky
dog!" and said TO myself, care you q lucky
dog, Tom Granger? No! Of all men you are
the most unlucky one. You've paia down your
youth, your manhood, your health, your peace
of mind, every faculty God gave you to live,
and to epjoy-you've paid it all down for this
million and half of dollars, and it's poor
bargain after all!''
at don't do any good to fume and fret now;
but il | could live my life over again, I'd never
stand where do this day; I'd lay up some bet
ter treasures for my old age than a million and
a half of money. I'D lay uptreasures of blessed
some good done to others-of hu-
man hearts made happier--of human souls com
torted, and rejoiced because of me! If could
only live my life over agaibl' and the old man
settled farther back in his chair and grosned
heavily as he looked back over the years of his
and cold, and unclothed, as they
rose up before him.
And yet he clutched his million and half,
and carried 1t with him to the last hour of his
life. He didn't rise up that day and 60 out, and
fnd the widow and the fatherless, and gladden.
their hearts with a part of the wealth which he
did not need. IL was not too late then to set
about doing good. In the ten years more OF life
which God had appointed him, he might have
scattered blessings, many and boundful as sum-
mer showers; and the cold and barren day might
have been crowned with sunset 80 radiant and
glorious that it would have redeemed the faded
wasted noon.
But the old fashion and the old habits held
him in iron bondage still, and the rich old man
went down to his grave with his aimless, un-
fruitful, querulous eff"
elf I'd never begun this sort of life, I'd never
live it for day." muruurs the fashionable
WlO huu mOtuCEt 10 buO Whiho up duu uOWu uCE
elegant parlors, swinging the tassels OF morning
robe betwixt her jewelled fingers; and the
weary, dissatisfied expression OF her face tells
its own story OF the tired, restless heart beneath
IL. 81 know well enough it's miserable, vast
ed life we're all leading--this dressing and 60
ing to parties, and giving them-that this con-
slant striving to be Stylish and keep ones po-
sition, is foolish and sinful thing. I'm sick
and ashamed off It's running cur children.
It will make spendthrifts of our boys, and silly,
fashionable dolls of our girls II we had never
begun this foolish plan Of keeping up with our
neighbors, or II | could only 60 back ten years
in my life! But there's no way of getting out Of
It now. All our acquaintances would stare at
US, and laugh at us, and the children would be
miserable; and the only way to effect any
change is to 20 off and bury ourselves in the
country, away from all influences and stimu.
lants of our present life; and that can't be
thought of. wish knew what to do, or where
to turn If had only commenced different
Typ
And the wife and mother rung her hands,
and the charges, and the children committed to
her, for good or Tor evil, went on the ways Of
folly and vanity, for good impulses never bring
forth good fruits, unless they harden into fixed
principles of action; and what rudder to human
eoul adrift on the wild and stormy waters of
life Is an aimless and purposelessM
elf" says the young man, full of dreams and
ardor, "I could only have some grand, heroic
career! If could only do something to benefit
my race, and send my name shining down the
future ages, great and honorable, benefactor
to humanity-a blessing to my age! II could
only see glorious future before me!n
And alas! the youth does not look upon that
sweet and tender Face which chimes down to us
across the slunbering centuries, that Face, tho
It came on earth to be the one Hope and Healer
of our humanity, sought no high, honorable sta
don amongst men, but won its crown Of thorns
and was lifted up only upon Calvary
"If only had something to do" says th'
young girl in the first blooming years Of he
womanhood, ~ should love to crown mysel
with all which poets and good men say is sweet
and noble, and tender in woman; but dear me
there is nothing can find here, and now il
my quiet home, and in every day life, 10 d.
good, or for blessings to others!' rs
And In the shelter Of that young girls "quie
homer were father and mother, brother an,
sister, upon whose hearts her loving deed
would fall, as the summer sunshine fails up
on the earth, welcoming the birds, calling :
4 the Aowerss Adi Ffem zee ttgf gnc5 3
All around her were souls that needed hourl
ho. <,our.aIs and mini tl0nu M tnndarn A.,