Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1862-02-08
''IF."
BY VIRGINIA ?. TOWNSEND.

"If could only live my life over again,
said the old man az he plunged his hands
into him deep coat pockets; and looked up
at the Office ceiling with sigh; "'it should
be very different life from what it has
been. wouldn't give up all the JOY of my
youth, oil the strength Of my manhood, to
getting rich-catch mel I'd have some
good out of life and do some, too, instead
OF toiing early and late, taxing my brain
aud wearing my nerves over railroad dvi-
dendS, and bank stocks, over investments,
iu lead and coal mines, over real estate that
is to come down here and get up there. -
No, it is not the three score years that are
on my head which has beached my hair and
wrinkled my forehead so; it's the wear and
tear of watching the market and forestall.
ing changes; and looking ont for the right
moment to come down with q bargain.
overheard one man say to another, as got
into the omnibus last night-"There goes
old Grainger-good for a million and a
half-lucky dogp and l said to myself.
Are you lucky dog Old Granger? No,
of all men you are the most unlucky one.
You've paid down your youth, your man
hood, your peace Of mind, every faculty
God gave you to live, and to enioy-you've
paid il all down for this million and half
of dollars, and it is poor bargain, after
alp
at don't do any good TO fret and fume
now, but il could live my life over again,
| I'd never stand where ] do this day; I'd
lay up some better treasures for my old age
than a million and half of money. I'd
lay up treasures, of blessed memories-of
some good done to others-of haman hearts
made happier-of human souls comforted,
and reioiced because of mel If / could
only live my life over againl and the old
man settled farther back In his chair and
groaned heavily as he looked back over the
years of the psst--barren, cold and uncloth-
ed, as they rose up before him.
And yet be clutehed bis million and a
half and carried il with him to the last
hour of his life. He didn't rise up that
day and go ont and find the widow and the
fatheTless, and gladden. their hearts with a
mart of the wealth which he did not need.
II was not too late then to set abont doing
GOOD. In the ten years more Uf bis life
which God had appointed hin, he might
nave Scubt0tCA OioootuSHs tLuny obN cc"ese-
fnl as summer showers; and the cold and
barren day might have been crowned with
sunset SO radiant and glorious that
II would have half redeemed the faded
morning-ihe wasted noonl
But the old fashion aud the old habits
held him in iron bondage still, and the rich
old man went down to his grave with his
aimless, unfruitful. quernlons 'if. F"
: eff I'D never begun this sort of life I'D
never live il for a day murmurs the fash
ionable wife and mother, as she walks az
and down her elegant parlors, swinging the
tassels Of her morning robes betwixt heI
ieweled fingers; and the weary, dissatisfied
expression Of her face tells its own story
of the tried, restless heart beneath il. %
know well IFS miserable. wasted llts
we're all IeadiDg--that this dressing and
going to parties, and giving them--thal
this constant striving to be Stylish" anC
| keep ones position. is foolish and siniu
thing. I'm sick and ashamed ofitllts ruin