The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1864-02-09

"Father is crusty and ill-natured as hs can
be, "said Fife, after he had gone out
"He dont like this party" said Mrs. Dray-
ton "and l am almost sorry now that ever
attempted to give It,"
at is just like him. l never saw such
man.
Mrs. Drayton did not rebuke her laughter
for this remark.
In the mean time staggering mentally un-
der burden that he felt was crushing him
down, Mr.. Drayton repaired to his store, TO
meet and il possible to overcome, in the days
strife the advancing misfortune; for. after III
teen years of active and intelligent business
life he found himself on the verge of ruin, and
the cause was the excessive spendlture III Nv
ing, by which constant drain had been
made in his profits, thus depriving hin oil ned
ed capital, and the advantage 1t always gives
a merchant. During the whole fifteen years
one thousand year, may be set down to the
charge Of extravasapt living; the amount
having been expended to crafty me pride and
vanity of his wife, in dress, style, entertain
ment and the hundred unconsidered trifles
that waste mans substance. We do not
wholly exhonorate Mr.. Drayton. He knew
better than his wife that he was living tooex-
pensively all this time, and it was therefore
his duty TO order the household differently.
But he was a weak man on that side, and
yielded for the sake of giving pleasure. He
saw that his wile's heart was set upon living
like his neiehbors, most of whom were better
off than they were; and so he complied, con-
senting or acquiesced in silence, when he saw
that things were going all wrong. And now
an enevitable crisis was advancing upon him.
One thousand dollars, of the fft zen thousand
wasted in fifteen years, would have saved Mr..
Dayton on that day; for lack of it, his paper
went TO protest, and at four O'Clock he took
his way homeward, stricken down in the prime
of his manhood, and conscious that the blow
falling as it had done on spirit exhausted by
long endurance, had hurt him beyond the
teaches skill. The carpet had been laid the
curtains hung, and the new brocatelle furn-
ture arranged in the parlor Mrs. Dayton had
closed all the shutters and lighted the gas to
admire the effect.
splendid p had just fallen from her lips,
when the rattle of her husbands key was
heard in the latch, and, a moment afterwards,
Mr.. Dayton stood, pale and bewildered, in
the parlor door. Though confounded by what
he saw, he comprehended the scene
"Now don't be angry" said Mrs. Dayton,
crossing the room quickly. But what is the
matter, Henry are you sick?" her voice had
changed from one of depreciation to one of
entreaty.
YES" was the low family uttered response
and Mr.. Dayton sat down like one whose
strength had suddenly departed.
"What ails you Henry?'
"Oh, Father.' the children drew frightened
around him.
For a while he sat thinking in the chair
then rising, he looked steadily but notangrily
at his wife, and said:
"Jane-this is all wrong and it is hard for
me to believe it Of you. But will not hurt
any one with reproaches. You wilhave enough
of them born in your own thoughts. There
will be no party here tonight. l am a ruined
merchant, fallen under weight to heavy to be
borne. Send notifications TO all that were
invited; the reason will in most cases be under
stood"
Saying this Mr.. Dayton went with unsteady
steps from the room, and assembled to one of
the chambers, threw himself ON bed, from
which he never arose. Soon afterward SER
want started in haste after the family physician,
who, when he came found a white-faced
man rapidly sinking under an exhaustive flow
OF blood, from the lungs. Tears were vain :,
care was vain. The overtasked and over
burdened man had fallen halfway on his fruit
less journey towards worldly competence
fallen TO rise no more; when he left his family,
nurtured until then by pride in the lap Of
luxury, he left them poor and helpless In a
world that remembered all their social ainbi-
ton. vaine love of show and extravaganza, as
SO much against them instead Of SO mnch in
their favor.
w 1uOWe0 ana poor u was the plying an
swer made TO the inquiry about Mrs. Drayton,
year after her husband died.
"And she lived so handsomely during Mr..
Drayton's lie time. What sad changed"
Yes, 1t is sad. All If she and her children
had now the hundreds of dollars that were
wasted in entertainments, expensive dressing,
and social display, Ellie and Ellen would not
now be far from home trying TO earn, as teach
ers, something with which to help their moth
err support and educate their younger sistess
and borthers; and Mrs. Drayton would not be
that toiling slave, the poorly paid keeper Of
second-ra.e boarding house. Willful waste !,
makes woefnl want, says the proverb; every
day we find its truth exempli6ed; yet who
takes warning ?this year we see wife tricked
out in jewels, silks and laces, like a queen,
finging to the public gaze as the humming
bird or butterfly, all her wealth and beauty.
Next year misses her from the street and op-
era, we ask: What of Mrs. --? and the
low voice plying answer comes-widowed,
poor. And still there is a better promis
for the poor widow, struggling for existence,
than forvain extravagant wife, smothering her
true womanhood in a false ambition to seem
weaker, prouder aud more extaavagant than
her neighbors. The trial may be severe, the
journey hard; but at the end it is a truer
peace. But why make these misfortunes
necessity? Why not wisely and temporarily
use the good gifts Of God, building Herewith
temples for the indwe,ling Of immortal virtues
instead of piling up vain glorious towers, on
andy foundations that are SIRE IN fall :?