The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1865-05-31
steady hand and cool head as If there
had been no such thing as bachelor frol.
,,e -, ,v:skann1

les In existence.
Late in the foreneon, Ben Sanford
lounged in to ogle few ofthe ladies and
above all,t rally Mark on losing the glo-
rious fun of The night before.
"Upon my word, Mark, he began, :swe
must have you put up for Selectman, you
are becoming so extremely ancient and
venerable in your ways-however. you are
to be excused" lie added, circumstances
considered-female influenced ah!---well,
iit's fine affair, this marriage!'
"Better try it. Mr.. Sanford" said a
bright, saucy girl, who, with her laughing
companions, was standing by while Ben
was speaking.
"Ah, madamel the wherewithalg' said
Ben, rolling up his eyes with tragic ex-
preston. "If some clever old fellow
wo4ld be SO obliging as to die now. and
leave me few thousands-then, ladies,
you would see."
But speaking of money" said Mark,
when he saw the ladies busy over some
laces he had just thrown on the counter,
''what did your glorious fun cost you?'
"Pooh!--nothingl-only ten dollar
bill--nothing in my purse, you knowI"
Nothing in your purse?-not an un.
common incident after these occasions, y
said Mark, laughing.
"Oh, hang it ALL said Ben. s'too truel
can get no remedy for this consumption
of the purse. as old Flagstaff says; how
ever, the world owes me a living, and SO
good morning"
Ben Sanford was just one OF that class
Of young men of whom common report
goes, that they can do anything they please
and who consider this point as so well es-
tabished. that they do notthink it neces-
sary to illustrate it by doing anything at
all. He was lawyer of talent, and would
have ha1 j an extensiverun of business had
he not been one of the class of people
never to be found when wanted. His law
books and law Office saw far less of him
than certain fashionable places of resort,
where his handsome person and various
social accomplishments. always secure to
him welcome reception. Ben had some
little property left him by his iather. just
enough, as he used laughingly to quote,
to keep him in gloves and cologne wa
ter" aud for the rest, he seemed vastly
contented with his old maxim. ''the world
owes me a living" forgetting that the
world can sometimes prove as poor pay.
master as the most fashionable young gen.
tleman going.
But to return to Mark. When he had
settled his accounts at night he took from
a pigeon hole in his desk, the little book
aforenamed, and entered as follows: ITO
one real wake up.sl0," which being done,
he locked his desk, and returned once
more to Mrs. Meriaeh.
Days few on, and the shop of Mark
became increasingly popular, and still
from time to time he was assailed by the
kind of temptation we have described
Now it was: MARX, my dear fellow, dc
join US IN trip to G-'s:" and now
s.Come, ny old boy. let US have spree al
F-s;" now it was the club, now an
oyster supper-but Mark was invincible
and still as one and another gaily recoun-
ted the history of the scene, he silently
committed the amount of the expense tc
the little book Yet Mark was not Gym
zeal nor unsocial. His refusals, though
so firm. we're invariably good nattred ,ant
though he could not be drawn broad, ye
he was unquestionably open-handed ant
/ ircee in his own home. No house had s,
wa rm welcome-no dinner table coult
be more boantitul or more freely open lo
the behoof of all gentlemen of the dining
out order-no bic presented NOR
lunexceptionable toast, and no evening
lounge was more oasy, home-like an
cheerful, than on the warm sofas in TIL
snug parlor of Mark Merideh. The.
also gave evening parties, where all wa
brilliant, tasteful and we'll ordered; and
+ in. fine, notwithstanding his short-eomings
Mark was set down as 6ne, open hande,
fellow after all.
At the end of the year, Mark cast u
his account in the little book, and wa
nightly astonished at it, for with all hi
ideas OF the power of numbers. he had n
idea that the twos and fues and tens an
ones which, on greater, or smaller occa
| siens, had found their way into his col
7 umns, would amount up TO sum SO con
; siderable Mark looked about him-th
world..was going weli-his business ma
; chinery moving in exact touch and tim
: Ibis house, where was there a prettie
, one?. where aplace more replete with ev
cry HpMe-uTaHiuE comiosH Leu uS ioo
. anything in pleasure the past year? Mar
t thought not, and therefore, as he wake
; homeward. he stepped into a book seller
; and ordered some books Of superb engra
5 wings for Mrs. Meriden, and spoke to
: gardner to send some elegant Howerin
, exoties for which he had heard her ex
! press an admiration some evenings before
That same evening came 10 Ben San
t ford, as he expressed it, sin the YER
: depths of indigo" for young gentlemen
; whose worldly matters invariably e
6 wrong end foremost, will sometimes b
3 found in that condition; however exubeI
, ant may be their stock of animal spirits
II sPray, Ben, what is the matter? sal
), Mark, kindly, as Ben stretched himse
4 at length in an arm chair, groanins audi
. bly,.
"Oh, bilious attack, Mark.--shot
] makers bills, tailor's bills, boarding
Q house bills--all sent in for New Year
. presentsi-hang EN- ALI
Il Mark was silent for few moments.an
Ben continued: "Confeund it, MARI
t what's the use of living. if fellow is
he 40 cursedlv noor. Here You. Marx