Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-12-01

and law Office saw far less OF h III than cer-
tain fashionable places Of resort, where his
handsome person and various social ac-
cOmplishments always secured to him q
welcome reception. Ben had some little
property left him by his father Just enough,
| as, he used laughlngly to quote, to keep
| him in gloves and cologne water" and for
the rest he seemed vastly contented' with
| his old maxim, "the world owes me a liv-
| ing" forgetting that the world can some
times prove as poor q paymaster as the
most fashionable youn Z gentleman going,
| But to return to Marx. When he had,
settled his accounts at night, he took from
pigeon hole in his desk, the little book
atorenamed. and entered as follows: '"To
one real wake up, $10,"'. which being done,
helocked his desk, and returned once more
| to Mrs. Meriden. +'
| Days flew on, and the shop of Mark be-
came exceedingly popular, and still from
| time to time he was assailed by the kind of
temptation we have described. Now 1t
was: "Mark, my dear fellow, do join us
| In trip to G--'s;'' and now, "Come, my
| old boy, let us have a spree at F-'s;",
now it was the club, now an oyster supper
but Mark was invincible, and still as one
and another gaily recOunted the history of
the scene, he silently committed the
amount of the expense to the little book
Yet Mark was not cynical nor unsocial.-,
! His refusals, though so firm, were invari-
ably good natured, and though he could not
be drawn abrOad,yet he was unquestionably
| open-handed and free in his own home. No
house had so warm welcome-no dinner
table could be more bountiful or more free
ly open for the behoof of all gentlemen of
the dining-out order-no tea-table pre-
sented more uneXceptionable toast, and no
lDI1nnp Iii
and cheerful, than on the warm sofas in the
snug parlor of Mark Meriden. They also
gave evening parties, where all was brill
liant, tasteful and well-ordered; and, in
fine, notwithstanding his shortcomings,
Mark was set down as fine, open-handed
fellow after all. ..s..fr ..rI
At the end of the year, Mark cast up his
account in the little book, and was nightly
astonished at it, for with all his ideas of the
power of numbers, he had no idea that the
twOs, fives, tens and ones which, on greater
or smaller occasions, had found their way
into his columns, would amount up to sum
so considerable. Mark looked about him
the world was going well-his business
machinery moving in exact touch and time
his house, where was there prettier
one? where place more replete with every
hOme-drawng comfort? Had he lost eve
rything in pleasure the past year? Mark
thought not, and therefore, as he walked
hOmeward, he stepped into a booksellers
and ordered some books of superb engrav-.
ings for Mrs. Meriden, and spoke to gard
ner to send elegant towering eXotics, for
which he had heard her express an admra-
ton some evenings before. H d. .......t.l ID.
That same,evening came in Ben Sanford,
as he expressed it,, " in the very depths of
indigo;n for young gentlemen, whose
| worldly matters invariably go wrong end
| foremost, will sometimes be found la that
| condition, however eXuberant may be their
stock of animal spirits. Qua .. j., .r.U
"Pray, Ben, what is the matter?" said
Mark, kindly, as Ben stretched himself at
length in an arm chair, grOaning audibly.
"Oh, a biH-iOus attack, Mark!-shoe-
makers bills, tailOr's bills, boarding g-house
bills-all in for New Years presents, hang
'em all t.u r.. r.r -.f... ., .1r.
Mark was silent for a few moments, and
Ben continued: "Contound it, Markl what's
the use of living if feller is to be so
cursedly poor. Here you, Mark, born in
the same town with me and younger than
| am by some two years, you have house
as sung and cosy and comfortable as man
need ask-a wife like an angel !--peace and
plenty by the bushel, and all comes of hav-
ing good run of luck in the money line;'"
andiron most energetically. -Hlu u
"What has become of Emily PIP,
asked Mark after pause. ..rJf.
Poor soul ~ said Ben; "there she is yet;
with all sweetness and patience, waiting till
such a luckless scapegrace as can give her
a home and husband. / wish to my soul,
for her sake, 1 could afford to get married,
and have a home of my own; besides. to
tell the truth. am tired of this rambling,
scrambling, out-at-elbow, slip-shod life" i
why don't you get married P'' said Mark.
"Why don't |, to be sure! Use my
tailor's bills for fuel, and my board bill fon
house rent, and my shoe bill for bread and
butter, hey p, Would you recommend
poor girl to try me, Mark, all things con-
sidered ?n said Ben bitterly.y9 Tfrl o..
Mark reflected awhile in silence, and
then drew out his book-his little book to
which we have before alluded rI
"Just look at this account, Ben," said he.
81 know you hate figures, but just for
once" lIE Hl H.q|
Ben glanced at it mpatiently-laughe
when he read over the first two or three
items, but his face heightened as be pro-
ceeded, and Mark detected sort Ofwhistle
of astonishment, as he read the sum total.
"Well, Mark" he exclaimed, rwhat a
very odd, gentlemanly. considerate trick Is
this of yours-to to sit behind your curtain so
cOolly noting down the cost and come to-
of our little frolics--really it is most edify-
ingl How much you must have enjoy ed
your superior forethought and discretion y
and Ben laughed, but not with his usual
glee. s-.1.i io-".fss'l af1 ID
"Nay, you mistake," said Mark. 1d kept
this account merely TO see wnat / had been
in the habit OF spending, myself, and as
you and have been always hand and glove
in everything, it answers equally well for
you. 1t was onlyyesterday that summed
up the account, and assure you the result
surprised myself; and now, Ben, the sum
here set down, aud as much more as you
please, is freely at your disposal to clear
off old scores for the year; provided Won
will accept with itthis little book as a New
Years gift, and use it one twelve-mOnth as
l have done and II at the end of that
time you are not ready TO introduce me to
Mrs. Sanford, am much mistaken" nd
Ben grasped his friends hand, but Just
then the entrance of Mrs. Meriden prevent
ed his reply. Mark, however, saw with
satisfaction that he put the book carefully
i'm his vest pocket, and buttoned up bis scoat
with the air ofa man who is buttoning up
new resolution.
4 When they parted for the night, Mark
said with smile: In case of bilious
attacks you know where to send for med
icines." Ben answered only by a ferVent
grasp of the hand, for his throat fell too full
| for him to answer. d \.
Mark Meriden's book answered the pur-
pose admirably. In less than two years
Ben Sanford was the most popular, lawyer
in ------,l and as steady a householder as