Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1866-05-17
Keeping up Appearances
A STORY HEARD IN PRISON.
Prom eeOa werd..


Twas brought up q weaver. as my
father was before me. was q good
hand at my trade, and I worked
steadily at 1T. When about twenty
four years of age'I married a girl
who was also a weaver. She was
quiet, amiable, and industrious, and
made me an excellent wife. We soon
had family, but as we were In eonA
slant and good work, we not only
contrived to keep the wolf from II s
door, but lived in comfort and re-
spectabilitv as we'll
When | was sbout thirty fve years
of age, the head partner said: 4 =
ave have alway s been. much sahs
fed with your behavior, and now We
are going to advance you The un-
der foreman in our receiving room is
going TO leave us, and you may have
his appointment if you like" ~,
Twas overjoyed at the offer, and
two days afterward / entered on my
duties. They was very light, and
consisted principally in receiyiee
the work brought home by the weay-
ers, examining it 20 see that it wes
properly done, and giving out the
bobbins for fresh work Times we're
now very fi0urishing with US, and we
earned sufficient to give our childish
good education. My employers
were perfectly satisfied with uf, Ind
l worked on soberly ndhonestty.sas
After. had been -9eyeus yeaxa no,
der foreman, the foreman Oh ea5
| died suddenly; and / was most anx
IONS to know who was to succeed
him, as he had been a very good
friend 10 me. snd we had worked on
very amicahly together. My doubts
at last terminsted in a very satisfac
tory manner. The head partner sent
for me one morning, and told me the
firm were so pleased with my steady
behavior, that they had determined
to offer me the situation of foreman,
with a salary OF two hundred year,
to be paid quarterly. ] thanked the
head Of the firm most gratefully for
his kindness, and assured him that
every effort should be made on my
part to give him satisfaction.
'-Of that | am assured, Mr. C." he
said, lit was the first time he had
called me Mister" and l was not a
little fiattered by it "You can now
enter upon your duties as soon as
you please"
When in the evening / told my
wife of our good fortune, she was
completely overwhelmed by 1t, and
( for some time could hardly realize it;
but when I told her that the head
partner had called me "Mr. c. she
was even more pleased than / had
been myself
"And why should you not be
called Mr. C.?' she said, lam sure
you would make as good a gentle
man as the best of them"
Fair and softly, my DEAR" said l
''Let us first feel our feet, and then
we will talk OF that afterward."
My duties were not more severe
than formerly, but far more responsi
BILE; for ! was entrusted with con
siderable sums of money to pay the
workmen. Once week my books
we're audited by the firm, and l was
frequently compliment. d. not only
on my exactitude,T but also, as 1 was
a good penman, on the neat manner
IN which they were kept.
1 Although my income was now two
hundred year, it had not increased
much in reality, or it had been sug
/ gested to me that now ! was in /:
situation of trust and responsibility
it was hardly JUS that should allow
my wife to trudge like a common
W, aver. ], without hesitating adj
mitted the justice OF the remark, bu
I hardly thought my wife woult
I agree to it; however, was determined
to try her, so l told her when / wen
| home in the evening, that hardly
thought it right she should continu,
at the loom, considering the position
in lie we were now in. To my grea
surprise, my wife not only made nc
objection, but positively told me sh,
had already thought SO; and she hat
: wished to speak TO me on the subject
but did not like to, as she was afraiC
should think her lazy.
Alter l had been few months il
. my new position, my wife one nigh
told me: "0ur landlord called to-da,
and 1 paid HIM for the quarter. III
talks about increasing our rent. H
says you have had the house to-
: cheap for some time past, consider
ing the rate of rents in the neighbor
J. hood" -lh-
q Il SHALL not pay any more than
do now," / replied. "And it is
shameful thing lor him to want i
{ considering how long / have bee
y his tenant / would rather look fe
another house than pay shillin
more than do at present"