Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1866-08-30
[From ali the Year Reund. |
Jones and the Writer,

very good humor, was passing the
palace OF Jones. There was a hand
some carriage waiting at the door,
and presently Jones himself came
down the steps, assisted by a foot
man, and entered it, Jones' hair
was slightly gray. but he had a plump,
ruddy face, and looked like person
who enjoyed himself. Seeing that
Jones was going out for his pleasure
ut three o'clock in the afternoon, /
thought it probable thst he had noth-
ing else on the face OF the earth to
do but enjoy himself.
This man, thought l to myself, is
sort of Fortunatus. When he puts
his hand in his pocket he finds money
there. He is not Obliged to make sn
effor: to obtain it. He tolls not,
neither does he spin; yet he is mag
nifcent, and has all the pleasures of
the world ct hfSc0mmanu- Now.
the aggrayating reflection about this
is, that if Jones did toll and spin, he
wouldn't be half so well off as he is
What encouragement is there for me
/ to go home-to Hoxton-and rack
my brains, with all my best efforts,
and not equal in substantial result to
Jones doing nothing! l write a
tragedy; he has but to write cheque.
The undistinguished Jones is my
bloated aristOcrst. When l see him
lolling in his carriage, chinkIng the
sovereigns in all his pockets, / feel
ready for the barricades. l mutter
between my teeth, Down with the
bloated Joneses!"
/ ask again, where de all these
common people get their money?
How should it be such an easy thing
for them, and such a difficult thing
for me? How provokingly cool they
are over it! But if I, after a hard
struggle, do obtain possession of o
hundred pounds or so, l am as ner-
vous as possible till l get it safely
into the bank. And even then my
mind is not at rest. What If the
bank should break! If had five
thousand pounds instead Of five hun
dred to my account, l feel certain /
should never trouble myself about
the stability of the bank. This is
what 1 enVy-not wealth itself, but
its petentiality.
When | saw Jones in his carriage
roll off from his door, went my way
in q very i'll humor. l don't know
that wanted any thing that day.
All was right at Hoxton; no duns or
disagreeables of any kind. 1 had
seen my name in the papers; "rising
young man, rapidly reaching the top
round of the ladder" Zone paper
said had reached it already.) 1t
was very fine day; / was in very
good health; 1 had several loose SOW
ereigns in my pocket; and, for that
day and several more if / chose, l
had nothing to do but enjoy myself.
Still l was hipped and out of humor.
When wandered about for MANY
hours among the gay scenes of the
West End, seeking unalloyed pleas
ure and finding it not, l turned into
a famous supper room, where diges-
ton is prompted by minstrelsy. /
heard that to sit in this room and eat
chops and baked potatoes while a
tuneful choir, inspired by the divine
Nine, sing glees and madrigals, was
to compass the very round and top
of human enjoyment. / had heard
that those chops and potatoes, ac-
conpanied by the Tyre, we're medi-
cine for the mind diseased; that they
were potent to raze out the written
troubles Of the brain, and cleanse
out the stuff that weighs upon the
heart. Remembering these things.
l said to myself. ''If a man should
need an aaidote to poisoned
thoughts, this should be the shop
where he may procure it."
l entered and encountered the
good apothecary. His looks were
not meager; his weeds were not tat
tered. On the contrary he had a
very jolly, rubicund face, and we're a
most unexceptionable surteut. He
smiled, shook me by the hand, gave
me snuff from chest, box is not the
word, and called me his dear boy.
The pain in my temper was vanish
ing at the very sight of the good
apothecary. Ere the medicinal chop
and potato we're set before me, that
pain departed. Yes, yes, I am will
ling to own it. / am becoming re-
conciled to Hoxton, when suddenly
my eve falls upon an elderly gentle
man at one end Of the drinking tables.