The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1867-05-09
My Newspaper.


newspaper ? No one, until he has lost
it-until the pleasant periodical visits,
like the face Of g dear friend, bringing
such fund Of wit, news and general
intelligence, that he is always greeted
with hearty welcome, are withdrawn.
It is in enc sense, the light of the
world, without which the mental uni
verse woNld be as much in darkness
as the terrestrial Is without the sun.
There are books, it is true, good,
wise, entertaining; but they do not tell
what we want to know of passing
events, or direct us to the best place of
business. Neither do they inform us
who Of CUR friends are passing away
or getting married, or who is dong a
! driving business, or who is bankrupt,
OF who has sailed for the Eastern Con-
/ tinent, or who has returned from a
tour thither, etc.
did not think of this until I had
| formed a foolish resolve not to take
nly paper another year. The pres
sure Of the time was severe, business
dull. my family expensive, and it
really seemed necessary to retrench
somewhat, in order to make "bOth
ends meet, ,"at the end of the year. So
/ thought, as I sat one evening in
dressing gown and slippers, with my
feet upon the fender. I had my last
paper in hand, which I perused with a
greater interest than ever before, it may
be because I had resolved to part with
lit.
al tell you, Katie" said I to my
wife, ''it won't do, we must curtail ex.
peusas, and I will begin by withdraw
/ ing my advertisement from the paper
and ordering it discontinued. Taxes
will soon be due, which must be paid;
wood is enormously high, but we can't
do without it-nOr groceries and pro-
visions, nor lights or clothing, or many
other incidental expenses. We have
plenty of books and magazines; old
to be sure, still they are all readable
and we must do without a paper for
the year to come"
at is only two dollars a year," said
my wife quietly.
81 know it, I replied, "but every
dollar counts nowadays"
"But do you not believe that it will
have a tendency to render business
still more dull not to advertise ?'' she
asked. -
"Nonsense ! A place so well estab-
lished needs notso questionable a lever
to help it on. I do not suppose it will
make any difference, while the cost of
advertising is considerable" Ireplieetj
a little impatient.
"But what will you do for the neWs?"
she ventured again.
"Oh, can gain enough Of that by
intercourse with others, and can 0cca-
sionalIy buy or borrow copy"
"Johnny Smyth," said my wife,
now fully aroused, Pm ashamed of
you. What too poor to take paper
yourself, and yet willing to f1lch infUrs
nation from others whose money is
paid for what they learn and at the
same time defraud the honest publish
er, who is constantly Iaboring with
heart and hand for others good Talk
about retrpnchment! You had better
stop your bills at the saloon for ale and
cider-needIess expenditures for your
self alone. while the newspaper is a
perpetual intellectual feast for all the
family, yourself not excepted and it
costs but the merest trile in compari-
soD TO the money you spend every
week for tobacco and drink. You have
not spoken of the increased price-st
the articles. Stop the paper indeed !"
And my wife ierked her chair around
with not a very graceful movement,
and sat with her back towards me in
utter contempt of my 'penny wise and
pound foolish resolution"
Now I make it a point never to yield
to my wife or any of my family. if l
can help it, as in case I should, 1 would
become a secondary consideration-in
my own family-a position by no
means intend to occupy; so said
nothing, but sat and pulled my fra
grant Havana, watching the graceful
folds of the smoke as it wound itselfin
little wTeaths about my head. re-
solved that come what would, would
not yield indulgence in the delicious
weed for the sake of a newspaper.
The next day I called on '11fy-pub-
Usher, settled my account and ordered
my paper discontinued,
"On what ground ?' he asked in
some surprise.
"Nothing," I said, "only I can't af-
ford it," and I walked away, leaving
him to his own reflections. -
Time passed on, and on the day
when it was due, l could not feel
quite contented at the non-appearance
ofmy newspaper. missed the bright,
cheerful face of the little carrier, and
the interesting news he was wont to
bring on return Of each week through
fair weather or foul. There were other
papers about, for I bought one occa-
sionally, but these were published in
Eastern cities and contained no local
news of my own home.
AT night when I reached home, my
eldest daughter, Mary, met me i'll the
hall.
"Where is the paper, papa?' said
she. ooh, am in such hurry to see
it. Matte Trueworth's marriage is in
it, and the editor has published such
an appropriate verse in connection,
am told"
But 1 put her aside, saying:
"The paper will not come any more,
I have ordered it discontinued"
"Why, father, "shR exclaimed, chow
can we do without it?"
owe must learn to do without It,"
I replied, as 1 passed to the supper
room.
After supper, instead of reading to
my family-sOmetimes leading their
minds away off to other scenes and dis
tant regions, beautiful countries that
others have explored at great expense
and some risk of life sometimes to the
fierce fields of blood and carnage pic
tured so vividIy that they seemed, in
deed, before us, while we were safe and
comfortable in our little home, or
sinorino over the straw waits Of reoI