The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-09-20
MONEY NswERETH TO ALL THINGS
Ely IDENBURG.


There would seem to be in a man propensity,
almost innate, to get and hoard up money. keep
what you get and secure all You can" seems to be
his guiding principle-the main spring of his life
actions. This it is which allures him from the
smiles of happy home, drawing him farther and
farther away, until the loved, familiar spot is
shut from his view by intervening mountains or
the million waves of ocean. When most distant
from real happiness when constant hardships and
actual misery lift their hydra heads before him. he
will even conjure up an imaginary pleasure, sort
Of uDsubstantisl delight in the hope of again re-
turning to pour into the lap of friendship or love
the wellearned treasures Of persevering industry.
A distinguished writer has well given the name of
Imagination to the keen foresight of the merchant.
4" The dullest plodder over the obscurest desk,
who sums up, in the evening, his daily tables of
profit and loss, and who rises 10 the morning with
the sole object of adding few cyphers to that
book of pounds and pence, which contains the
whole annual history Of his life, even he, while he
half lays down his quill to think of future prices,
and future demands future possibilities of loss,
has his visions and Inspirations like the sublimest
poet-visons of different kind, indeed, from
those to which poets are accustomed, but involv
ing as truly the inspirations of fancy.n There is
no need of having recourse to subtle theories and
arfetched principles, principles that have no
foundations either in mind or matter, to account
for this seemingly instructive propensity. 1t
arises from the very condition Of man, the una
voidable consequence OF his situation and of the
means so admirably adapted to his welfare, and
breathed the breath of life into the sluggish clod
that spraEg from chaos. II is no less true, that
there is a continuous medium through which
sound comes to the ear or the object OF vision to
the eye, than that some inter communication
should take place between the different members
of the one great family. Money is the universal
circulating medium. We find il assuming different
shapes and names; yet 1t is used as the instru-
ment by which to fashion the same materials of
the same great design-extensive intercourse,
unlimited and united friendship and universal
happiness. Take away its influence, and that is
gOne which, if it occasionally leads to the worst
excuses, is the too general promoter of good not
to be severelytdeprecated as q serious loss.
Money is universal favorite. The Joy that
beams from the child's eye, when it fixes upon
SEINE bsuble of the toyshops, is but the germ of
more radiant smile that lights up the brow of
youth, when he hears the silver tongued idol 10 his
own pocket; and this is but the harbinger of
keen, though more deep-rooted, and, | may say,
philosophical delirium, which turns the brain OF
the man as be makes his bountiful deposit at the
bank; or renders giddy that Of hoary age about
to secure, before leaving the world, the quitrent
Of some tardy debtor whose visions have been
nipped in the bud " by the ruthless finger of
misfortune. Money is universal friend, though
like mOSt friends, hard to keep. With it, you are
everything; without it, nothing. full pocket
gives its possessor the power of a celebrated
pope, whose bounty so admirably displayed itself
in the gift of the western world; the penniless
purse is like tie ghost of the departed, hollow and
is subjected to the humility of a well known mon
arch, who was obliged TO kiss the feet of his holi.
ness. Health puts on additional bloom as the
gods approach and sickness almost shakes of her
palsy at his golden touch. Rank 6windles into
insignifcance when fortune frowns, while her
smile lifts the meanly born to the eyre of power.
The lawyer laughs at the ignorance of his client,
and clutches his fee; the vendor of medicines
prescribes with the pen of death in one hand and
the bill Of visits in the other and the curer of
souls, while dealing out his anathemas against
luxury and intemperance, chuckles at the pros
pect Of fat beneiice. In short
" So goes the world. If wealthy, you may call
This, friend, that, brother; friencs and brothers all
Tho you are worthless, wtless, mind it,
You may have b en- q stable Joy-what thsni
lis tCedlth, good sir. makes honorable
You seek respect, doubt, and you will 6ndf
But, tfyou are poor, heaven help you q your sire
bad royal blood within him and tho you
Possess the istelect Of angels, too
lis all in va NJ the d will ne er iDquirc
On such q scOre-why should Il take pains?
Is easier to weigh purses, sure, than brains"
IDENBURG.
New Orleans Sept Il. 1873.