The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1869-10-01
gaisteIIaneuns Solutions
MY NEWSPAPER.

Who can estimate the value of news
2 paper9 No one, until he has lost it
) until the pleasant periodical visits, like
the face of dear friend, bringing such I
fund of wit, news and general intelli
/. gence that it is always greeted with (
hearty welcome, are withdrawn. 1t is
; lin one sense, the light of the world
without which, the mental universe
would be as much in darkness as the
terrestrial world without the sun.
There are books, it is true, good
wise, instructive and entertaining; but
they do not tell us what we want tC
know of passing events, or direct us tc
the best places of business. Neither
do they inform US who of our friends
are passing away or getting married, ol
who has sailed for the Eastern Cont
nent or who has returned from a tour
. ithither, etc.
I did not think of this until l had
formed the foolish resolve not to take
lmy paper another year. The pressure
of the times was severe, business dull,
my family expensive, and it really SEEM
ed necessary to retrench somewhere to
make both ends at the end of the year.
| So 1 thought as sat alone one evening,
lin dressing gown and slippers, with my
fleet upon the fender. l had my last
lpaper in my hand, which 1 perused with
la.greater degree of interest then ever
before; it may be because ] resolved to
lpart with it.
| i tell you,' said l to my wife, 1t
won't do; we must curtail our expenses ;
and will begin by Withdrawing my
advertisement from the newspaper and
order it discontinued. Taxes will soon
be due, which must be paid; wood is
enormously high, but we can't do with
out it-nor groceries and provisions,
nor lights or clothing, or many other
Incidental expenses. We have plenty
Iof books and magazines, old, to be sure,
still they are readable, and we must
do without the paper for the year to
come
ITS only two dollars and a half a
year, said my wife, quietly.
q know it, l replied, but every dol
lar counts now-a-days.'
But do you not believe it will have
a tendency to render your business still
more dull not to ADVERTISED She asked.
sNonpensel A place so well estab-
lished needs not so questionable lever
to help it on. I do not suppose that it
will make any difference, while the cost
of advertising amounts to considerable
| replied, impatiently.
But what will you do for the newsP
she ventured again.
'Ob, I can get enough ofthat by inter
course with others, and occasionally buy
or borrow copy
John Smith, said my wife, now fully
assured, 1 am ashamed of you. What !
too poor to take paper yourself, and
yet willing to filch information from
others whose money is paid for what
they learn, at the same time defraud
the honest publisher who is constantly
lsboring with head and hand for others
good. Talk about retrenchment-you
had better stop your bills at the saloons
for ale and cigars-needless expen-
ditures for yourself alone, while the
newspaper is a perpetual intellectual
feast for the whole family, yourself not
excepted, and it cost but the merest
trias in comparison to the money you
spend every week for tobacco and drink.
/ You have not spoken of the increased
lprices Of these articles. Stop the paper
IindeedP T And my wife jerked her chair
around with not very graceful move
ment, and sat with her back toward me
in utter contempt of my penny wise
and pound foolish resolutions
/ Now make it a point never to yield
to my wife or any of my family, if l
can help it, as in case 1 should l would
become a secondary consideration in
my own family-a position l by no
means intend to occupy; SO I said moth
ing, but sat and pufed my fragrant
Havana, watching the graceful folds of
smoke as it wound itself in little
wreathes about my head. 1 resolved
that come what would, l would not yield
Indulgence in the delicious weed for the
sake of newspaper.
] The next day called on my publish
er, settled my account, and ordered my
paper discontinued.
'0n what ground p he asked, in some
surprise.
Nothing 1 said, 4 can't afford it,
and l walked away, leaving him to his
own reflections.
Time passed on; the day on which it
was due l could not feel quite contented
at the non-appearsnce of my newspaper.
l missed the bright cheerful face of the
carrier and the interesting news he was
wont to bring on return of each week !,
through fair and foul weather. There
we're other papers about for 1 bought
one occasionally, but these were publish
ed in large cities, and contained no local
news of my own home.
At night when l reached home, my
eldest daughter, Mary, met me in the
hall.
Where is the paper, papap said she.
'Oh, l 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 put her aside, saying, The pa
per win not come any more, 1 have
ordered it discontinued
why, fatherr she exclaimed +, how
can we do without itP
we must learn to do without it,
l replied, as 1 passed on to the supper
room.
After supper, instead of reading to
my family, sometime 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 field Of blood and carnage pic
tured so wildly that they seemed in
deed, before us, while we were safe and
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