Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1869-05-14
Letter from George Ginty to Jack
Turner.
BUFFALO, April 25, 1869.

DEAR JACK Its spring. The clum-
sy statue of winter has been battered
down by that "etherial mildness which
one THOMSON achieved distinction by
writing about. The gentle yet bracing
air of April puri6es the dungeon where
Boreas and his satellites have been hold
ing reyel: and the trees and shrubs that
got numb and went to sleep, after bleak
December rudeIy disr6bed them, are
gradually waking up, while nature, the
faithful servant that waits upon them, is
holding their new fashionable spring
clothes for them TO don. These trees
and shrubs are vain-as vain as the hu-
man plants-for you know they grow
faster, and demand change of gar
ments thrice each season. The spring
time sees them in their undress /; the
summer, in their full; the fall. when they
are modest, and the crimson blush comes
to the surface as the innocent little birds
watch the lascivous winds stripping them
almost to nakedness.
Spring Is joyous. and not unlike the
time of youth, when castles in the air are
generously given by invisible architects
to cheer the road ahead. What man, be
he minister or cobbler, saint or sinner,
that does not look forward from the
spring stand point of view, and contem-
plate the coming summer, who cannot
see all the distant clouds are silver lined |?
- As l sat by the window. watch
ing humans pass up and down the street,
yesterday, 1 noticed the tall form Of SKIN
FLINT go by. He is rich, is SKINFLINL.
He is pious-that is, he takes pew in
church and kneels at the altar. He is
cold and austere; stately as DOmtey.--
SKINFLINT has ducats in the bank. Gov
eminent bonds, plethoric with coupons,
Law 10 his vault. Cashiers and handlers
of money bow low as they pass him on
the h chWay. SKINFLINT's house is fur
nished luxuriously; his garden is redo
lent with the perfume of exotic plants,
while a high fence hides out the view from
poor children who stand on the walk
Just as hunger stands outside a glass
window. watching the fat Ioaves on the
bakers shelves, for COP surely couldn't
have made the rose or its fellows to bloom
for poverty's devotees. SKINFLINT rude
ly turns away beggars-with rags bare
" covering their limbs-who come to his
stately mansion asking for penny to
buy bread. If the little features that
implore aid happen to be wan; if their
gaunt appearance indicates starvation
and want-twin lots of the unfortunate
-SKISFLINT consoles himself with the
idea that sits all put on" for purposes
of deceit. He never gives TO the indi.
gent, for he reasons so wisely that peo-
pie have no business being poor--he
amt. But, of course, SKINFLTNT is not
miserly-nor ungenerous. just see the
large amount he gave recently toward
building a new marble church, where the
seats will be cushioned with silk velvet,
the hymn books and bibles gold-edged,
and where on the sabbath morn, when
the bell calls to mathis and prayers, the
sir will be filled with delicious aromas
Of iocky club, violet and night blooming
cereus, arising from beautifully embroi-
dered cambria handkerchiefs; think also
of his handsome CHECK for some hun
dreds, which will 60 to help make linen
shirts for the little darlings on "Afric's
burning sands" What if SKTNFL1NT
never offers helping hand to the thou
sands of needy around him; what if he
takes advantage of the necessities of his
fellows, and grinds the financial life blood
from their already depleted monetary
veins; these handsome gifts for foreign
missious-these healthy checks for mag
nifcent churches, where delicately reared
ministers, with mutton chop whiskers
can preach eloquent sermons, replete
with the charms of oratory-will more
than balance all his GOODNESS to his broth
er man here. So SKINFLINT thinks -
But SKINFLINT is getting greg; is on the
Latter end of the journey of life. And
soon his summons will come. When il
does, he will be carried to the bone yard
where we must all go, and handsome
siken plumes will wave above the hearse
that propels him there; mourners, with
kid gloves and dainty bonnets, will crowd
the sumptuous carriages that make up
the procession; and then greedy people
will hurry back to SKINFLINT's house to
hear his will read. Time will move on
and his legatees will spend, In rlotou:
pursuits, the money that SKINFLIN1
boarded up.
And SO, thinking of all these things.
don't envy old SKINFLINT or his ducats
When he commences swinging on the
gates of eternity, | fear me that the gap
ing eyes of Hades will be squirting hin
out OF countenance-that when Zamie