Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1870-02-17
MY NE wSPAPER.

Who can estimate the value of news
paperl No one until he has lost it
until the pleasant periodical visits, like
the face of dear friend, bringing such
a fund of wit, news and intelligence that
it is always greeted with hearty well
come, are Withdrawn. 1t is, in one sense
the Fight of the world-without which
the mental universe would be as much
in darkness as the terrestrial without the
sun.
There are books, it is true. good, wise,
instructive and entertaining; but they
do not tell us what we want to know of
passing events, or direct us to the best
place of business. Neither do they in
form us who of our friends are passing
away or getting married, or who has
sailed for the Eastern Continent or
who has returned from tour thither, &c.
/ did not think of this until / had
formed the foolish resolve not to take the
paper another year. The pressure OF
the times was severe, business dull, my
family expensive, and it really seemed
necessary to retrench somewhere to make
both ends meet at the close of The wear.
So I thought, as sat alone one evening
IN dressing gown and slippers, with my
feet upon the fender. l had my last
paper in my hand. which / perused with
greater degree of interest that ever be-
fore; it may be because / had resolved
TO pait with it.
!" / tell you" said / 10 my wife, soon
after, IL won't do. we must curtail our
expenses; and I will begin by withdraw.
ing my advertisement from the paper,
End order it discontinued. Taxes will
soon be due, which must be paid; wood
IS enormously high. but we can't do
without it-nor lights, nor clothing or
any other incidental expenses. We have
plenty of books and magazines, old. to be
sure, still they are readable, and we
must do without the paper for year to
come.'
It's only two dollars year, said ny
wife quietly.
L know it | replied, but every dollar
counts nova days.
But do you not believe it will have
tendency to render business still more
dull not to ADVERTISED asked she.
Nonsense! A place SO well establish
ed need not so questionable a lever to
help it on. 1 do not suppose it will make
any material difference, while the adver-
Using amounts to considerable replied
sunK,cfiontI~
But what will you do for the newsr
she ventured again.
Oh, | can get enough of that with in
tercourse with others, or occasionally buy
or borrow a copy
John Smyth, says my wife, now fully
aroused, : am ashamed of you. What
TOO poor to take paper yourself, and
willing to filch information from others
whose money is paid for what they learn
and at the same time defraud the honest
publisher who is constantly Iabor;ne
with bead aud hands for others good !
Talk about your retrenchment-you had
better stop your bills at the saloon for
ale and cigars-needless expenditures
for yourself alone. while your newspaper
is perpetual intellectual feast for the
whole family, yourself excepted, and it
costs but mere trife in comparison to
the money you spend every week for To-
baccc and drink. You have not spoken
OF the increased prices of these articles.
Stop the paper, indeedp And nv wife
jerked her chair around with not a very
graceful movement, and sat with her
back toward me, in utter contempt of nv
penny wise and pound foolish resolu-
ton.
Now | make it a point never to yield
to my wife or any of my family, if l can
help IL; as in case / should, I would
seem secondary consideration in my
own family, position l by no means in
tend to occupy; so l said nothing, but
sat and pulled my fragrant Havana,
watching the graceful folds of smoke as
it wound in little wreathes about INV
head. l resolved, that. come what
would, / would not yield indulgence in
the weed for the sake of newspaper.
The next day / called on the publish
er, settle my accounts, and ordered my
paper 10 be discontinued.
On what grounds 7 he asked, in sur
prise.
Nothing I answered: / can't af
ford it. and l walked away, leaving him
to his own reflections.
Time passed on; the day on which it
was due could not feel quite contented
at the non appearance of my paper. l
missed the cheerful face of the little car.
fier, aud the interesting news he was