Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1872-04-06
uuAr LtrTLE FOXES DID.

spects ike my grandfatheUs that II
drew my attention.
:. Your good neighbOr seems to
have had some ideas like yours
l said.
= The man that built this house
had No neighhnr of mine new
poor man y and my grandfather
drew long breath.
Then after q pause his voice
changed.
{" These fox! these little foxes,
hate them : Nobody fears them, no.
body minds them, yet they ruin eve
rvtliiug. The beasts of prey are not
half so dangerous. The little foxes! |
he repeated with emphasis, and his
tone was bitter.
What little foxes, grandfather. Z"
l." ANY little foxes, all little foxes
little sins, little weaknesses, little
ISLANDERS, little debts, hate them all.
They do so much mischief, they are
so rreacherous and ruinOus ~
HWhcn they are so little ?"
- Yes and because they are so lit
tle."
Nv grandfather paused. WAITED
in silence, aud he went on.
Il never ride by that house with |
out pain and indignation. You see
what a fine place it is; good house;
a hundred and fifty acres OF good
land: and yet il went for a SIX
gown. That was the little fox"
4 silk gown"
Yes, it went for silk gown
And there went with it what was
worth greatly more than all Of it-a
whole family's hope and happiness"
" What is the story, grandfather"
I'm tell YOU. When i first came
10 this part of the country, young
couple bv the name of Brown were
settled here in log house. They
were hard working, seli-dcnYing
people, and everything prospered
with then for many years. Ihey
maid for their farm and kept adding
TO il, till, as l told you, they had
hundred and fifty acres. Then, when
| had built ne new house, nciSh-
Dor Brown had TO build him one,
somewhat like mine, as you see, Tor
nc did not want 10 be behind. 1
sent nv oldest children 10 an acade-
nv in the next town, where they
could have better opportunities Tor
] learning than hereafter Time,
neighbor Brown thought II would
! be q good thing to educate his chill
/ dren, and sent his oldest daughter
| to the same academy. IL was new
| expense to him, but he met II cheer
| fully, and for time all went we'll
! Tie Young woman made him stare
| with her philosophy, and the fond
father was more than repaid for all
his sacriiicc on her account. But as
She Increased in knowledge, so did
She in love of dress and nothing
would do for her but an expensive
silk gown. Her mother put her oil
.Wc can't afford il, Susan
SWhy not, mother "
Because we have no money To
pay for it, 90,
But father can pay FOR 1t in things
from of the farm
SNothing can be spared now
Last years grain is all sold; so IS
everything else from last year,
sBut father might sell something,
a cow, if nothing else
The father entered.
What is it, Susan:'
Il want a new dress, father. Ma
~ Stiles has one
How viii she get it 2 intcrposcd
: the prudent mother.
'rll buy il for her.
But how viii you pay for IL :.
THEY'LL trust me-
, The wife said no more, and SusaI
7 had the handsomest gown TO b'
, fouud in the next village, and Brown
had store bill for the first time II
his life. He thought nothing OF ii
: so many others had the same, anc
7 the merchant encouraged II. /
: comes a great deal easier TO sa.
D charge it, than TO hand over th'
{ hard-earned cash. They know this
: and take adv ,ntage of il. and so
C man who would not have spent -tel
dollars at the store If be had TO pa
I down. has a store bill OF perhap
d five times that amount to meet a
c the end of the year"
D And suppose it can't be met /!
: sSThe merchant puts II ia the shap
d of note. payable with interest, an
starts fresh account"
e TOO bad ~
= $50 IL is; but Susan Brown ha
her fine dress, and Brown had h
store bill, and once begun II 500
Il grew too large, and how many deb
d are not so? The command Is wis
c. Owe no man anything Most deb
10 ought never to have been.-No oi
G. should have an indulgence that ca
- not be paid for at once.-Next yei
le Browns store bill became a not
Il, with interest, but il did not trou5
as him. Next year another note W
al | given, larger one, including into
est. and an unpaid balance of 50
Ond store hill--4oaVisr interest "
D. I asked, for money was scarce. Brow
r kept falling behind for several yeal
he once sliding downward, il is ha
$ to recover ones self. At length
5e saw the surveyors at work on th
of part of the farm lying next TO mil
ie- lie was with them
il Going to sell?' / asked him.
ut I'm going to give Lynde d mo
ke gage
id .Ah! how's that?'
a Hes got some OF my notes, u
a wants one
al - pitied him, and with a 90
al reason, He was never the sal
in man again. An incubus lay up
IL him, destroying his industry,
mr. courage, his very life. If he cot
! = not pay a store bill, how could
an | lift a mortgage? His farm Il ust :
IRE no help for il. The grasping usul
We had done his work, had made
Nv own the handsome farm which ;
O. other man earned by the sweat a
an toll of life, without the sweat
rs. toll of an hour, by cunning, sm
Ter advantages fastened TO a little ST
on debt. How indignant l felt, b.
he sorrOwful, too, when my &C
me ncighbOr put his furniture into w
ar ons; putin his axe, plow, and h
CHI and took his way to an humble no
- far from US, TO begin life's toll ant
youth all gone hope almost de
courage almost failed, muscles {
a. heart weakened. And all this n
- grew from litthc thing, a schC
- girls gown. DO YOU wonder / h
u little foxes Look out for th'
% child, watch for them don't
-, them spoil your vines, while !
~ think you are safe from them.
- one is safe"
~ We rode on in silence, and mu
- and trembled. So many little thi
~ life made up with them-wl
H. shall ruin? which shall bic
To- God of wisdom, direct me-
re- prayed.
a Paying of debts is one of the |
.eip means in the world 10 deliver
esl- from a thousand temptations to
and vanity. Pay your debts,
you will not have wherewith 10
ave chase a costly tOy or n uprtiici