The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-03-03


ticular condition or station in lie. The
proud and the humble, the rich and the
Door, the wise and the ignorant, the noble
and the ignoble, enjoy an ecualtamount
oil pleasure, and suffer an equal amount of
sorrow. Ambition springs from an ardent
desire to increase happiness by the pos
session Of titles, honor or wealth; and this
ambition Is in proportion TO the knowledge
we have Of what constitutes greatness.
But success in attaining. the prize only
swakens more earnest purpose TO grasp
at something which the new position
discloses as being still wanting. No man
Is ever fully satisfied with what he has,
but Is always Just on the point Of becom.
ing so. II man has no conception
higherhsn that 10 which he aspires, then
| 1t becomes to him the goal OF his ambi.
ton. A shepherd boy in Scotland had
never been beyond the limits Of his ma
tive glen, and knew nothing more Of the
world than what was comprised within
the area OF the horizon seen from his
cabin door. His principal food was par.
ritch, a pudding made Of oatmeal, which
was eaten with buttermilk, often thin and
sour. al wish was a king" he said to
his mother one day, - would then get
cream parritch and cream to sup it wi"
This was the height Of the poor boys am
billion, the summit Of his grand concep-
ton Of earthly felicity. Still happiness
and grief visit alike the lowly and the
great; and the millionaire who has made
his own fortune, enjoys no more pleasure
than he did when he toiled and struggled
for q dollar day.
Any one who has attended the Sec
ond ward market in this city during the
last twenty-five yearS, must have observed
an old, broad shouldered man, with the
remains OF a basket hanging on his arm,
and frequently carrying the stump Of a
broom. He walks slowly along the curb.
stone, round and round the market house,
looking eagerly and intently into the gut.
tiers; probing and turning over the mud
with stick; sometimes he stoops down
and with both hands examines the gar.
bage. He Is next seen exploring the pave.
ment below the butchers stalls, never
looking about him, but with commends.
BILE zeal scruLinizing every nook and cor.
ner in. the market. A stranger mighGsup.
pose he had lost something valuable, and
was looking diligently to find it. Not SO,
however; he is searching for money or
something else which others may have
been unfortunate enough TO lose. He is
well known by the name Of "Roundy
Downdy." he continues his explorations
till near noon; then he makes tour Of
the city, searching among the swcepings
of store rooms, or the rubbish and ashes
of back alleys. For nearly quarter Of a
century the old man has followed this &C.
cupatlon; his person, his clothing and his
dilapidated.b partaking Of the color
and apparently the nature of the aSh
piles be tolls among. A mischie"ous ur-
chin, standing at safe retreating distance,
hallOos,
''Houndy Downdy found q az,
He Lost II again and found blt."
A cloud Of Indignation datkens the Old
mans face; he looks defantly at the
youngster, but finding pursuit hopeless,
quietly resumes his work.
Some years ago a relative took this man
out Of the depths and gave him pleas
ant home near St. Clairsville. There he
became clean in his person, decently at
tired, and presented respectable
appearance at Church on the Sab
bath day. Never was transformation
more complete. Few would have recog-
nized in the venerable and comfortable
old citizen, the mud explorer oil the mar
ket house. He breathed the pure air Of
Belmont county's hills, walked and lived
near green meadows and shady groves.
Sparkling streams and blooming banks Of
fragrant fowers RECALLED his senses, and
the winged songsters Of the forest made
glad music to his ears, But alas | he be.
came discontinued. As the children Of
Israel alter their exodus lamented for the
flesh pots Of Egypt, SO helanguished and
pinned, day by day, for his former enjoy
mentin thegutters and ash piles oiWbeel,
ing. BE could bear this state OF things no
longer, and at last returned to his old
haunts inthe city and resumed his former
vocation. He is now happy man.
gErB W. -!-se.------=-- er'f al
Nor DISQUALIFICATION readers
have already been informed Of the arrest
of Len Reid on suspicion Of having fired
his uncle's house on Main Street last