Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-01-14
what Made the Difference?


Jasy BR1sHT mot the English states
man hut in his way quite as great mani
had an experience of successive misfor-
times. The panic" came. and several
of his debtors failed. This so far en-
harrassed him that he was obliged to
curtail household expenses, and to dis
pense with several personal luxuries to
which he had been accustomed. In mid
winter his eldest son, who had been one
wear taking care of himself, came back
10 his fathers house as dependent, his
arms having been dreadfully broken in
the machinery of a gun-factory. His
wheat was winter killed his best horse
died: trusted servant ran away, taking
a silver presentation pitcher that had or
namented the best parlc-. Finally he
had a severe attack of sickness that
ruined his superintendent of sffairs for
fully three months. All this within one
A singular case, you say; but it was
not. His neighbor, James Gloom, had
nrecisely the same hard lot Nobody
would have suspected it to hear the men
talk. So entirely different were the views
that they took of the same experience
that il would be hard to contend that
these two men were the creatures OF cir
cumstance. Certain circumstances made
the one patient, contented and prudent;
the same circumstances made the
other fretful and reckless. This may
be illustrated by copying brief extract
from a letter of each:
BRIGHT's ACCOUNT.
It scas pinching times last winter, but
we got along comfortably, notwithstand-
ing. 1t did US no hurt to be more eco
nomical than we had been for several
wears. think the children were grow
ing up to feel that money grew on bush
es, and that there would never be an end
of it. When Brown failed the girls had
to give up having new party-dresses, and
the boys spent less freely on pleasures
that took them away from home. And
it was decided benefit that we all spent
more of our evenings together. And it
did wife and myself good to be obliged
to make some little sacrifices in order to
give as much as usual to the poor, who
really needed more than usual. Our an
nual Journey was more than made up to
us by the knowledge that the money
that we should have spent on 1t
kept Widow Plum's children at school,
and added some necessary comforts to
her dreary life. think this sympathy
for others helped us somehow when dear
John came home lifelong cripple. For
if we had been too selfish to give up any
thing for others we might have grumbled
about him; and that would have made
him very unhappy, for he is proud-spir-
tied boy. Dear Johnl he has been a
blessing to US with all his patient and
loving ways. When the wheat was win
tea-killed and came in to complain of
it to wife how his bright face made me
ashamed before had time to speak! He
ruined for life and yet so cheerful; how
could l groan over one seasons mishap!
And it was not altogether loss that
Billy died that spring. We had really
little use for him on the farm, and he was
too spirited for the women-folks to drive
safely. i could not have sold him honest
IN for safe family horse, and he was
good for nothing to draw. ! find that
we can hire all the pleasure driving we
want more cheaply than to keep an extra
horse that we don't use half the time.
Well, the past year has not been what
we commonly call prosperous, but we
have really been greatly blessed. Truly,
God is good to US beyond our deserts.
GLooM's ACCOUNT.
Dreadful hard times last year!
First Brown failed and cheated me out
of that large debt. Why couldn't he
have saved me at any rates ] even had
to borrow money to make Christmas pres
ents with! Celia's and Mary's new
gowns cost pile! And Harry's club ex-
penses were never higher. It's a hard
case when parent has to deny his own
children anything, or to appear poor to
ones neighbors. I had to tell the girls
that they could not have new fur cloaks
this year, and shut down on Jim's allow
ance for spreads" at college. l was
never so pressed for ready money in my
life. Why, wife and ] could not have
taken our usual journey unless we had
cut of some of our donations. One does
not like to do that, you know, but 1t was
absolutely necessary. 1t was perhaps
Just as well that dropped Widow Plum,
for her children are old enough to be OF
some help, and ought to learn to practice
self-denial. I'm sure we rich folks have
to bear enough. Sans coming home
was another calamity. 1t never rains
but it pours. Why the fellow didn't
have sense enough to keep out Of the
grip OF that wheel is past all reckoning.
He was Always q reckless boy. and here
he is now, thrown back on me for life. 1t
makes the house unpieasaht 70 nave
cripple round all the time. The other
children don't like to stay with him, and
he complains and adds TO my other
troubles. The wheat was killed, too, to
cap all. Isuppose that's what some call
dispensation of Providence. 1t looks
more like the devils work to me. Wife
said was cross as bear for month
afterward. But when Jack died ]
thought it was no use trying to be SOFT,
spoken-our best horse, and would
have fetched $500 in any market
Neighbor Jones was bargaining with
me for six, which / refused, hoping
to get fifty more, when the Great
ure was first taken sick. don't know
what we shall do If this stringency holds
on. can't cut down our charities any
more they are pretty much clean gone
now. and one must do something to bt
respectable. And we can't live any
cheaper. It's tough world at best, Du'
don't see why God should single cut m.
to bear af1iction.-7he Working Church
Intelligent Ants.
following