Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1877-05-08

| hAIpQ mas CuiDSsu tne DICK sthlIs, st
they go up out of the cook-rOom. They
are ever so much better. haze been
feeling rather blue and discouraged. We
lost our COW, the hens did not lay, and
Ralph and the boys must have some
clothes.
But thugs look better now, and can
see that the cloud had Il silver lining after
ali. Rplph has got q weeks work at the
village, then he is going TO shingle Aunt
Sophronia's house, and yesterday Mr..
liurd sent for him and wanted him to
work for him all the spare time he can
get this summer, ard that will be cash.
Our hens too have begun to lay, ard we
shall have four dozen to sell tomorrow.
shall not need TO have anything new
this season, unless it is something 10
wear on my head. and perhaps not that.
| want to fix my gray dress over and
save my black one for next winter.
Father aud Jane have been 10 Boston,
aud Uncle Silas sent me blue silk neck
erchief with white border. and uncle
says il will visit him he will give me 9
pass over the road up and back. Oh
course | shall go. (?) Shall send to Paris
or London for my wardrobe, etc.
Alter reading this letter | sat and pom
derod long time. saw things in a
new light. Here was woman, with a
clear understanding of the good things
OF this life in humble circumstances and
surrounded with associations demanding
I cali IapiaI onJ ctr;., ocOpC,,,v. yot ac
| ceptIng. as a matter of course, the situs-
| tion without mnrmur. There were no
envious reproaches against the rich. not
word about hard Times, but n cheerful
conformity TO circumstances rs they e1-
isted ard adaptation OF such means a.
were ut her command 10 the comforts OF
/ her family. She wrote of her little project
and adversities, her efforts to dress her
self and children bccomlngly. with cheer
iulness blended with pleasantly.
There was something here Suggestive
to me of deep lesson, which scattered
my higt-:oned political ard financial
speculs,ions. The campaign speeches !
had heard vanished into chatf and bom-
bast, and the appealing arguments on the
currency question became so much tinan-
cial prattle.
Alter all what would it matter TO me,
aside from party preference, whether til
den or Hayes WAS elected? Should |
ever know the difference? Would The
elect on OF either bring money making
business TO me aud bread to the hungry
millions? And would dozen legislative
sets on the money question make the
crops yield bountiiully, or be worth so
much To- The country IS dozen sturdy
men earning their own living and de-
veloping the resources Of their own
farms? Certainly all could not be rich {;
the country could not produce enough
surplus wealth for that. And who were
the men who were above want then =?
Were they not. in most instances men
who had toicd and saved for years ?
They had not travelled royal road to
wealth. Those vino had, were topping
down.
The more thought OF these things the
more | became convinced that had been
on the wrong track, that all permanent
good and prosperity could be obtained
only by an equivalent rendered in labor
or attention. that If the times were not
the best there was no reasonable way but
TO accept the situation and do the best We
could just as my brothers vile had done.
Well, might as well begin.
Was eXtrayagant? The smoke of my
cigar curled above my head and wreathed
an answer.
There are fifteen cents going away in
smoke, and his is only fraction of whist
you send off daily. Then there is your
weekly bottle Of wine which you gen
teelly sip with your friends, though II
costs you money; and you pass for a
temperate man only because you do not
drink at the public bar. Then there are
your fancy gloves and thousand ct Get
eras which en,ille you TO less credit and
no more respect than those costing less
than one-half the amount you pay for
these"
The argument was against me.
threw the cigar into the CRATE and re-
solved TO commence then and there 8
practical reform; aud when | had made
up my mind 10 it felt better. The little
ness of what had seemed great things
became apparent in comparison with The
true moral worth of small things.
And all this came from reading the
letter from my brothers wife. She had
unconsciously taught me lesson. which,
if all would heed, would bring prosperity
She had struck the key 10 the problem o
the hard times, and was quietly and un.
complainingly working it out in her OWL
home and neighborhood, c.
------
Self Helm