The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1881-05-05
Unavailable Talents.


My wife and looked at each other il
blank despair. We are such lively people
that it is very seldom that we are boil
blue at once, but this time we had goOt
and sufficient reason. We had come t
our last dollar We had no certainty o
getting any more money, and we We're tot
honest to wish to be in debt. This was IL
extraordinary position for lis, as we were
considered by all who knew us to be sucl
''uncommonly talented" people. was
always told in college that if would ap
ply myself, | might easily stand first il
my class, though in point of fact stoot
somewhere in the twenties, believe.
have since sometimes wondered if appli-
cation may not be itself a separate talent
instead of being within the reach of all
as is often supposed. My wife was alway,
the life of any company. She was as
pretty and trim a woman as you WoulC
wish to see, and she sang ballads Will
really wonderful expression. | never saw
a woman who appreciated a Joke st
quickly, and in amateur theatricals she
was irresistible Her talents went even
farther than this. She read poetry st
beautifully that everybody cried and
on the other hand she was 50 fond o
mathematics that she studied comic see
tions one winter 10y herself, "tor fun
We were both versatile, we We're both
lively. we were both mercurial.
Now, however we had no money, and
very little flour in the house. My wife had
made Il nice Johnny cake for the delecta-
ton of the children at supper, and they
had gone to bed contented, and Were
now peacefully sleeping. Meantime, il
became absolutely necessary for us to
lace our fate. was a lawyer. | chose
that profession, not from any sympathy
with it, but because could not he Il clcr-
gyman. and would not be physician
OF course | began to practice in the city
for though there seemed to be no opening
there, liked to live in the city. You
know the theatre and music, and books,
and pictures, ard society, can hardly be
had in the country.
If | had been less talented a mere
clodhopper-I could have gone without
the retinements of life and been happy
AS it was it did not once occur to me that
could live in the country. need not
say my practice amounted to nothing
Those who have tried the same expert
ment know that some years elaDse before
a maintenance can be counted upon
However, lived meanwhile, on a modest
legacy which had descended to me from
an aunt, and married wife.
Florence had no money. and no expert
ence of housekeeping but hope Should
not marry us would select a servant
We got on beautifully in spite Of the
quicksands which already present them
selves to the readers mind.
In the first place we had no end Of good
times together, so our life was success
50 far and | knew we We're 50 happy
that we made every body around happy
too. And we lived within our means
liked a million, and | really think We
could have spent it protitably: still We
were not eXtravagant, and both of us
were honorable and conscientious. We
were at peace with all the world, and con
sidered ourselves noble in character and
talented in mind.
Unfortunately the failure Of the bank
in which my legacy was invested changed
the aspect of things. We smiled at first
because We thought we should respect
ourselves more if we were brave. AnC
our friends said we bore it charmingly
''But Of course it is not as if YOU had not
your practice" This was very well, but
privately we knew that the practice
would hardly keep us in boots and shoes
and then, had practced long enough
now to find out how | hated it. | was
not meant for lawyer, and to speak
after the manner of the Methodlsts, il
would have been ''ndulging a false hope
to suppose | ever should succeed. II
seemed imperative that should look tt
some other source for an income. haC
written play for the "Grecian Club, tc
which we belonged the year before, which
had been received with prolonged ap-
plause but now, when wrote to man
ager, he declined with thanks. | had alsC
written r"fs he s0ciete which had beer
pronounced by good critics, as witty as
Holiness; but when | sent them to the
magazines, | received a neat printed cir
cular saying that "owing to the over
crowded state of the market" )" they could
not accept anything more at present, but
urging me TO believe that "want of liter
ary merit" had nothing whatever to dc
with their rejection.
Florence, getting desperate, advertised
for private pupils in mathematics; bu
the only one who appeared was bent OF
studying logarlthms, which she had founc
50 tedious when school girl that she ha(
skipped them altogether. This was too
bad, for she is really a splendid math
ematican, as far as the principles 90, ant
that is probably the reason she hate.
eternal figuring 50 much.
With her music the contrary is true
She knows nothing about The theory, bu
her practice is exquisite so of course sht
cannot give lessons.
She sews very we'll | believe-at leas
we are all kept neat and whole and sh,
has good taste; but she says her stitches
will not bear examination, and if she triet
to sew better, she would work so slowl,
that she could not earn her salt He
housekeeping is very pleasant, | know
but we have a hundred little idiosyncrasie
which would make taking boarders i'm
possible, even if it were not intolerable
50 we have never seriously considered
that question.
1t will probably be thought cold blood
ed in me to speak in this way Of m,
wlte's not earning anything, especially
when, now we had dismissed our girl, she
had everything to do for the children ant
me; and in fact, | did not mean sht
should do anything, but she was alway.
pondering the matter, and in some dari
moments ! gave in a little myself,
thought would commit suicide, and lei
her support the children.
1t is obvious that now neither of us fel
as sure of our elevated character or O
our talents as before the legacy was lost
and we had at last arrived at the above
mentioned state Of blank despair.
at is really too bad" said Florence al
last; ''it would take so little to make Us
happy, and yet we can't have it."
"There is nothing under heaven to be