Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1881-05-06
GaIes ano Skettbfs.
UNAVAILABLE TALENTS.

nay WIG anu lOOkeu al EACH otucf III
blank, despair. We are such lively people
that it is very seldom we are both blue at
once, but this time we had good and suffi-
cient reason. We had come TO our last
dollar. We had no certainty Of getting
any more money. and we were too honest
to wish to be in debt. This was an extra
ordinary position for rs. as We were con-
sidered by all who knew Us to be such
'.uncommonly talented" people. / was
always told in college that if would APP
ply myself might easily stand first in my
class. though in point Of fact stood some
where among the twenties. ] believe.
have since sometimes wondered if appli-
cation may not be itself a separate talent,
as il often supposed. Ny wife was always
the life of any company. She was as pref
~ and trim a woman as you would wish
70 see. and she sang ballads with really
wonderful expression. never saw NO.
man who appreciated joke so quickl y,
and in amateur theatricals she was irresis-
tible Her talents went even farther than
this. She read poetry so beautifully that
everybody cried; and on the other hand,
she was so fond of mathematics that she
studied comic sections one winter by her
self, for fun" We were both versatile,
both mercurial.
Now. however, we had no money. and
very little -four in the house. Ny wife had
made nice iohnny-cake for the delectaiion
Of the children at supper. and they had
gone to bed content. and were now peace
fully sleeping. Meantime it became
absolutely necessary for US to face our
fate. was lawyer. | chose that pro-
fession. not for any innate sympathy with
it, but because could not be clergyman
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
theatres. and music, and books. and pic
lures, and society. can hardly be hid in
the country. IF had been less talented
mere clod-hOpper-I cOnld have gone with
out the refinements of life and been happy.
As it was. it did not occur to me that
could live in the country. need no. say
my practice amounted TO nothing. Those
who have tried the same experiment know
that some years elapse before a mainten-
ance 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 experience housekeeping
but hope should not marry as / would
select servant. We got on beautifully
in spite OF the quicksands which already
presented themselves to the readers mind.
In the first place we had no end of good
times together. so our lite was q success
so far. and know we were so happy that
we made everybody around us happy too.
And we lived within our means, small as
they were. We would have liked million
and l think we could have spent it
proftablv; still we were not extravagant.
and both of us were honorable and
conscientious. We were at peace with all
the world. and considered 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 ut first,
because we thought we should respect
ourselves more if we were brave. And
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; ard
then had practiced long enough now to
find out hated it. was not meant for
lawyer. and. to speak after the manner Of
the Methodists, it would have been .'in-
dulging false hope" TO suppose ever
should succeed. 1t seemed imperative
that should look to some other source
for an income. | had written play for
the "Grecian Club" to which we be-
longed. the year before. whi.h had been
received with prolonged applause; but
now. when wrote another. and offered it
to manager. he declined with thanks
had also written vers de societc which
had been pronounced by good critics as
witty rs Holiness; but when | sent them
to the magazines | received a neat print
ed circular saying that lowing to the
over-crowded state of the market" thew
could not accept anything more at present
but urging me to believe that want of
literary merit" had nothing whatever to
do with their rejection
Florence, getting desperate. advertised
tor private pupils in mathematics but the
only one who appeared was bent on study
ing logarithms. which she bad found SO
tedious when n school girl that she had
skipped them altogether. This was too
bad. Tor she is reallya splendid mathema-
tician. as far rs the principles go. and
that is probably the reason she hates
eternal figuring so much.
With her music the contrary is true.
She knows nothing about the theory, but
her practice is exquisite. so of course she
cannot give lessons.
She sews very we'll believe-at least
we are all kept neat and whole-and she
has good taste; but she says her stitches
will not bear examination. and if she tried
to sew better she should work so slowly
that she could not earn her salt. Her
housekeeping is very pleasant. l. know
hut we have hundred little idiosvncra-
sizes which would make taking boarders
even were it not intolerable.
so we have never seriously considered
that question.
1t will probably he thought cold-clooded
in me to speak in this way of nv wife's
earning anything, especially when. now
we had dismissed our girl. she had every
thing to do for the children and me- and
in fact, did not mean she she should do
but she was always bordering
the matter. and in some dark moments l
gave in a little myself. Thought would
commit suicide, and let her support the
children.
1t is obvious that now neither of us felt
as sure of our elevated character or our
talents as before the legacy was lost. and
we had at last arrived at the above men,