Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1890-01-23
THE CURSE OF DEBT.
Something About the Chronic Borrow
and Ills Despicabie ways.

Something About the Chronic borrower
aud ais Despicabie ways.
How can a man eat. sleep and be Jolly
under the pressure Of debt? How on
earth can he walk forth well appareled
and appointed, and face the man whose
unpaid-fOr trousers he is wearing? How
dare he smile at his butcher, or his
grocer, who are at that moment $50
apiece poorer for his past dinners and
teas? How dare he pat his children on
the head when he knows that if he
should die that night, their future
would be wholly uncared for? How on
earth can lie enjoy any luxury, trusting
only to his lodging instincts if the day
Of pecuniary reckoning should suddenly
come? How can he face the rascally re-
Election Of himself in the looking-glass
long enough to tie the crayat which
ought to be choking him.
How can he have the impudence to
go among honest upright people and
expect cordial recognition. or any rec
ignition at all? How dare the brazen
thief in his fine clothes. look into the
frank, honest face of the swarthy, red
shirted mechanic who has proved him
self man by that days hard labor?
How can he pass station house or po-
liceman without asking that summary
justice may be meted out to him. rather
than the poor. friendless, ragged
wretches whom adverse circumstances
seem sometimes to have 50 hedged about
that God himself can not help them?
] look upon such men with wonder
that never abates Men, did say?
Satin grins at the misnomer An artist
should be specially employed to collect
their portraits for the Rogues' Gal
lery." Imagine the horror with which
their dainty originals would contemplate
such a possibility. and yet am not sure
that it would not be capital idea for
every creditor To immortalize his own
well-dressed scamps in this manner; or
at least have framed collection Of
them in his own place Of business for
the inspection Of the curious
Perhaps one Of the meaneSt Of these
dainty fellows tricks is to yictimiZe a
friend who may be supposed to have
scruples about refusing monetary COM
pliance, or about reminding the creditor
of his protracted forgetfulness of the
sum due. Yes there is one lower depth
IF meanness yet and that is when the
friend is woman. who, if She be not
too smart may be generally con-
Veniently put of with we'll framed ex-
cuses, or at all events be supposed TO be
too refined and delicate to press so
unromantic "A theme Fortunately, all
women are not fools
Fortunately woman may know her
rights, and defend them, too. without
stamping about the country in brogans
armed with horseWhip. 1t is comfort
ing when such a one, without comprom.
Using her wOmanly dignity, handsomely
compels, as a man might and would do
immediate restitution OF the alterna
tive penalty. y. y. Herald
D-The term Johnnie. which was
originally coined in London, is now very
generally used in New York to describe
the peculiar class of pallid youngsters
who hang around stage doors and FREE
quent burlesque theaters The dis
tinction between Johnnie and dude
seems to be that the former has money,
while nothing is needed to equip the
latter but silver-headed stick, cigar
cite, considerable ill-health and vapid
smile. The Johnnie is also an improve
ment on the dude TO the extent that he
has an object in life beyond cigarette
smoking. even if that object IS only the
worship Of stage divinity.