The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1894-03-29
GOING DOWN HILL,
AN EASY AND RAPID PROCESS
ALWAYS.
When a Man Begins to Go Down
Hill Every Thing Seems Creased
for the Occasion---So Said Josh
Billings, and Josh Was Phil
osopher in His Way.


sion" And yet the descent is accom-
plished by such easy stages that it is
with something of a shock that you
realize that although last night you
were driving to your club, tonight
you are walking the streets for want
Of the necessary fourpence which would
procure your entry to the coveted
" dogs house. -
First, comes the fatal announcement
Of the failure of your hopes and pros
pects-you do not realize the blow
you have some money, perhaps not so
much as you were wont to squander
in day, but you will economic, and
it must do. You determine to keep a
stiff upper lip, and leave the world
none the wiser. The first friend you
meet Immediately asks, " Why, what S
the matter? Anything wrong p
* No., you reply in affected sur
prise. "Why?"
- Nothing, only l thought you
looked rather down in the Dumps
This is dash of cold water in your
face, and you realize that you are on
the first stage Of the journey towards
the CANNES.
Your second stage commences when
your money is gone, but you think it
is high time to be doing something.
You have friend in splendid posi-
ton who might put you into some
thing. Yhu call-he receives you
cordially you sit and chat in the old
familiar way; when you take leave
you venture to mention the real OBJ
Ject of your visit his manner suddenly
drops to about 10 degrees below zero.
He IS still polite, and very, very sym
pathetic but you feel that he is not,
and can never be again to you what
he has been up to that moment. He
regrets that he can do nothing for you
at present if he hears of anything
he will let you know.
He never hears of anything-at
least, be never lets you know. If you
meet after that he is full of business,
| and can not spare moment to speak
to you-you might want to borrow
money. He is never at home to you again
| for you have committed the unpardon
able offense of having solicited his as
| sistanCe
In the next stage your wardrobe
| shows signs Of deterioration, and your
credit is severely strained-in fact,
may be said to exist solely on the
condescension of your landlady, who
suffers your account to run on for fear
of losing what is already owing, and
who develops hitherto unsuspected
phases of character which do not con-
tribute to your comfort.
You grow shabbier day by day. 1t
is astonishing how perishable wearing
apparel becomes under the baneful in
tluences of impecuniousty. You:
trousers and boots seem literally tC
rush to their own destruction, and
when a threadbare spot appears it is
invariably in the most conspicuous
portion of your attire. You f1attel
yourself the defect will not be notice.
able in the extreme respectability O
your appearance, but when you en-
counter your reflection in shop win
dow it is the point that first Catche:
your eye. The rest of your get vi
seems intended merely as background
to set off the flaw. You meet an &C
quaintance, and during the converse
ton his gaze seems rlveted upon thai
fatal spot, which begins TO burn into
you like sinapiSm.
Alter that YOU shrink from meeting
acquaintance and unconsClously take
to back streets and byways seeking tc
escape notice by sinking yourSel
among the crowd of the habitually
shabby but you are made to realize
your failure when some sympathizins
individual remarks that you look like
"a chap wot's seen better days" The
remnant of gentility that clings to you
becomes distateful, you lose pride, and
do not care how slipshod you look.
Your hair is longer than you have ever
worn it by half an inch, and your
muslache takes a downward curve,
with an uncertainty of color, and a
raggednesS of outline that no amount OF
grooming will remedy.
You are making tranctlc efforts to
get into employment of some kind,
and interview all sorts and conditions
OF men without avail. loua are treated
as though you were taking a great
liberty in asking the favor to be al
lowed to work for your bread. You,
lately of SO proud and independent a
spirit, learn to Cringe in the presence
of some inConsequentlal employer oi
labor, who formerly would have been
proud TO scrape an acquaintance with
you. Your easy, well-bred manners
desert you; you can no longer enter
a room gracefully and naturally, bu,
sneak in as though afraid of the sound
of your own footsteps.
| will not further indicate your path
but you will find it ever trending
downward. Every day you will fine
yourself step lower than yesterday
and at every step you will encounter
beings worse off than yourself-liks
mile stones, to point you the way yol
are going. You never seem to reacf
the bottom of the scale. In fact, th'
most remarkable thing about i: all il
that there seems to be no stopping
| place when you are going to the dogs