Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1897-04-08
PLEA FOR GOOD TIMES.

some very wholesome truths in re-
gard to hard times iii the past and
at present, and it is we'll for US to lay
it's lesson to heart. This is what is
said: &# ....... III
"Hard Times! Come again no
more" ...
We all sing it, We all hope it, but
do we know what hard times are?
We sing it while we eat beef steak at
twenty cents a pound, oysters at fiji
ty cents a dozen, and three kinds OF
bread at the same meal; we shout it
while we smoke cigars, two for IL
quarter; we think it while we stretch
our comfortable legs on Brussels car
pet, before a blazing CRATE, with well
groomed boys and extensively clad
girls around us; we shout it to our
neiGhbors across our smooth lawns,
or through our plate-glass windows;
we groan it us we read our morning
and evening papers, our plentiful
magazines and our costly libraries;
we dream OF it in our soft andspringy
beds, while our coal-fed furnace, keeps
the whole house warm; we maunder
about it in our well-equipped Offices,
shout it through our telephones, ring
the changes on it as we send tele-
grams and take expensive summer
outings. We meet in our political,
social, literary conventions, and ring
the changes on it while we are spend
ing fortunes with railroads, hotels,
restaurants and places reimbursement.
And yet, in these days we do not
know what hard times are; We think
we do, but we do not.
The writer knows OF a time within
his northumberland he is no patri-
arch-when, in one of the richest
parts of one of the most favored
states in the Union, the whole town
OF some two thousand inhabitants
possessed altogether not over $500
in money-alle xchange was by barter;
there was no cash payment because
there was nothing to pay with.
Among the best and richest families
land there were many who thought
themselves we'll -to,do) beef steak was
a once-a-week visitor round beef was
a luxury; oysters were an un-heard-
of dainty; corn bread was the usual,
wheat the rare food; the cheapest
pipe tobacco was dissipation; cold
bed rooms, scanty wood fires, woolsey
and calico were in the house; 6xS
window panes were helped out by
hats, old papers and rags; a weekly
paper was an extravaganza, and
served several families. Ten books
made good, fair library ;abeds were
Slated or corded ); rag carpets were
occasional, ingram scarce, and Brus-
sells a tradition the sole vacation was
a ride to the annual picnic in the one
horse shay; nobody had time, money
or heart for conventions or amuse-
ments. We men worked from 5 a..
m. TOT p. IN. (the aristocrats shor-
tened the time by two hours) and the
women worked at all hours.
And yet it is doubtful if there was
in those times such universal spirit
of unrest and discomfort, such a con-
cert of growing, as to-day.
Is it fair? Are we just? Can we
afford to waste time in bewailing hard
times, when times are easy on us, and
treat us far better than we deserve?
A manager once said with a chuck
le: "the mails have been good to our
house to-day; the first one broughtan
order in every letter, and the last one
Il remittance in every letter." Veal
know (mayhap we are) persons who
would have said: "Alas, we have
fallen on evil times; the first mail
brought no money and the last mail
brought no trade"
Let us put aside these ugly tempers
of ours look toward the sun smile at
the shadow; all sunshine makes the
desert; ''it's a pretty world, senor;"
en iou ito heal1ties Let us horro,u no