Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 17, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 January 1875 — What Made the Difference? [ARTICLE]

What Made the Difference?

John Bright (not the English statesman, but in his way quite as great a man) had an experience of successive misfortunes. The “ panic” came, and several of his debtors failed. " This so far embarrassed him that he was obliged to curtail household expenses, and to dispense with several personal luxuries to which he had been accustomed. In midwinter his eldest son, who had been one year taking care of himself; came back to his father’s house as a dependent, his arms having been dreadfully broken in the machinery of a gun-factory. His wheat was winter-killed; his best horse died; a trusted servant ran away, taking a silver presentation pitcher that had ornamented the best parlor. Finally he had a severe attack of sickness that ruined his superintendence of affairs for fully three months. All this within one year. A singular case, you say; but it was not. His neighbor, James Gloom, had precisely the same hard lot. Nobody would have suspected it to hear the men talk. So entirely different were the views that they fpok of the same experience that it would be hard to contend that these two men were the creatures of circumstance. Certain circumstances made the one patient, contented and prudent; the same circumstances made the other fretful and reckless. This may be illustrated by copying a brief extract from a letter of each

bright’s ACCOUNT.

It was pinching times last winter, but we got along comfortably, notwithstanding. It did us no hurt to be more economical than we had been for several years. I think the children were growing up to feel that money grew on bushes, and that there would never be an end of it. Wien Brown failed the girls had to give up having new party-dresses, and tne boys spent less freely on pleasures that took them away from home. And it was a decided benefit that we all spent more of our evenings together. And it did wife and myself good to be obliged to make some little sacrifices in order to give as much as usual to the poor, who really needed more than usual. Our annual journey was more than made up to us by the knowledge that the money that we should have spent«on it kept Widow Plum’s children at school, and added some necessary comforts to her dreary life. I think this sympathy for others helped us somehow when dear John came home a life-long cripple. For if we had been too selfish to give up anything for others we might have grumbled about him; and that would have made him very unhappy, for he is a proud-spir-ited boy. Dear John! he has been a blessing to us with all his patient and loving ways. When the wheat was win-tea-killed and I came in to complain of it to wife how his bright face made me ashamed before I had time to speak! He ruined for life and yet so cheerful; how could I groan over one season’s mishap! And it was not altogether a loss that Billy died that spring. We had really little use for him on the farm, and he was too spirited for the women-folks to drive safely. I could not have sold him honestly for a safe family horse, and he was good for nothing to draw. I find that we can hire all the pleasure-driving we want more cheaply than to keep an extra horse that we don’t use half the time. Well, the past year has not been what we commonly call prosperous, but we have really been greatly blessed. Truly, God is good to us beyond our deserts. gloom’s accoeht. Dreadful hard times last year! First Brown failed and cheated me out of that large debt. Why couldn’t he have saved me at any rate? I even had to borrow money to make Christmas presents with! Celia’s and Mary’s new gowns cost a pile! And Harry’s club expenses were never higher. It’s a hard case when a parent has to deny his own children anything, or to appear poor to one’s neighbors. I had to tell the girls that they could not have new fur cloaks this year, and shut down on Jim’s allowance for “ spreads” at college. I was never so pressed for ready money in my life. Why, wife and I could not have taken our usual journey unless we had cut ofl some of our donations. One does not like to do that, you know, but it was absolutely necessary. It was perhaps just as well that I dropped Widow Plum, for her children are old enough to be of some help, and ought to learn to practice self-denial. I’m su;e we rich folks have to bear enough. Sam’s coming home was another calamity. It never rains but it poufs. Why the fellow didn’t have sense enough to keep out of the Sip of that wheel is past all reckoning. e was aiways a reckless boy, and here he is now, thrown back on me for life. It makes the house unpleasant to have a cripple round all the time. The other children don’t like to stay with him, and he complains and adds to my other troubles. The wheat was killed, too, to cap all. I suppose that’s what some call a dispensation of Providence. It looks moreUke the devil’s work to me. Wife said I was cross as a bear fora month afterward. But when Jack died I thought it was no use trying to be softspoken—kiur best horse, and would have fectched SSOO in anjr market. Neighbor Jones was bargaining with me for six, which I refused, hoping to get fifty more, when the creature was first taken sick. I don’t know what we shall do if this stringency holds on. I can’t cut down our charities any more; they are pretty much clean gone now, and one must do something to be respectable. And we can’t live any cheaper. It’s a tough world at best, but I don’t see why God should single out me to bear affliction.— The Working Church. — • *- -V —Delaware is peculiar at all times. This year she has a„ full Legislature—thirty men—with not a lawyer among the number. There are farmers, and merchants, and philosophers, but not a member of the legal profession.