Preble County Democrat

The Evil of the Times.

The evil of the present day-that which causes more unhappiness and discontent-is undoubtedly the over anxiety of our people to attain great wealth, or eminent social and political distinction. Speaking upon this point, the N. Y. Times says that two thirds of the anxious worn, cadaverous visages which flit up and down Wall street in agony, any of these days, belong to men who start in life with one of two great objects--to be President of the United States, or as rich as Mr. Astor. As there cannot be more than one President of the United States at a time, and as the office cannot be had by any successful amount of stock jobbing, the majority speedily abandon all hopes of presiding over the destinies of this great nation, and fix their whole attention upon Mr. Astor's fortune. The first step is to get out of the boarding houses into one of one's own, possessing a brown stone front, and furnished with corresponding magnificence. A large house is the god of a New Yorker's idolatry. The women, far from standing aloof from the struggle, halloo their husbands on to bolder ventures. They stake largely, too, on the result. They buy bolder at the milliner's and jewelers' and carriage maker's, on the faith of their husband's good luck. If he makes a bad throw, so much the worse for the milliner and jeweler and carriage maker. There is consternation in the palace, and bailiffs are in the hall; but the storm soon blows over, and the stars shine out again.