Alexandria Gazette

From the New York Mirror.

FORTUNE, VERSUS TALENT,
OR, HOW IT TURNED OUT.

Mrs. Gore's drawing-rooms were uncommonly attractive all at once. No less than five calls that morning within the space of an hour. The conversation, too, seemed very animated; and a listener might have been somewhat puzzled to have guessed the subject, from the disjointed sentences that now and then were heard near the door. At length several exclamations came in rapid succession, and every lady of the company seemed determined to have a word.

"You don't say so." exclaimed one of a very prudent countenance.

"How perfectly ridiculous! I never heard of a more foolish act!" continued an old maid of the company.

"What a pity! Such a fine girl as she is too!" added a benevolent looking old lady.

"I declare, I thought scarcely any one good enough for her!" continued another.

"And having the choice of so many, too, to take up with the very worst she could have made." chimed a fifth.

"I declare, I cannot believe she could be so foolish!" again spoke Mrs. Gore, who had been the first to tell the news, although she now seemed to doubt her own story.

"Well, well, it can't be helped now—"

"What can't be helped, Mrs. L." said a lady who had entered the room unannounced, and approached the talkers.

"Oh! Mrs E. how glad I am to see you," immediately spoke the lady of the mansion, advancing towards her visitor. "But, will you believe it, Julia Morton has actually thrown herself away upon a poor attorney, whose income at the most amounts to barely a thousand a year."

"Indeed! But I thought, by your doleful tone, something dreadful had happened. I heard this morning that Julia was married yesterday to Mr. Danforth. But why do you think so ill of the match? I have always heard him estimated as a very fine fellow. His character and education are also superior to the generality of young men, whilst in position he is certainly her equal."

"Oh! he may be good enough in such things for all I know, but then he is so very poor. They should have waited at least until he was able to support her properly; and she, we all know, has had enough to endure in her father's house from struggling to keep up appearances, to have made her wiser than to rush upon premeditated poverty."

"Won't she go with her decision. She may know better than any of us upon what income she can live genteelly; and, as she is very ingenious, and possesses both taste and tact, I have no doubt but what she will manage her means in a way that will make it appear to be ample. Julia, we all know, is no fool; and we may be assured, has reflected properly upon what she has done."

"But then, she could have done so much better. There was R., the young merchant, whose income is something like—"

"But all based upon borrowed capital, as I happen to know. Hardly a day passes but he has a note or something of the kind to cancel; and he is quite as much pressed for ready money as any one to judge by his frequent calls upon my husband for assistance. No, no. I can't say I think credit sufficient to live upon, even though it stands as high as his."

"Well, then there's young Eaton, who possesses a handsome property, which yields him a handsome income, independent of any business."

"But, then, he has a thousand expensive habits to swallow it up, with his suppers and parties, not to speak of his continual smoking and drinking and attending theatres five or six times a week. Why, a man with his habits would be poor though he possessed a million."

"Of course, I do not mean to excuse his dissipated course; but, then, a wife might soon win him to domestic tastes and more reasonable doings. Still, there is Edward H., who also paid her great attention, and will have a handsome fortune from his father, besides his business, which seems to be profitable, and—"

"And who is in debt to his landlady, with whom I am acquainted, and thinks nothing of running into debt for every trifle. No, no, Mrs. Gore, none you have mentioned are worthy of being compared with young Danforth, though, I grant you their position in society seems to give them somewhat an advantage over him as to fortune. But, then, he possesses within himself that which cannot fail to bring him wealth in the end, besides securing to him the admiration and esteem of his fellow-men. His talents are of no ordinary kind, and are joined to a clear, comprehensive mind. Indeed I cannot but congratulate Julia upon having secured the affections of such an upright young man every act of Mr. Danforth's has shown him to be."

"My dear Mrs. E., I do not quarrel with the character of Mr. Danforth, but his imprudence in drawing into his poverty such a fine girl as Julia, whom, we all know, deserves the best of husbands."

"And believe me, Mrs. Gore, she has secured that desideratum."

"Well, well, Mrs. E., I hope it will turn out as you seem to think, but my experience and observation both warn me of the years of care and sorrow that are sure to follow in the train of those who have married without some sure and sufficient means of support; and I fear Julia has a hard future before her."

"If she was like the generality of young ladies who seem only educated for show and ornament, I should fear so too, But such is not the case. Julia can fashion her own clothes, and, if needs be, some of her husband's. She also has a natural taste for all that pertains to domestic life, and can give an air of elegance and comfort to even the humblest apartment. Witness of what use she has been in her mother's family, and how well her skilful fingers have hidden the poverty which otherwise would have been so glaring."

"But is it not hard that her whole life should be one of such slavery as we know she has had to undergo at home."

"I believe Julia does not look upon it in that light. I have often heard her say it was a positive pleasure to her to do anything, however humble, for those she loved; and, as she knew her mother could never be happy in leaving her present mansion and residing in one more suited to her father's circumstances, she has ever exerted herself, for her mother's sake, to keep up appearances in the family, and at least hide from the world in general what we, their intimate friends, know too well. I could tell you of many a sacrifice that she has made to her mother's pride; and, though her whole life should be a work-day, she has strength of mind and nobility of soul sufficient to bear her with honor through it; and, when girded around by affection, which she has long sadly wanted at home, she will be happy, you may be assured."

"From all you have said, Mrs. E., I certainly sincerely hope it may have a prosperous ending. But do see the subject in a different light, and hope, how very differently the world argues."

"And that is the reason misfortunes are so common in married life; and many a girl, who made what was at the time thought a good match is left a widow, with only her luxurious habits, and her husband's debts for her portion. Again, how many a lady, attired in the most expensive clothing, is walking Broadway, or entertaining fashionable visitors, whilst her poor husband is toiling from morning till night in his office or counting-room, to support her in such splendor.

I think the happiness of our ladies would be farther increased had they less of splendor and external ornament about them, and more of their husband's interest at heart. Julia may not be arrayed in silks and jewels, but then she will live within an atmosphere of affection around her, and enjoy some of her husband's company, and, though she may have no carriage when she wishes to go abroad, yet his arm will support her, and give her more pleasure and pride than the richest equipage in the world. But how I have chatted here! I declare, it is near an hour since I entered, and I must bid you good-bye."

So saying, Mrs E took leave of Mrs. Gore, which we will do also, and follow Julia, to see "how it turned out."

And how did it turn out?

Some six or eight years after the above conversation a difficult and very important case in law was waiting a decision. The highest talent of the state, according to the newspapers, was engaged in it, and so complex and difficult did it seem that few ventured an opinion; although, at the first hearing, an appearance of clearness and right on the side of the plaintiff seemed likely to decide the suit at once. But the keen glance of the lawyer, engaged in the defence soon detected the well built-up fraud against his client, and with his comprehensive mind he grasped the whole, and, step by step, unravelled it so clearly to the court and jury, that a unanimous verdict was returned in his favor; and the humble attorney of former years, Mr. Danforth, had the honor of having successfully defended the cause of justice and humanity against an array which at first seemed invincible, backed as it was by two of the oldest and ablest veterans at the bar.

Mrs. Gore would have hardly recognized the humble clerk, whom she had so unmercifully assailed for having carried off her favorite Julia, in the elegant and dignified man who now stood with honor among the most eminent and distinguished of his compeers.

But so, indeed it was. Three years of trial and disappointment were followed by a fourth of unusual prosperity; and the wife, who had so freely shared his humble destiny, now could count her income by thousands.

"But were not the first years of your marriage very gloomy?" asked a young friend of Julia, who had been present at the conversation which had occurred in Mrs. Gore's drawing room the day after Julia's imprudent match, as it was then almost exclusively thought.

"Judge for yourself, my dear Ellen. When I married my husband's income was very limited. I should be ashamed to tell you this, did I not wish to convince you upon what small means people who love each other, and are willing to exert themselves, can live. I saw from the first that Mr. Danforth, in his profession, had many difficulties to overcome. My happiness never depended upon the gratification of the senses, such as is received from fine clothes, furniture and amusements, therefore I hardly missed those things, surrounded as I was by an affection that seemed to grow stronger and brighter every day, whilst the simplicity and frugality of our style of living ever kept us above want, even during our darkest trials." And very simple was our style of living. Two rooms was the whole extent of our territories; and in that small compass we kept house, even genteelly, for three years. Often were we envied our able parlour, which no one impaired in our comfort narrowness of our limits, and only wondering how we got along so well upon so little! But I must be more minute in our manner of keeping house, and give you a description which may be turned to account should your husband ever fail, and you meet the reverse of fortune. Our furniture was all good of its kind. We had a sofa-bedstead in the parlour, covered with scarlet and damask, that answered the double purpose of a comfortable seat by day and a bed by night. Here also was our book-case, well filled by my husband before our marriage with truly valuable books: in the lower part of it was a snug place for our best tea-set, and the jar of preserves kept for a few dear friends who now and then spent an afternoon with me. Carpet, chairs, a clock, and a centre-table, covered with magazines and annuals, completed the most of our simple parlour furniture. From time to time, however, we added to its ornaments, as our means allowed. now an astral lamp and then a rug, &c., until our room looked both elegantly and tastefully furnished, and none would have guessed it served us for a sleeping-room. The other apartment held a small cooking stove, and its numerous fixtures quite superseded all other cooking-utensils, and could be used both summer and winter. This was very handy to me, and our food was always well-cooked in it. A tea-table, chairs, and a large bureau, besides a wash-stand in one corner of the room, completed its furniture. Here we took our meals, and I did my kitchen work—though, to tell the truth, there was not, after all, so much to do. Two grown up persons, living as we did, are not half the trouble to do for as the management of servants is in a larger household An ample closet in this room held the necessary house-keeping apparatus, and saved all trouble of running up and down stairs. A poor woman, who lived in a street back of us, and whose yard joined our own, washed our clothes, and I myself ironed them. A little boy of hers was also very useful to me in running my errands, and the mite I gave them in return for their services was really of great use to them. I found a positive pleasure in keeping our small household in order, and it was a real happiness to me to prepare my husband such dishes as he liked, and have them served precisely at the hour he wished. Thus you see, Ellen, I was not afraid to toil—and, to tell the truth, it was a real benefit to me; the exercise conducing much to keep me in good spirits. Keeping our wardrobe in order and reading and writing made the time pass pleasantly until my husband's return, which was seldom later than four in the afternoon. Often we walked out together, or attended the opera, and not unfrequently entertained a friend or two during the evening. Thus two years passed away with us, and then my little Mary was born. My husband, in spite of his small income, was enabled to surround me with every comfort necessary to my situation. Of course, my cares increased after the birth of my child, for I would not keep a servant after the first two months of my recovery, as my husband's business grew even duller than usual; and tho we never wanted for any thing necessary, yet we were sometimes in fear of it. This year was the darkest one, yet still our courage never left us, and our affection only grew the stronger for each other; and, had it not been for the unkindness of some of my relatives, I should have thought nothing of our humble living. But, alas! my mother never ceased to reproach me for what she called my folly. And, instead of counsel and sympathy from those so near to me, I met only cutting remarks towards myself; and my kind and noble-minded husband, who was struggling thro so many difficulties, was assailed with bitter taunts from my own relations! Ah! these things were harder to bear than the poverty that assailed us; for that quickly passed away, whilst the sting of unkindness, I fear, has not even yet healed. It is true, they now strive by every attention to make us forget, but I cannot help saying their attention would have been more grateful to us, and lightened us of many cares, had it come at the time of need. My mother, however, was much disappointed that I did not accept a Mr. R., who was, at the time I married, a prosperous merchant. Alas! but two years after myself he married, and took his bride to a splendid mansion, where, for one year, they revelled in splendour, and then he died, leaving his wife totally unprovided for, with nothing but luxurious habits and his numerous debts. She returned to her father's house, broken in health and spirits; and I heard, not long ago, she was in a consumption. In the meantime, my dear husband was fast nearing the reward of his perseverance.

Fortunately he gained a very important suit, that had been put in his hands, through the illness of a friend, almost at the very last moment of its trial, and the quickness with which he comprehended it, and the clear manner in which he presented it to the court, together with the extraordinary knowledge of law which he also showed, brought him at once into notice, which was, in reality, all that was needed to advance his fortunes. And thus all our pecuniary cares were soon ended; and I assure you that, as liberal as the position of my husband makes it necessary for us now to live, we do not consume more than half of the income his extensive practice brings him in.

I cannot say that we are any happier now than during the first humble but blessed years of our union; and I am firmly convinced that the lowest fortune may be divested of all horror when affection sheds its light upon it, and each want is brought cheerfully within its limits. M. A. E.