but farming. Born and reared a farmer, he thought it a laborious life. He often contrasted his situation with the glove-handed, learned professional man, and the broadcloth merchant, and thought if he had studied for a profession, or was engaged in the mercantile business, how pleasant life would be to him. Mr. Jones was one of those thrifty farmers who tended strictly to his business, and his farm being under thorough cultivation, rewarded him. He seldom contracted a debt, and he always had a surplus at the end of the year. Placed as he was beyond the reach of want, and never necessitated for money, he knew but little of the harrassing cares of the learned professional man and the merchant. Mrs. Jones, too, was frugal and careful in the management of her household affairs. In her dairy and poultry yard large profits were realized, and her daughters were taught the lesson that industry and economy is the road to wealth. But the times were changing, for farmer Jones and his wife thought that labor was getting disreputable. Their neighbors, Mr. Smith's sons and daughters, lived without work, and his son John had a fine carriage and horse to ride out, and he had just purchased a piano for his daughter Mary, and Jacob had gone into the mercantile business. Mrs. Jones thought they could purchase a carriage for their son James, and a piano for Sarah; and could afford those luxuries as well as their neighbors. Farmer Jones was pleased with the idea, and he thought to himself that he had been successful in farming; but his life had been one of incessant toil, and not occupying a position in society as he thought with the learned profession and the merchant, he concluded not to let

his children follow his honest and honorable calling. Farmer Jones' means were sufficient to purchase a carriage for his sons, and a piano for his daughter, nor was there any wrong in so doing. But he concluded not to bring them up to toil on the farm as he had been. Accordingly he sent his eldest son, Nathan, to the city of New York, having procured him a situation as a clerk in an old established firm then doing business in Front street. Nathan was the youngest clerk, but his duties were neither arduous nor many, and he had many leisure hours which he spent in reading, and writing letters to his parents, contrasting the difference between the farmer and the merchant, stating what drudgery and physical labor the farmer had to undergo which the merchant knew nothing of. Nathan had not yet learned the risks of mercantile life. He little knew that instances had often occurred, of the merchant being worth his thousands and tens of thousands to-day and a bankrupt to-morrow. Farmer Jones, too, was wholly ignorant of the mercantile disasters that so frequently occur. He had often read of failures, but he thought they were only a few isolated cases compared with the number that were successful. He was happy to think that his son was so well pleased in his new situation, for he thought that he had a business talent, and now he would be soon on the road to wealth and happiness. Nathan studied to please his employers, for he did not wish to lose his situation. He attended strictly to business, and in a few years he was advanced to first clerk in the establishment, with a salary of one thousand dollars per annum. Farmer Jones was highly pleased with his son, when he was

informed by letter that he was first clerk in the firm, and he anticipated that he would live to see the time that Nathan would be one of those merchant princes living in Fifth Avenue, or occupying a country seat on the noble Hudson. Nathan had been only one year first clerk when the senior partner of the firm wishing to retire from business, an opportunity presented itself to Nathan to become a partner in the firm, which the junior partners gladly accepted. Nathan wrote home to his father, relating all the facts of the dissolution, and that an opportunity was now offered which ought not to be lost. Only $10,000 was now wanting for him to become a partner in an old established firm doing business in Front street. Farmer Jones read the letter with avidity, for he thought his expectations would be realized. He had that amount of money invested in bonds and mortgages on farming land, yielding him seven per cent. per annum. It would, thought he, take all my surplus, but my farm I have, which will afford me a good living, and farming is a calling which my sons shall not follow. I will not have them drudge for a living as I have done, and Nathan offers to take James as a clerk in the firm. He is old enough, so he says, and I will advance him the money. Farmer Jones found no difficulty in raising the money, for his personal property was all first class mortgages on unincumbered real estate, and he wrote to his son Nathan that the money would be forthcoming as soon as the new firm was established. Nathan soon received his father's letter informing him to make all necessary business arrangements, and the new firm commenced under favorable auspices the first of February.

Farmer Jones now experienced that happiness which most men do at some period of their lives who have lived to the age of three score. Through all the troubles which we pass in this turbulent world there are times when we are happy, when every sorrow is banished, and every trial ended. But alas! how little do we think that happiness is often evanescent and transitory. The phantom that farmer Jones sought with such unremitting assiduity eluded his grasp; and when he reached his hand to take the cup she extended, he found the long expected draught strongly tinctured with the bitter dregs of disappointment. If he and his family had been contented when engaged in this rural occupation, how much more prosperous and happy they would have been, as the sequel will show. Contentment will blunt the arrows of adversity so that they can not materially harm us. That, with religion, will smooth the rough paths, and tread to earth those thorns that we must expect to meet as we journey onward to the appointed goal. She will soften the pains of sickness, and she will be with us even in the cold gloomy hour of death, cheering us with the smiles of her heaven-born affection. Hope leads us triumphant to a blissful eternity. Farmer Jones had several sons and daughters, and he knew that he could not give his son Nathan $10,000, and all his children the same, for he was not worth that amount of property, but he thought that Nathan would soon realize a fortune, and then he could refund part of the money, for his income now depended wholly on his farm, and that barely supported him. Farmer Jones was now living in fashionable life. His two sons that lived home had their

carriages and fast horses and lived without labor.

His daughters had long ago despised the labors of the kitchen, and their time was mostly spent in the parlor receiving calls and in spinning street yarn. The poultry yard was neglected, and the large dairy which he formerly kept was so diminished that they hardly made butter enough for their own consumption. The farm was worked on shares, and the crops were scanty and sometimes a total failure, and farmer Jones began to feel the want of money. He now began to think that farming was a poor business, and the money that his farm would sell for he thought would be worth more to him if safely invested, and then himself and family could live at their ease, and his two sons that lived home might get in some genteel business which would be far more respectable than farming. His son Nathan was doing a good business in New York, and James was a clerk in the same house, and he hoped that his two sons home would find some lucrative employment which would elevate them above the farmer. Nathan often wrote home to his parents, informing them of the amount of business they were doing, and the large profits realized. They had sold west on credit, goods amounting to some hundred thousands of dollars. But a financial crisis at last came. west could not be collected. west and they informed them their creditors were insolvent. coming due, and they had no money to meet them. Nathan wrote home to his father, informing him that on the goods they sold west the money could not be collected, and that their notes must be met or they

The money due them They had sent agents by letter that most of Their notes were be