Newspaper Page Text
VOL. 8.
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DUBLIN, GEOllWIA, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 0>, 1881.
That
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LUCK.
A Story of Two Young Men.
BY AMELIA E. BARB.
“Do you see that big, new granite
building over there, James?
belongs to David Tan null ill.”
“Well, Archy, wliat of it?”
“Well, ten years ago ho hadn’t a
bawbee to his name.”
The speakers were two youths
dressed in the flaring scarlet gowns
and square caps which the rules of
Glasgow College present^ tb her
students; and they stood a moment
to look admiringly at the huge block
of white stone;
“Such luck!” said Archy—and I
mind him well enough iu our village
chipping stone. His father was a
stone-mason, and David learned his
trade with him.” .
“ ‘Tunnahill & Co., Importers of
Indian and Turkish goods,’ ” read
James. ‘ -How's that, then ? WTiat’s
a stone-mason doing with Decca
gauzes and muslins from Stamboul,
eh?”
“That’s the story, and I mind the
beginning of it. It was one summer
afternoon, and David was chipping
away in his father’s yard at Hamil
ton. I and a wheeu other boys were
sauntering off with our linos to Coila
Linn for trout, when a gig, with a
gentleihan in it, came dashing
through the village. The horse had
run away, -and taken all things its
own road. I dontt know just .how.
-1.. i'.li. n . .
m-'-
l
David flung down his mallet and
caught the heast. The saved man
was John Orr, the great Turkey
merchant, and lie offered David
money or schooling, or what lie
wanted. But David would naught
hut,a chance to learn trading—for he
had aye the gift to turn one bawbee
into ten—and so John Orr took him
back to Glasgow with him.
“Up, Up, from one desk to another,
then to London, then to Constanti
nople, syne a partner, by and by a
in-law, last of all heir of John
Orr’s bvkQso and land ami business.
It’s like a page out of the ‘Thousand
and One Nights.’ A fellow had
better be born lucky thnu irieh
there were plenty of young men iu
Hamilton you’d have picked out for
Fortune before David Tannnhill, but
it was just his luck,”
“Luck! 1 don’t know that. Da
vid must have been clever, industri
ous, honest agreeable, or his chance
would have done him small good.
He had the qualities that turn
opportunity into gain, I’m thinking,
or he would have been chipping stone
in Hamilton yet.”
“Nonsense, James! It’s all luck.
David Tannahill is that fortunate,
that if you flung him in the Clyde,
he’d come up with a fish in his
hand.” ^ H
“Luck is an unlucky word, Archy,
to be aye on a mail’s lips; and I’ve
heard say, that Luck follows them
who look for it. One proverb is'as
good as another, you know, until you
try Diem
Here the young men were joined
l>y some more scarlet gowns and
square caps, and the conversation
drifted at once into the approaching
examinations, and the prospect, of
degrees. Probably neither Afchy
uor James thought again of Tannahill
& Co. It was one of those incidents
so often dropped iiito life, which
seems nt the time an intruder, ana
only comes to find its connecting link
years afterwards.
•Tames took high honors, and then
went for a pedestrian tour among the
Cheviot hills. Hewautcd recreation,
and he wanted solitude to consider
what road lie should now take. He
came home detel-mined to bo a trader,
and to accept the first good opportu
nity that offered, ho matter whether
the trading was to be in leather,
sewed muslins, or Dunlop cheeses.
“That is what I have made up my
mind to. father,” lie said, very de
cided iy.
“Then I need na show you a letter
fra Doctor Wilson, o’ Edinbro’? It
mm a week syne; he was vera proud
o’ the Stan’ ye took i’ your classes,
an’ he just offers to gio ye his ain
taking
profession. But if ye think it good
to be a merchant, ye dinna want to
be a doctor.”
“Good is good, father, but better
carries the day; and I’m for
Dr. Wilson’s offer.”
“That’s the way loddioa ‘mnke llp
their minds;’ but there’K'naetliing to
prevent ye changing—only yd’li tak
notice that changing an’ bettering
dinna follow only by natural law.”
However, James insisted that a
road ready made was better than one
to make, and the next week saw him
studying medicine and surgery with
the very same enthusiasm that he
had studied David, and Homer, and
Horace. Perhaps all the more in
telligently, indeed, for this very
reason; for that “specialty” is the
most complete that draws depth and
breadth and light from every source
under heaven. ;
About five years afterwards Dr.
Wilson looked into James’little office
in the Cannongate, and said:
“James, how old are you;”
“l am twenty-six, or thereabouts.”
“And how much are you making?”
“Perhaps two hundred pounds a
yeitr, Doctor.”
‘Hjoes that and your future clutnccs
here satisfy you?”
•As long as I can see nothing bet
ter to be had.”
I thought so. The Seventh
Highlanders sailfor India next week,
and their colonel and I are kin by
onr wives. He asked me to-day about,
a doctor for the poet. What do you
think of it?”
“Nothing hipt alternate doses of
tropics and poles co».ld ‘try’ you,
“And the salary? It isn't much,
I dare say.”
“Only double wliat yon are mak
ing; but then thoret is the local prac
tice, and a native court beside. The
king’s household is somewhere in the
neighborhood of six liundrod people.
I should think, altogether, that it
was better than a street or two in
Edinburgh.”
“Aprudcnt man could find chances
too, to trade or speculate a little.
Doctor; there is a prejudice against
physicians doing that kind of thing
here.”
“Very properly—but that is a
thing by itself, James; the main
question you’ll give me .an answer to
to-morrow.”
“No need to wait, Doctor; I ac
cept. I’ll never say ‘No’ to the good
that comes to me. When do we
sail?”
“Next Wednesday by the Indra,
from the Broomilaw, Glasgow.”
So next Wednesday morning Dr.
James Laing, of the Seventh High
landers, was waiting at the Broomi
law for the tender that was to carry
him and the troops down the river to
the open Frith, where the Indra \uy
waiting for them. He was a little
early, and as it was raining he sat In
the “noddy” smoking and speculat
ing about the hurrying crowds.
Paesently a figure passed that lie
knew, and ho hailed it. It was his
old friend and class-mate, Archy
Maxwell.
What are you doing hero,
James?”
“Waiting for the tender. I sail in
the Indra,i.”
‘Oh, that’s your next move, is it?
When will yon return?”
“I cannot tell. I shall work up
this event to the best of my power;
when the next comes I shall be ready
for it. What arc you dping?”
“With Reid & Thom—their ship
ping clerk — beastly business—but'
there’s a bit of good luck waiting for
me, if I could make up my mind to
take'it.” . _ jMl
Wliat do you mean?”
I mean liobina Baird—she has
and sho played ‘tag’ together.”
“Jenny’s poor. A farm and £10,-
000 with a pretty girl that likes you
well is a bit of luck a mau ‘can’t
afford to throw away.”
“I don’t know about that. Is it
luck to tyno true love for money?
never was as vruimjr
so, perhaps I’m no judge; but I think
if a good bonnie lassie should ever
think me worthy of it, I’d count that
the bestef luck that could como to
nie. Yon are in a good firm, Archy
and have kin and friouds. It is u
small price, is £10,000, for your awn
and Jenny’s happiness. Take
second though t abou t i t. ”
“Perhaps I might if it was really
a good house to mo. But I’ve been
there all of three years, and still at
my old dokk. There’s been new
bands brongb.t over me, too. I think
that’s a shame. Fact is, I do too
well in my plane to bo changed; but.
if I had ten thousand pounds to start
me I could do as well for myself as
for Reid & Thom.”
Then the friends parted, and
James set his face steadily Indiaward,
allowing no doubts,, or regrets, or
hesitation to mar the unity of his
purpose. He had no time for any.
if he had boon disposed for them, for
there was much sickness on board,
and still more during the march
inland, and the acclimating of the
men. But after a while things sot
tied intou regular groove, and James
gathered a large circle of patrons and
friends in the fine old city of Agra.
It did not take him long after this
to become familiar with tho “ins and
outs” of Indigo, and the strait seasons
in silvered gauzes and wrought mus-
taken him into partnership. Archy
said ho had imposed on bis good nit-
1 2 1 !™? wrought m.,;- tura
I"**- «aa w-
Ilf) U'lLQ il nilliil llBlinmit ulv’l/'iii lit tnu
£10,000, and that
Kwington.’
“Bnt t
little place at
lie was a quiet, prudent speculator
and many suspected that ho was
rapidly growing nob;- but ho seldom
appeared personally in Iransactions;
and after twelve years’ residence in
Agra, it was as the physician; alone
that he was known.
His practieo had indeed become
vory large, and, as a natural result,
he had mado tho acquaintance of
many beautiful women. But lie had
never fallen in love. Some moil
would have prided themselves on the
fact. James was rather ashamed of
it, and often in the self-communing
of his lonoly cigar tried to find out.
wherein lay the deficiency in his
nature.
One day lie received an urgent
messago to attend the daughter of
an old Agra trader whoso bungalow
was in sight of his own window. IIo
knew the moment that ho saw Marian
Hill that love iiad only been waiting
for her; and in tho long, low fever
through which -lie attended her, she
grew to be ull that lie had over read
or imagined woman could bo to man.
But Marian was but sixteen and lie
was thirty-eight. She was rarely
beautiful, and delicate as a flower; he
was rough and strong, and only
handsome in virtue of his strong,
purposeful manhood. It seemed al
most hopeless to hope, and yetr/it was
not in James Laing's nature to stop
hoping and working for whatever
ho sot bqfero himself as good and
desirable.
So he lingered away the sweet,
silent hours of Marian’s recovery,
took her out for slow, cool drives,
and whiled away long hours with
many a song and romanco of tho
“Land of old Gunl.” One oveuing,
as he sat holding her small, wasted
hand in his, Marian said:
“Doctor, papa intends to send me
to Scotland as soon as I am able to
travel—do you think it best?”
“It is the very best tiling for you.”
“But wliat shall I do withoutyou?”
“Would you like mo to go, too?”
“Yes.”
“Then I shall go. I have been
thinking of it for two years. I was
only waiting for some one to ask me.”
It was in tiie arrangements
.ing i(arian’f|
take charge of an unusuully valuable
consignment to tho great Glasgow
Ann; and, secondly, it came out, that
David’s wife was Marian’s aunt, and
that it was with hor sho would stay.
So with this double claim upon his
romombmneo, James recalled readily
told him of tho Hamilton stone-ma
son.
, Yet purposes work so d imlv and
slowly that evon then ho had no con
caption that within one year lie would
have married David Tun null ill's niece
and beoomo the partner of tho fa
mons Oriontal trader. The prom iso
Marian and ho mado each other as
they stood, hand in hand, watching
the gradual revelation of tho Sootili
shore, was tho first stop to this. The
second was tho tact, prudence, and
intimate knowlodgo of Indian affairs
which Janies gradually developed in
his business relations witli tho house
of Tannahill & Co.
Ho had been at homo about two
years when hornet in the oxohango,
one day, a- person lie know well, in
spite of many adverse changes
Archy Maxwell. Archy was only
too glad to find a friend who would
listen to his plansaud his complaints,
and he poured then fully out into
James’ ear. He had married Robina
Baird, and gone into buinoss with
her money; but there.had been a
combination of Glasgow shippers to
destroy him every one had wronged
and injured him, and, of course, h-
had failed. Than an iiiiclo "iitu
ter terms. Then ho had made a
great deal of money in railway script
and lost it all in mining. Then his
wife’s aunt had left them a complete
ly furnished hotel doing a splendid
business. Ho had tried to run it
himself,and failed disastrously. But
lie had had a windfall from his
Oalodonian shares, and bought heav
ily in the Ayr Iron Company stock-
tliat he was sure would rot novo all
errors and Jossos; and iu tho mean
time would James loud him £30?’
•James looked at tlio half-shabby
man, with his nervous, apologizing
manners and sanguine tulk, and,
sadly enough, mado him free for the
time of his purse.
-‘But Archy,” he said, “the bedt
thing for you is steady work, with a
steady income. Will you take it if I
give it yon ?”
“No; I’ll try my luck a little lon
ger; it’s a long lane that has no turn
ing.”
“Better tako my offer, Archy.”
“.Not yet—not yet; thank you all
the sumo, James. You’ve boon a
lucky follow—”
“Stop one moment, Archy. You
have been a much luckier follow than
I have. No one over gave mo ten
thousand pounds. No one over loft
gig
me
ling. I paid forty thousand pounds
for my share in tho house of Tanna
hill & Co., every pound the result of
a careful, prudent cultivation of such
opportunities as opened up on my
path, if you are going to do bettof
you must trust to something else
than luck.” *
‘O, I’m not downhearted, James.
Good fortune will come tapping at
my door some day.”
‘And the first quest!n elic will
ask will be: ‘Is Wisdom within ?’
Good fortune taps at many a door,
but she nover goes in to stay, unless
there arc * few sensible virtues in
side to entertain her.”
Truthful Joonis.
There wore threo or four old codg
ei’s seated around a stove in tho baok
oom of a Galveston saloon, toasting
their shins and spinning yarns. An
old stago-drivor named Smoot, with
a bald head and a long yellow K
which probably owod its peculiar col-
— . ■ ... viewing tobacco
for the last forty years, spoke up and
said: “Tho bost-hoartod man I ovor
know in my lifo was Bob Iltnkloy,
who used to bo sheriff up in Ne
braska in tho early days. Ho was
tho whitost man I ever saw. Ho was
tho easiest man on prisoners that
over lived. When a prisoner’s timo
was up he always refused to go; ho
had had snob anico time in jail.
By thundor, in some cases tho coun
ty Attorney had to got out writs for
trespass, just as you do rh oases
where a tomitit refuses to get out of
u house, in order to get those prison
ers out of jail. Bob Hitikloy used to
food the prisoners so well, and treat
ed them so gen Humanly, that men
would just shoot somebody for no
other purpose than to ,got in that jail.
I was in there myself for a week or
waiting to lie vindicated on tho
olmrgo of stealing a hog. Well, one
day—it was awful warm—wo sent a
man who was in for- murder aoross
tho streob to a saloon to bring over a
trayfil of drinks. Wo waited for a
good while, and one of us hollered
out from the jail window for the
murderer to bring ovor thorn drinks
quick,us we. wore suffering for thorn,
Blit ho- didn't- come • ovor Worth' if
cone. When Bob Ilinkloy camo in
we said.to him: “Mr. Sheriff, that
roiivdo--** got tmoK yet with
them drinks.” It was hinted around
among us that tho murderer hud lit
out, but old Bob wouldn’t listen to
ft lib burst into tours, and said; ‘I
know that pool- boy hasn’t loft mei
Somebody must have kidnapped
him. 1 am sure something must
have happened to him. Como, hoys
let’s hunt him up.’ And ull the
.ail-birds, counterfeiters and tho
like, turned out and hunted thut
wholo town over.”
“Did they find the missing mur
derer?”
Yes, we found Him. It was jpst
ns Bob huhI. Ho never ran away
Ho had been kidnapped by a vigilance
committee and was hanging to a trbo.
Wo all came back to jail, feeling
very blue. Aftor that wo prisoners
quit strolling about town aiid going
out hunting, but Bob Hinkley made
it so comfortable for us that we
didn’t care to stroll. He had a sa
loon fixed up for us in tho jail for
fcqy ho might lose spine of us. It
uin’t often you find a Sheriff taking
such good care of his prisoners.”
Tho speaker, having finished, got
up and strolled out. One of the
other old'codgers spoke up, aud,
motioning to tlie retreating form of
the last speaker, said:
“Ho ain’t at himsolf now, but
when hd was a yonugtr inun, before
ter aftor a while, people will call him
‘Truthful Jccms. —Galveston News,
m
tefci
.wertJonny
A woman may
drove of
ing as a
soon ns
Congres
resident
receptions,
and facet!
Twenty Years Ago.
A correspondent of a Northern
iapor, who had visited Montgomery,
•la., says, among other things, that
tho Capitol building, and all located
on tho ernincnco to the oast of the
city, and it was on steps of this
building that upon that April morn
ing in 1801, Jefferson Davis and
Alex. H. Stephens were inaugurated
President and Vice President of the
Southern Confederacy. Standing
there to-day and looking at the pros
perous town, one can hardly believe
that but twenty years ago from this
very spot went forth the edict that
arrayed millions of men in one coun
try in deadly comb
another, and astonis
by their deeds of bravery
of Montgomery,
will find a hearty
t with the ossur-
©t
A romance in real lifo is
of the gossips m a neighboring
Seven years ago a young man i
Qcopnm A rhbnr Hrnhh landed in
York from Liverpool. He was
son of the superintendent of one-
London’s public libraries, who
also a largo stockholder iti the
theater, London. At home
Bi-ebb had toft* life*
brough t aWJ'^Pirre! betwev ...
tind his fat her find he determined
omigruto. In Now York Brebb
in with fast frionds and soon Ilia
small sum of money was exhausted.
Having no trade, Brebb started out
with a gang of tramps and for five
years roamed from state to state dir
ty and ragged. In April, 1879 lie was
with dirty companions hanging
around Cadiz, Harrison county O., «
One Sunday John II. Fair, a small
farmer and coal oporator, with hi#
family was out walking, and as tho
roads wore muddy they took tllO -
railroad track. Aftor walking some
distance they camo upon young v
Brebb and his gang hnddlod around
a fire. Mr. Fair got into conversa
tion with the men, and Mrs. Fuir
noticed by Brobb’s speech that ho
was a nat ive of her own country.
Mr. aiul Mrs. Fair asked Brebb to
cut loose from his com panions am
stay with them. This Brebb agreed
to do, and next day lie was put to
work. .Shortly after Brebb boWm
one of the Fair household a widowed
sistor of Mrs. Fair came over froi
England to make her homo with!
Fairs. She was told tho stori
Bi-ebb mid Brebb and Mrs. Tw<
soon grow to bo vory warm Irl
Friendship in timo ripened
love, an 3 ore muny months ;
iy Mrs. Twecdio consented to
Brebb, although she knew nothing
us to who lie really was iwd“
knew of his lifo in this country fro*
his own account, llo was a redeem
ed tramp and that was all.
ceremony was ]>ei-forniod in Deceit
bor of that year, ufter which matters
wont along as usual feff soverai
months. Finally, Brebb Goncfi§£||H|l
he would write homo and let W v
pooplo know cf his whereabout#aAd
situation. Aftor u lapse o| a
time ho received an answer st
that his father died two years ago
and that in his will ho hod left his
Wayward son £10,000. Brebb then
disclosed his itj^ntity to his wife and
relatives, and soon after left with his
wife for London, where, from .a lot-
ter received this week, they arrived
in due time and had immediately
received the inheritance of about
$50,000.—Pittslmry Dispatch,
fit
ind
Cleur Grit.
A plucky Kentucky school ma’am
is Miss Hllbroth, of Hopkins county.
She attempted to punish a boy nam
ed Merrill for some misdemeanor,
when the youth drew his knife. Miss
Hill broth unarmed him, and he
brought a club to bis assistance, blit
she finally whipped him. That
night the hoy’s father went to Miss
Hilbrotli’s boarding liouso aud cursed
hor shamefully. The noxt duy ho
wont to the school house to contiinto
his abuse, but the lady had armed
herself with a pistol und dured Mcr- .
nil to enter tho door. Merrill ran
home and was returning with a shot
gun, when ho was arrested by on
officer, but soon escaped, and is now
at large.
Almost flbndisli outrage was at
tempted, last week, on a young lady
in the lowor portion of this county,
by n negro by the name of Bunts,
lie was overtaken by a party of in
dignant citizens, brought back to
the scene of the attempted outrage,
and .summarily dealt with. The
weak und innocent should bo protec
ted against brute violence at auy and
every cost. The verdict of Idle coro
ner’s jury was to the
Barnes cams to his df
wont