The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1824-06-05
HALF AN HOUR TOO LATE.
From the Portsmouth, journal.

. mlnru tne, hnnEh l fehf suntNldl Too
! late for Your paper, to send yoh Il short NJ.
count OF myscll aud 10 ask your advice
ia my affairs. had, III truth, determined
to wit, In YOU last weol, but something
o. either put Il out of my head. Just Is |
was gong 10 SIT dawn: aud | have NOW
hardly tlmr 10 tell YOU hall Of my STORY.
| was born, Mi Editor. tol I an hour TOO
late and though have hen IN a hurry
al my lite, have never been able 10 gel
back that single half hour. People may
! talk as much rs they will about =" redeem
ing the time - the thing Is impossible. II
the wheel had been turned hack lust half
an hour, whcn was a boy, II would have
changed the whole colour ol my life.
The first thug ! can recollect of my
early chldhood Is, that | Why IN difficulty
always haif on hour loo late, Nh,n |
got up in the morning, winch | seldom did,
III my mother had coaNed mr., and my
father threatened me some four III five
times, each, generally found the break
fast table cleared, my breed ,old, and not
unfrcqucnty my howl ot milk hall derour-
ed by the cat used theu 10 swallow The
milk, (and half the time N my hurry split
III my bosom, put the bread IN my pocket
snatch up my wrapper and hal, aud with
| ont stopping 10 put them on, hasten away
10 school. was hu!t IN hour too iaie.
| Six times a week, | used 10 be punished
| for tardiness; and generally two ar three
TINES more for eating my breakfast IN
school: besides being kept IN aud finding
mysclftoo latc for dinner, COZ mol recll0g
with my class IN the morning. And all
this arose from sitting up haJ an hour loo
tote Al night. WAS often scolded aud
sometimes whipped for II, went To bed
crying, aud in consequence oversight my
self half an hour the next morning.
Thus passed the days Of my childhood
When was fourteen years old, | WAS
placed IN the shop Of m English goods
dealer; aud though | certainly worked
very hard aud was always ont of breath
no better luck attended me there. That
wicked half an hourwas never 10 be found.
Take on day NJ specimen oi the resl.
cate up late one night, IN copying some
letters, which ought 10 have been daas
the preceding afternoon. The next NOM
luE arose hnlC an hour too lhf. could
not arrange the goods III the shop before
customers came IL, III the rourse II the
DAY every thug got III confusion. Taking
the advantage Of Il ILL., leisure, begun IL
put the goods In place then remembered
the letters which had copied aud which
were Of great imporfance--ran 10 the Post
Office aud found the nali tIad been gone
lust haif an hour. camc hack in soinf
perplrNity, aud resolved 10 BIZ morc Paoc
tual for the future That | might carry
this resolution INTO immediate tiiect, went
to the desk aud began % draw ont an ac-
count, which my naser had directed me
to carry 10 an Attorney, eaiy III lhe
morning was summoned away IL carry
home "A h&udlc Of silk which u Lady bad
Just purchased bat deler.nialnE 10 be
right, for once, LAID thu bundle on thr
d,-k, aud completed he account. Nhrn
It was finished, carried II Ia lhr Lawyer
aud found thai the Debtor had Jailed in HE
course ni HE torcnoon, aud that "as
hdif ar hour loo iait 10 SAVE any dung.
spent two hours in endeaVOnnag Ia find
other property 10 attach, but without nc
cess; aud then towards evening carried
home the elk Thr Lady was going 10 4
bah and after waiting for M I'LL her "a
ticucc was exhausted, hid Gent ~ another
shop | WAS tooilte,
NV master, when hr hoard these clrcnm
stances, very grayely predicted my ruin,
and disnissrd me from his rmpIoymc0t.-
rhcn shipped 81 board vessel which
was bound to Europe, aud pleased my
fancy Tor some day with the thought 81
visiting distant countries, 4 sccns strange
sights ! even put on som" ans among
my acquaintance ana began II peak with