Virginia advocate. [volume] (Charlottesville, Va.) 1827-1860, 1830-02-26
COMMUNICATION.
Mr.. EDITOR,

One day last week formed a new
acquaintance with very fine Gentle
men, of whom | expect, TO make val
liable friend BUT he has alarmed me
little by asking the loan of some money;
he says that it will answer his purpose to
have it by the middle of next week,
which gives me five days delberation,
during which time | want to get YOUR
advice on the subject, as it is one of very
gr eat importance to me. | know that
you are very capable of, giving good
advice on almost every subject; but
fearing, as | do,,, that you have never
thought much on things of this sort,
shall lay before you some of my luck.
| have had great luck, and all sorts of
luck. In the first place by the very
closest application Of my trowel, earned
and saved one thousand dollars in hard
cash: we'll then, | had the good luck TO
have ten very great friends, and they
were all fine fellows and clever fellows
too 81 dealt out my thousand dollars
pretty equally among them by way of a
loan and TO my very great establishment
and modification, | have not been able
to get but one hundred of it back again,
and nine Of my friends are converted in
to formidable enemies and back-biters.
DO you not call that, hard luck? The
only friend that had left was one that
had just married young wife that he
loved very much: she was amusing
him one night by telling him how manv
she had turned off before she married
him, and had the bad luck to be the
last that she had discarded "a thing
which he had never dreamt of before.
Says he to himself, you shall not know
any thing of this money that | have bor-
Owed OF him; SO, at the end Of six
months he handed me my hundred dol
lars and three on the top Oft, saying at the
same time, here my friend, here is your
money; friend in need is friend in
deed; but don't let my wife know any
thing ofthis. But. he has moved to the
west, where, | shall never see him again.
His. letters since he left this place has
cost me three dollars and twenty-five
cents-lhis is friend worth having: one
of the others has paid nue., he says, but
he will not come for bis receipt, because
he knows that | wiII7giye it TO him in one
moment; the next pleaded usury falsely i
two others came over the other day to
to pay me, one of them had long knife,
the other loaded rattan, but ] refused
to give them receipt, unless they would
come one at time and all the others
have been forced to take the insolvent
oath, to avoid the payment Of their debts. |
30 you see that my nine enemies have
cost me nine hundred dollars, and the
one that remains my FRIEND, has
only cost me twenty-five cents. thought
that three of them were gone home the |
other day.-l'll tell you how it was -
as was returning home from the other
side OF James River, | sow a large party
skating on the ice and behold three off
those lnsolvent gentlemen, were part of
the company, though they seemed to be
strangers there as well as myself Twas
glad 10 see them as was so far front
home, so invited them to go down be-
bind little nook 10 drink some wl,iskey
that was IN my bundle. l took my trowel
round hole in the ice and
poured the contents Of r,y ticker into it.
Alter had taken sup, Isaid gentle
men; whiskey has brought many heads
o the ground, let me sec if this can't
BRING yours TO The ice; rqop Which, dacy