The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1844-10-18
BY HISE & OSMAN.
From Tait's Magazine.
The Curntc or, Hopes.
TRANSLATED FROM rREDERIKA BREMES's SHORT
STORIES.

STORIES.
always had peculiar method Of tray
cling with the least possible distress
along the stony road of life e.; although, in
physical as well as in moral sense, |
generally walked barefoot. hoped /!
hoped on from day to day, from morn to
even, at evening for the mex, morning; in
autumn for spring, in spring for autumn !;
from one year to another; and thus had
hoped away almost thirty years of my
life's journey, without feeling severely
any of my troubles, except the want of
good boots. consoled myself under this
calamity when in the open ar; but when
introduced to respectable company, | was
tormenied win desire Of setting III;
heels foremost, because they were best
covered with leather. fought to confess,
too, that ] felt my poverty still more
when, in the huts of misery. | could give
no better comfort than friendly words.
But comforted myself, like thousands
beside, with hopeful glance at fortunes
rolling wheel, and the philosophical ob-
servaiion, Time will bring good coun-
sell
When | was curate under a country
clergyman, with scanty pay and mean
fare, morally languishng, with no socie-
ty but the ill-tempered wife of the tipping
parson, the BOBBY son, and The daughter
who, with high shoulders and feet turned
in, went prying about from morning till
night | felt sudden rapture of tender
ness and delight when a letter, from one
OF my aCquaintances, gave me the in(or-
nation that my uncle p, merchant in
Stockholm, personally unknown TO me,
lay at the point of death, and, under
sudden attack of family affection, had ex-
pressed desire to behold his good-lor-
nothing nephew.
And now see the thankful nephew, with
little lean bundle under his arm, and
million of rich hopes in his breast, seated
upon mos. uncomfortable stiff-necKed
market cart, jogging along, up hill and
down hill, TO the capital
AT the tavern where allghted, ven
tured to order little, only very little,
breakiast-jUst slice of bread and butter
and two eggs. My landlord and fat
gentleman walked to and fro in the room,
and chatted Il must say said the fat gen.
tleman, this wholesale tradesman f.,
who died yesterday, was rascal
'Ha, ha,' thought |, but rascal who
had plenty of gold. Harkye, friend Ito
the water,) can you bring me slice of
roast beef, or whatever meat you have,
TO make me more substantial fare here.
A dish of soup would not be amiss but
quick, if you please!' Yes said my
landlord, at is heavy-thrty thousand
dollars, ond bank-s,ock beside No one
in the town would have dreamed it-thir-
ty thousand' Thirty thousandr Lin.
wardly calculated in my Joyous soul.
'Harkye, waiter! give me, as soon as you
can, thirty thousand-no, no-give me
pint OF wine, mean and all my pulses
were beating merrily to the tune Of 'thir-
ty thousand!
Ah! said the fat gentleman, 'and
would you believe that among his debts
is one of five thousand dollars for cham
paigne! There stand his creditors clench.
ing their fists; for all his furniture is
worth but few pence, and outside his
door they find for their comfort-his ca
lash !!
AHA, that's another thing said to
myself. 'llere, waiter! take away the
beef, the soup and the wine. must not
taste them: for what have been doing
all the morning but eatingn You have
ordered them said the waiter. Friend y
said l., scratching out an apology Just be-
hind my ear, 1T was an error ordered
them for rich gentleman, as | supposed
who is now as poor as myself, find, and
will never be able to pay for them; bn,
you snail have the money Cor the eggs
and bread and butter have eaten. as well
as something to drink for your trouble.
90 saying anu slipping a TITLE more than
the charge into his hand, left the tavern.
with wounded heart and unappeased
stomach, 10 seek for cheap lodgings, and
TO s'ady means of raising money.
This violent collision between my
hopes and the reality had given me the
headache; but when | met, during my
Greet wandering, gentleman decked with
bands and stars, but with a faded face and
wrinkled brow, and saw young noble
man whom | had known at the Universi.
~ of Upsal walking as if the weight OF
age and 'ledum vim' would bring him
down upon his nose, lifted up my head,
took deep inspiration of the air, (which,
l.s A.