Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-12-04
EVENING STAR.
TAKING CARE OF NUMBsR ONE

-
guardedly, whenever too manifest exhibi
| ton of selfishneSs was likely to affect him in
the estimation Of certain parties with whom
he wished to stand particularly fair. In all
his dealings this maxim was alone regarded;
aud he was never satisfied unless in bargain.
ing, ne secured the greater advantage, . thing
that pretty generally occurred.
There resided in the same town with Tilgh.
mana western town-a certain young lady
whose father owned large amount of proper.
ty. She was his only child, and would fall
heir to all his wealth. OF course this young
lady had attractions that we're felt to be Of 8
most weighty character by certain young men
in the town, who made themselves as agree.
able to her as possible. Among these was
Lawrence Tighmsn.
Larry" said friend to him one day-
they had been talking about the lady-"Its
no use for you to play the agreeable to Helen
! Walcot.n
And why not, pray" returned Tilghman.
They say she's gased."
Ito whom"
90 young man in Columbus, Ohio"
Nv no says so!'
good '~'
"Engagod, ha! Well, III break the en-.
gagemeht, If there's any virtue in trying"
| "You will?"
Certainly. Helen will be worth D nlun
"nen her i-thor dies, and We made up my
miDd 10 handle some Of his thousands -
But certainly y, Larry, you would not at
! tempt to Interfere with the marriage con-
| tract
II don't believe any contract exists re-
! piIed the young man. Anyhow, while a lady
is single regard her as in the market and to
be aon by the bOldcst.'
! "Stlll, we should have some resnect for tho
! rights of others"
| for
| piled I.lghman. That is my motto. If Won
don take care IF yourself ysu II be showed 70
| the wall III double quick time. Long AGO. 4
resolved IL pat some forty or fifty thousand
dollars between myself and the world bv mar
mage, and you may be sure / will not let this
opportunity slip for any consideration Helen
Additional eridence of the fact that the
| young lady was under engagement of mar.
mage, soon came to ears OF TiIghman. The
encct was To produce closer attention on his
part TO Helen, who. greatly TO his uneasiness
did not seem to give him much encourage
ment although she treated him with polite
ness and attention whenever he called to see
her But 1t was not true, as Tilghman ha4
heard, that Helen was engaged to a Young
man IN Columbus; though it was true that she
was IN correspondence with sentlem an named
Walker, and that thcir acquaintance was in.
mate and fast approaching 4 love-like char
acter.
ctill she was not Indifferent 10 the former.
ana rs ne showed so strong preference for
ner, began gradually, TO feel au awakerinr
interest. Tilghman WAS quick 10 perseiye
this, and 1t greatly elated him. Ia the exuI.
tation Of his feelings he said to himself:
- ii show the Columbus man that I'm
worth dozen of him. The boldest wins the
fair. wouldn't give much for bis engage
inent."
Tilghmsn was merchant, and visited the
East twice every year for the purpose Of buv-
Ing goods. In August he crossed the mona
tains as usual. Some men when they leave
nome and so among strangers leave all the
COED breeding they may happen to have kad
Dehlnd tnen. such man was IiIgnrnan
The moment he stepped into steamboat
stage or railroad car. the everyone for him
sef principle by which he was governed, man
itestei itself il all its naked deforulity.
and 1t was at once concluded by all with whom
| he came In contact, that let him be uho he
would ne was no gentleman.
On gong up the river on the occasion re.
| terred t., our gentleman went on the free
and -easy principle, a. was usual with him
wheh In puoic convoy2ncas; consulting >
own inciinatiCn. and tastes alone, and run
nins his elbows III any and cyerybody's ribs
shat happened in his Bay. He was generally
first e. the table when the bell rang; AMI, a.
ne had a good appetite, managed while there
to secure Il good snare Of the deIicacies pro
Ylded for the company.
Every ono for himself" aas the Thought
IN ms inind on these occasions, AMI his ac-
tiOns fully agree with his thoughts.
On crossing the mountains in stages this
was before the railroad from Baltimore TO
Washington was completely as far as Cumbcr-
land, his greedy, selfish, and sometimes DOWN
right bOoriSh prepensitiss, annoyed his fellow
passengers, and particularly a young man of
quiet, refined, and gentlemanly deportmept.
VINO could not ut times help showing the dis
gust he felt. Because he paid his alfdoIlar
for meals at the tsye.ns o. the Hay, Tilgh-
man seemed to feel himself licensed To
Sormandize at beaStly rate. The moment
he sat down to the table he would seize upon
the most desirable dish near him, and apnro-
pirate at least a half, if not two thirds. of
what 1t contslned, regardless utterly of HE
fellow passengers; then hs would oall the next
most desirable dish If he could not reach IL
and help himself after q most liberal fashion
In eating he seemed more Ike a hungry dog,
In his earGeStaess, than a man possessing a
grain of dcccncy. When the tine came To
part with him his fellow travellers rcioicsd at
Geirg rid of one whose utter selfshness filed
them with disgust.
In Philadelphia and New York, where
TIlghman felt that ne vas entirely unknown,
he INDUCED in unciviliEed prope nsities to
their full extent. At one of the hotels, lust
before leaving New York, to return to, Bati-
more, and there take the cars for the West
again, he met the young man referred to as q
travelling companion, and remarked the fact
that he recognized and frequently observed
him. Under this observation, as it seemed 10
havo something sinister in it, Tighman felt at
times a little uneasy, and at the hotel table
rathor curbed his greediness when this in
dividual was present.
Finally, he left New York in the II CLOCK
boat, intending to pass on to Baltimore in the
night train from Philadelphia, and expe-
rienced a sense Of relief in getting rid of the
presence vi one who appeared to know him
and to have taken prejudice against him.
As the boat swept down the bay, Tilghman
amused himself first with a cigar on the for
ward deck, and then with 4 promenade on the
uppor deck He had already secured his din
ner ticket. When the fumes of roast turkey
came to MS eager sense he felt "sharpest''
enough to have deyoured a whole gobler,
This indication of the approaching meal
caused him 10 dive down below, where the
servants we're busy in preparing table
Here he walked backward and rury r,l ah,ut