The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1858-07-02
THE GIFT ENTERPRISE;
Or
Drawing a wife in a Lottery.
BY CARL CANTER.

My name is Nathanie! Bugbee Per-
haps you have seen me, at some time,
standing behind the counter of my en-
ployers, Messrs. Haberdasher d Co., who
for five years past have been selling their
goods at an arming sacrifice, as the
columns Of the daily papers and the large
placards in front of the store, have con-
stantly made known to an interested pub
lie. As the uninitiated might find it a
difficult matter to understand how such
way of doing business could be profitable
to the firm, | will just whisper in conf
dence that the alarming sacrifice alluded
to is always on the part Of their custom
ers.
This, however, has no direct bearing
with my story. Let me only say, in sddi-
ton, while upon this point. that ros, sala.
ry, though large enough for my own main
tenance, precluded all thoughts of matri-
mony IN the present expensive style OF
living; therefore it may easily be inferred
that ! must either resign myself not to
marry or find some one who to heart su.
peradds fortune.
The reader understands my position
sufficiently to understand the feeling with
which | read an advertisement Of the fol-
lowing purport III the papers some time
since.
The advertisement in question set forth
the advantages of a certain gift enterprise
III a neishboring city, euumerating brill
liant list of prizes, closing wlth-what do
you think No less than the hand of
young girl, together with twenty thou
sand dollars The conditions were, that
if, upon acquaintance, either the young
lady or the winning party should see fit 10
decline the matrimonial alliance intended,
the rejecting party should forfeit all claim
to the twenty thousand dollars, which
should go to the rejected.
The price of tickets in this tempting
lottery was only two dollars; Boston
agents, Messrs. Shave d Co., State street.
Having fully made up my mind to invest,
| called there on my way from dinner.
Have you any tickets left p inquir-
ed, with some anxiety.
4" a few was the prompt reply
"Will you have one ?'
Yes, believe So"
accordingly passed two dollar bill
to the clerk, and received ticket marked
II, $50.
Rather high figure" | remarked,
carelessl y.
Yes, y said the clerk, tickets are
going of like hot cakes. They are in
great demand among young men" he said,
smiling, "Some take as many as fifteen
or twenty to make their chance surer."
was about, upon this hint, to follow
their example, and purchase few more,
when | luckily reflected that a boarding
bill due the next day, would take up all
my remaining available funds, and pru-
dently denied myself.
Dear reader, did you ever have ticket
in lottery or gift enterprise? If so,
you can understand my state of mind for
the month which must intervene before
the declaration of the prizes. | was con-
tinually specializing upon my chances OF
success, and what | should do If, on being
declared the lucky winner of the first
prize, / should find the lady whom / had
won, intolcrably ugly aud unprepOsessing.
In such case would the sum of twenty
thousand dollars be sufficient to sugar the
pill! In the meantime / was particularly
obseryant of the pretty faces whom the
placard-An Alarming Sacrifce-drew
to our store. l amused myself by pick
ing out particular young ladies, and rep
resenting to myself the possibility that
some of them might be the lady who was
to bring her intended twenty thousand
dollars
Without dwelling upon this / will only
say that / saw several who should have
been perfectly willing to marry at less
high figure. am aware that some Of my