The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1859-10-21
A CHANGE FOR A HUNDRED.
BIT ALBANY FONBLANQUE.

1t was market day in great noisy man
ufacturing town not many thousand miles
removed from Lancashire, and the confines
of that neighbOring country so celebrated
for the "cuteness" of its inhabitants. The
railway had brought in thousands of people
that morning, from all parts of the adjacent
county, most for business, some for pleas
Men came in to make money, and made it
or not, according to circumstance their
wives and daughters came in to spend money,
and found no difficulty in accomplishing
their object; other people came in for other
purposes las will appear before conclusion
of this faithful narrative,) and were equally
successful in carrying them out.
In the Exchange, merchants and cotton
spinners, and brokers' and agents thronged
together, and were as busy as bees in hive.
What were they doing? All that can
not say, hundreds of thousands, 1 am told,
change owners on market days in this same
Exchange; without scrap of writing, or
earnest to bind the bargain. Who can tell
what great transactions were being cenched?
Perhaps some one was buying up all the
cotton in Liverpool perhaps the money
was being found for some invention that
will provide broadcloth at siXpence yard;
perhaps that vulgar looking old fell ow, to
whom all are touching their hats on account
of his reputed wealth, is buying what he
knows very well he never will be able to
pay for; and who knows but that those
sanctified individuals in white neckcloths
are contracting for a supply of thread, bear
ing lie upon its label, in order to cheat
the poor seamstress out of her due? Such
things are done, we know, thanks to that
much vilified tribuna-Her Majesty's High
Court OF Chancery.
But we have little to do with the Elk.
change and those who frequent it. This
great town-whch is nameless, for GER
tain sufficient reasOns-gOes to dinner at 2
o'clock, eats great deal of cold meat, and
drinks great deal of hot wine and being
town of inferior organization, gastrOnOm-
ically speaking, is not afflicted with those
frightful consequences from which any other
town of more fashionable and dyspeptic
habits would suffer. Consequently, for about
one hour after the time have named, there
is a lull in the transaction of business, and
whilst the bees are on their return to Their
work, much shopping takes place.
The principal jewelers. in this nameless
town are Messrs. Elephant & Castle and
goodly sight their shop window affords up
on market day, especially when the old year
is at its grasp, and all the pretty -prettes
for a new years gifts are exhibited in gilt
terng rows therein. So thinks an elderly
gentleman from the country, a clergyman
of the Church of England evidently from
his spotless white neckcloth, snug chin, and
the heavy gold seals that hung, more ma.
jorum, after the fashion of our ancestors,
from his fob. There is well-to-do creak-
ing in his carefully polished boots, and a
smile upon his ruddy cheek that bodies we'll
he is altogether the sort of person at whose
table you would like to have place and liz
whose will you would find no objection to
have your name.
Mr.. Elephant Castle is his partner being
at home) has high opinion of the cloth, so
he bows profoundly to the clergyman as he
enters, and his reverence, who is urbanity
itself, bows to Mr.. Elephant in return.
The jeweler is charmed. Politeness is not
staple commodity in this nameless town.
Great is its wealth but the magic " tup-.
pence week." which in some other quar-
tiers is devoted to the acquisition of man.
ners, has been but sparingly expended by
the parents of the present generation of its
denizens. MIR. Elephant knows gentle
man when he sees him and sending his
young man to wait upon some other GUS
toner, attends to the stranger himself.
The simple minded pastor at once states
his errand. Thursday is New Years Day,
and Mrs. Dalcmer must have her accus
toned present. What shall it be A.? Some
thing useful, you know, and not very ex-
pensiye, not more than thirty or forty
pounds.
1t is pleasing to hear the good man speak
of money! 1t is clear that he prizes it only
as the means of giving pleasure to Others
Many valuable trinkets are exhibited for
selection but are rejected with cores
pondpg number of smiles by Mr.. Dalcimer,
as "trifles." AT last a very solid gold
watch, with chain and pendants, heavy and
plain, fit for the wife of bishop, is pro-
duced and approved. Fifty pounds is the
price, and while Mr.. Elephants young man
is finding a case wherein to pack it, the
Rev. Blank Dalcimer takes from his pocket
fat black pocket book, and from its in.
terror bank note for one hundred pounds.
He was just such man as you would ex.
pect to have such a pocket book, and such
apocket book would not have been complete
without such large crisp bank note in it,
There are some people whose very tooth
picks proclaims their responsibility.
The Rev. Blank Dalcimer was very sorry
he must trouble MIR. Elephant for change
Mr.. Elephant would be only too happy to
oblige him. Mr.. Elephant could easily
obige him on market day. The respecta BILE
pocket book, with fifty pounds in small
notes in it, is placed in one ample pocket,
the new watch in shining morocco case
is carefully deposited in another, and the
reverend purchaser is leaving the shop po-
lltely as he had entered it, when a young
man dressed in the extreme of fashion-so
far in the extreme as to be in danger OF
tumbling over the other side into the abyss
of vulgarism, bustles rudey and runs against
bis reverence.
The good man IS not angry, only hurt
STOPPING to pick up his hat which had been
displaced IN the shock, he, furtively rubbed
his damaged chain, and recovering himself
recognizes the youth who caused the mis-.
chief.
"Why, bless my heart, Frank, what brings