Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1859-03-17
MisteIlaneons.
! JOHN EASTMAN'S LUCK.
BY EMILY c. HUNTINGTON.

- "That's just my luck" angrily exclaimed
a young machanic, dashing down note
which Informed him that, during his abb
sence from his business, gentleman had
called to complete partial contract with
him for heavy job Of work, and not be-
ing able to wait, had taken it 10 another
workman.
1"I was born to i'll luck" he continued,
sand there is no use in trying to contend
against fate"
"How long were yeu absent from your
shop, John!"' inquired quiet-looking old
man who was sitting by.
aNot over an hour or SO; perhaps two
hours"
.'Had you not an engagement to NEE,
this gentleman to-day?"
"Why, yes, and started for my shop for
The purpose, but l thought l would just
drop in to Smiths to see how that west
ern land Investment was likely to turn out,
and, in the excitement forgot The hour till
it was too late-so here is a good two hum
dred dollars worth of work gone, all for
my wretched luck" =,
The old man smiled family, but went on
questioning.
"And how about your land investment
is it likely to prove as profitable as you
anticipated"
~.There is another specimen of the way
my cards turn up. 1t seems the man of
whom bought had no legal claim to it,
and my title is not worth cent"
"How much money did you invest there p
"Three hundred dollars-moIey that
have been laying by ever since my marriage
to help purchase house and lot-but it is
gone now, and l am not likely to get any
thing beforehand again, very soon. There
is Jones, he bought land at the same time,
and now it is worth ten times the money
be paid ont for it-he always was lucky"
: 81 believe he employed au agent to ex-
anime all the deeds and titles carefully be,
fore be purchased, did he not, Johng'
= 'Yes, and paid him an exorbitant price,
too; i never would encourage such extor-
tion. Besides, Edwards, who sold me my
claim, assured me that he knew it TO be
perfectly good, and could never have had
the face to question the honesty of an old
friend and neighbor" "b8css9 sal ~. ,e.a
sit seems be had the face to cheat you
out of your money" said the cid gentle
man, smiling again, but more family than
before. as there no chance to recover any
thing of himr .ii 4-a8 at sae@a ~.
af4None at all. Jones told me confidential
ly, couple of weeks ago, that he suspect
ed allwa not right, and advised me to
keep my eye on Edwards, but thought
thereswas no hurry. and yesterday l learned
that he had sailed from New York, no one
knows where. So have 10 make the best
ofmy luck" e ral p ~ f.
Z "You use that word luck pretty freely,
John--may / ask what You mean by it,
and on what ground you charge all your
misfortunes TO it % 5a Il .eaa- 5s9 aIi
Il sWhy, yodcannot deny, Uncle William,
that some men are constitutionally unlucky,
while Others, with no greater advantages,
andseemingly in the very same circumstan-
ces, viii prosper in every undertaking. l
could give you plenty of instances here un-
DER our own obseryation.n gdi .. rs
well"
swell, then, 1 can mention none better
than Jones and myself. We BEGAN life to.
getber as mechanics, with nearly equal ad-
vantages in every respect, except That / /
had little the better Of him, in inber;t;no
that small farm of my farther's. We were
married at the same time, and our wives
were both prudent, careful house keepers
models in every respect. Ny family is
no larger than his but look at the contrast
now. His business has gone steadily up
ward until be has all be can attend to, with
the help Of several apprentices, while 1,
VINO have been always called the best work
man, can hardly find employment for one.
am stan living in an inconvenient, rented
house, while Jones has snug little home
OF hls own. with garden, fruit and cyerv
comfort of life. His children are bssl,by
and his wife looks no older than when (.
married her ten years ago; while INV moor
Mary is thin and care-worn, and nv DOE.
tors bill is almost as much as my rent. ID
am sure | have made every possible exer.
tion; / work as hard as Jones' but there