Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-03-09
JOHN EASTMAN'S LUCK.
BY EMILY c. HUNTINGTON.

BY EMILY C. HUNTINGTON.
'That's just my luck" angrily exclaimed
young mechanic, dashing down note which
informed him that during his absence from his
business, gentleman had called to complete
partial contract with him for heavy job of
work, and not being able to wait, had taken it
to another workman
81 was born to i'll luck, he continued, "and
there is no use in trying to contend against fate.
How long were you absent from your shop,
John!" inquired quiet-lookiDg old man who
was sitting by.
mot over an hour or so; perhaps two hours"
HAD you not an engagement to meet this
gentleman to-day!"
"Why, yes, and started for my shop for the
purpose, but thought would just drop in to
Smiths to see how that western land investment
was likely to turn out, and, in the excitement
forgot the hour till it was too late-so here is
good two hundred 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!"
Three hundred dollars-money that | have
been laying by ever since my marriage to help
purchase house and lot-but it is gone now,
and am not likely to get anything beforehand
again, very soon, There is Jones, he bought
land at the same time, and now it is worth ten
times the money le paid out for it-he always
was Iuckyl'' -..-.-.-.
Il believe he employed an agent to examine
all the deeds and titles carefully before he pur-
chased did he not, joint"
"Yes,. and pai5shim an exorbitant price, too;
lnever would encourage such extortion. Be
sides, Edwards, who sold me nv claim, assured
me that he knew it to be perfectly good, and l
could never have had the face to question the
honesty of an old friend and neighbor."
at seems he had the face 10 cheat you out OF
your money" said the old gentleman, smiling
again, but more fIintly than before. ais there
no chance to recover anything of him."
''None at all. Jones' told me, confdentially,
a couple of weeks ago, that he suspected all
was not right, and advised me to keep my eye
on Edwards, but l thought there was no hurry,
and yesterday learned that he had sailed from
New York, no one knows where. Sol have to
make the best of my luck"
You use that word luck pretty freely, John
may l ask what you mean by it, and on
what ground you charge all your misfohunes
to it Z"
"Why, you cannot deny, Uncle William, that
some men are constitutionalIy unlueky, while
others, with no greater advantages, and SEEM
ingly in the very same circumstances, viii pros
per in every undertaking. I could give you
plenty of instances here under our own obser-
vation."
Suppose you give one, that will do very
well"
"Well, then, can mention none better THAI
Jones and myself We began life together as me.
chanics, with nearly equal advantages in every
I respect, except that had little the better O
him, in inheriting that small farm of my faith
| er's. We were married at the same time, anC
our wives were both prudent, careful house
keepers-models in every respect Ny family
| is no larger than his but look at the contras
| now. His business has gone steadily upward
until ne has all he can attend to, with the hell
Of several apprentices, while /, who have beer
| always called the best workman, can harIly finl
1 employment for one.-I am still living in an in
| convenient, rented house, while Jones has
| snug little home of his own, with garden, fruit
| and every comfort of life His children ar,
healthy, and his wife looks no older than wher
be married her, ten years ago. while my poo
Mary is thin and care-worn, and nv doctor
bill is almost as much as my rent l am SUR
have made every possible exertion; l work al
| hard as Jones, but there is such thing as luck
and mine, thus far, has been bad enough"
Nov, John Eastman" began the old man
slowly, "a want you to listen tome You tall
about luck, and l, an old man, who has seer
seventy odd years of life, l tell you there is ~
1 such thing as luck. The thread of your destiny
was never put into the hands Of the blind god
dess, Fate, to be twisted and tangled at hel
| will l believe in a Divine Providence ths
overrules all things, but believe that every mai
makes his own track through life, and is resoon
sible for great measure for its rJughness"
Then you would throw all the blame of
mans misfortunes upon himself That seem
rather lard"
"Itis a great thing for man to learn to dis
tinguish between those things which are th'
results of his own unwise action, and those tina
spring from causes beyond his control"
Il admit this, but am sure have alwayr
tried to act according to my best judgment
and a man can do no more than that"
"fyou will not be angry with me, John,
would ike to talk to you a little about you
best judgment.
Il huCAC a. AO AcdE VI tudty luClc W iilldu
You know / always take your advice kindly
although l cannot quite agree with you in you
ways of thinking
-dPeople that take advice SO kindly are no
/ sure to make much use of it; but no matter
When came in this morning found you in
great rage over your bad luck in losing tha
| Job of work which suppose went to Jones, al
/ his shop is always open. Pray, who was t.
blame for that but yourself for negleeting
/ your engagement to meet the agent And viii
the evil results stop with the loss of this oni
! jobi Those men, as you well know have oc
j casion for thousands Of dollars worth of work
| in your line every year, and will it not .b'
natural that, in deciding where to look in fu
| ture, they should distrust man who failed t.
| meet an appointment in which his own inter-
ests were involyedi All, John, see more baG
| luck in store for you there"
| al intended to keep the engagement, but tbs
disappointment about my land put it all out
4 of my mind"
| nThst land business again; now look at thai
and see how much luck had to do with it =
Which was the wiser, Jones, who paid com
petent person for making sure his claim, OIL
| YOU, who trusted to luck, and the honesty of 3
speculator, and 50 lost the whole ~
"WsIl, ! may have erred in Judgment in
some cases, but, after all, am firm believer