The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1859-07-14
John Eastman's Luck.
By EMILY c. HUNTINGTON.

heavy job of work, and not being nble to
wait, had taken it to another workman.
81 was born to ill luck" he continued,
"and there is no use trying to contend against
fate."
"How long were you absent from your
shop. John 7" inquired a quiet-looking old
man who was sitting by.
"Not 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 i'll
to Smiths to see how that western land in
vestment was likely to turn out, and in the
excitement forgot the hour until it was
too ate-so here is good two hundred dol.
lars worth Of work gone, all for my wretch
ed 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 an.
ticipated 2"
"There is another specimen of the way in
which my cards turn up. 1: seems the man
Of whom bought had no legal claim to it,
ond my title is not worth cent"
elbow much money did you invest there!"
"Three hundred dollars-money that |
had been laying by ever since my marriage
to help to purchase a house and lot-but it
is gone now, and l 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 he paid out for it-he always was
lucky :"
~ believe he employed on agent to exa.
mine all the deeds and titles carefully be-
fore he purchased, did he not, John %
"Yes, he paid him an exorbtant price,
too never would encourage such extor'
ton. Besides, Edwards, who sold me my
claim, assured me t hat he knew it to be per.
fectly good, and could never have had the
face to question the honesty of an old neigh
bor."
1t seem he had the face to cheat you out
of your money" said the old gentleman,
smiling again, but more family than before.
els there no chance to recover anything OF
him 7"
"None at all. Jones told me confden-
TALLY, couple Of weeks ago, that he sus.
pected all was not right, and advised me to
keep my eye on Edwards, but though
there was no hurry, and yesterday learned
he sailed from New York. and no one knows
where. So have TO make the best Of my
luck"
"You use that word luck pretty freely,
John-may ask what you mean by it, and
on what ground you charge all your misfor'
tunes TO ii o.
"Why, you cannot deny, Uncle William,
that some men are constitutonally unlucky
while others, with no greater advantages
and seemingly in the very same circumstan
ces, will prosper in every undertaking.
could give you plenty of instances here un'
der our own observation"
"Suppose you give one, that will do very
WE'LL"
"Well, then, I can mention none better
than Jones and myself. We began life to.
gether as mechanics. with nearly equal ad
vantages in every respect, except that had
little the better of him, in inheriting thai
little farm of my fathers. We were mar
ried at the same time, and our wives were
both prudent, careful housekeepers-modelf Is
iu every respect. My family is no larger
than his, but look at the contrast now. His
business has gone steadily upward, until he
has all he can attend to, with the help o
several apprentices, while ! who have al
ways been called the best workman, car
hardly find employment for one. am still
living in an inconvenient, rented house
while Jones has snug little home Of his
own, with garden, fruit, and every comfort
of life. His children are healthy, and hit
wife looks no older than when he married
her, ten years ago; while my poor Mary is
thin end care. worn, and my Doctors bill is
almost ns much as my rent. am sure
have made every possible exertion; | work
as hard as Jones, but there is such a thing
as luck, and mine, thus far, has been bad
enough" ..a ..........
"Now, John Eastman" began the ole
| man, slowly, "I want you to listen to me-
You talk about luck, and I, an old man, who
have seen seventy odd years of life, l tell yor
there is no such thing as lasck. The threat
of your destiny was never put into the hands
of the blind goddess, Fate, to be twisted ane
tangled at her will. believe in Divine
Providence that overrules all things, but
believe that every man makes his own track
through life, and is responsible in greo
measure for its roughness."
"Then you would throw all the blame o
a mans misfortune upon himself. Tha
seems rather hard"
"It is great thing for man TO learn tc
distinguish between those things which are
results Of his own unwise action, and those
that spring from causes beyond his control.
IL admit this, but am sure | have always
tried to act according to my best judgment