St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1859-12-29
: dasstbara tb. Course Of empire takes its Gaap"
TY, FLOYD COUNTY. IOWA. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 49, 1852

tlng 10 the depot, the cars went of
and left him. Hang it |" said he
as he turned upon his heel, what's
the difference of one day? I'll take
care to be in season tomorrow" He
did so--he reached Baltimore without
any accident-but. alas the old gen.
tleman, who was in excellent health
the day previous, had gone off in an
apoplexy, a full hour before the tailor
arrived.
In almost every thing Luther Lapel
was too late. He was a regular at
tendant at church but as he seldom
arrived until the middle of the dis.
course, he could make nothing of it
nor could he find scat, though he
took pains to rent a pew at considera-
BILE expense. He was always too late
at meals. and was thus obliged to
take up with the refuse of the table
The meat, if any remained, was cold ;
the coffee was ditto. or run aground ;
the toast had disappeared the butter
consumed--in short, no alternative
remained to Luther but to make the
best he could of the scanty fragments
that remained. The tailor had a sort
of military turn, and few men looked
better in regimentals than he but he
was generally on the parade ground
so late as to incur a fine. Alas !"
said he "a stitch in time saves nine,
but ! am always too late in threading
my needle"
Luther Lapel was very personable
fellow to look at, and became quite q
favorite with the fair sex. He was al.
so fellow Of some spirit, and laid
a siege to the heart of belle valued
at ten thousand dollars. His success
was almost beyond his hopes for he
took his measures so well, that in a
short time the lady engaged to marry
him. The day was fixed, the wed.
ding.cake was made, the lady was ar.
rayed in her best, the bridesmaids
were present, the grooms men were in
waiting, the guests had assembled,
and nothing but punctuality was want
ing to make Mr.. Lapel the happiest
man alive But he was so late in
coming. that the loved one got out OF
all patience and before he arrived,
she had struck up bargain, and was
married to one of the grooms-men.
But, as we said just now, Luther
was man of spirit, and, though but
a tailor, he called his rival to the field
to take an exchange of cold lead. The
grooms-man was at first considerably
frightened !; but presently recollect
ing the unfortunate trait of the tailor
he mustered courage and accepted the
challenge. He was punctual to the
minute Int tho d;-o~rard tower WAC
----- L@..- toe iato, apd so ho losA 4I..
pleasure Of shooting his rival.
Luther finally got married but his
wife was subject to fits, and he was
one day Informed by his negro boy,
that "missus had fallen into the fire.
" In the fire exclaimed the tailor.
who was just then pressing down a
scam" in the fire 1! did you say,
Pomp?"
Yes, massa, she in dc fire."
Well, go back, and tell her III
come in minute" He finished press.
ing the seam, hastened to the house,
and found Mrs. Lapel so burnt that
she survived but few hours.
The affairs of poor Lapel were now
going fast to ruin. His credit was
entirely gone, his customers had for
saken him, his friends were cstranged,
his matrimonial disappointments and
misfortunes preycd upon his mind
He became dissipated, shut up his
shop, and resolved to go to California
The ship was to sail at eight o'clock on
a given morning, but Luther did not
arrive at the wharf till nine when,
finding the vessel gone, he muttercd
something about being always too
late. and in sudden fit of despair
plunged headlong into the water and
was drowned.