Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1859-07-08
5elrtte0 nlistrIlanp.
THE OLD CARTMAN,
BY BLUNDERBUSS.

| have mind to tell little story -
That it is brief, may be seen at glance /;
that 1t is true, most emphatically avow.
II the reader des2ises it because of the
first, or the editors of the ERA reject it
for the reason of the last, then will |
eschew truth in the future, and devote
myself to the elaboration of lies into
chapters and the purest fiction into vol
umes of seventeen hundred pages each.
With this understanding, l proceed at
once to remark, that five years ago or
whereabouts, John Ainsley-or "Pap
Alnsley," as he was Familiarity called
was the owner of handcart, and earned
his living by conveying miscellaneous
parcels from one section of the CITY to
another, and receiving therefor the rea-
sonabe remuneration of fifty cents per
load. 10 designate the occupation in
the ploslest language possible, he was a
hand-cartman, and when not EMPLOYED
could always be found, during working
hours, at the corner of Montgomery and
California streets His hair and long
beard we're quite gray and his limbs fee
be; and if he could not shove as heavy
load through the deep sand or up the
steep grade above him as the stalwart
ieuton on the opposite corner, thereby
losing many job and many dollar, all
the light roads in the neighborhood fell
to his lot, and kind hearted men not un-
frequently travelled square or two out
OF their way to give an easy Job to Pap
Ainsley.
-Four years ago last September, q re-
collect the month, for had note of
$4,000 to pay, and was compelled to do
some pretty sharp inanciering to meet
1t, having two or three dozen volumes
OF hooks to transfer to my lodging,
gave Pap Ainsley the task of transporta-
ton. Arriving at my room Just as he
had deposited the last armful on the Ia
bic, and observing that the old man look
ed considerably fatigued, after climbing
three flights of stairs five or six times, /
invited him to take glass of brandy
bottle of which / usually kept in my
room, for medical and sophoric purposes
Although grateful for the invitation, he
politely declined. | urged, but he was
infexble. l was astonished.
-" Do you never drink ~ said I.
Very seldom" he replied, dropping
into chair, and wiping the perspiration
from his forehead
Well, if you drink at all I insist
ed, "you will not find in the next twelve
month as fair an excuse for INDUCING,
Tor you appear fatigued and scarcely able
to stand"
" 10 be frank, said the old man, 81
do net drink now. have not tasted
intoxicating liquor for fifteen years
since"
g Since when ?" I inquired, thought.
lessly, observing his hesitation.
The old man told me. Sixteen wears
ago he was well-to-do farmer near Sy-
racuse, n Y. He had but one child. a
daughter. While attending boarding
school in that city, the girl, then but
sixteen years of age, formed an attach
ment for young physician. Acquaint-
ing her father with the circumstance. he
fatty refused his consent to the union
with man he had never seen, and re.
moving her from school, dispatched n
note to the young gallant, with the some
what pointed information, that his pre-
sence in the neighborhoo3 of the Aims
ley farm would not meet with favor -
The reader of course surmises the result
Tor such proceeding could and can have
but one result. In less than a month
there was an elopement. The father
loaded his double barrelled shotgun and
sworo vengeance, but failing to find the
fugltlves, he took to the bottle His
good wife implored him not to give wav
to despair, but he drank deeper and nc.
essed her Of encouraging the 'elopement
In three months the wife died. and AT
the expiration Of year, when the voung
couple returned to Syracuse from Con.
necticut, where they had remained with
the parents Of the husband, they learned
that the old man, after the death Of bis
wife, Of which they had of course been
apprised, had sold his farm, sonanderod
the proceeds, and was almost destitute
Learning Of their arrival, Ainsley drank
himself into frenzy, and proceeding 10
the hotel where they were stopping az