The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1861-07-13
sYMKIH sLIHK's l4UKRY.BAG.
TER I.
now IT WAS FILLED.

l
now 1T WAS FILLED.
Symkin Stink was tinker By trade, hill
business, somehow, did not thrive with
him; he could manage from bis earhinss
to live, but that was all; he resided in q
small house. consisting Of One F0otn, which
was Scantily furnished. In front Of his
little dwelling, he had erected himself q
booth In which to display his wares, and
would sit there day after day watching for
customers to come and buy, who never did
come, and, as Of course, didn't buy. His
father had been . tinker before him with
equal success. Old Stink had once been e
rich man, at least so he bOasted, but mis-
fortune had fallen thick upon him, and be
had to work hard to gain living for him.
self and son. When talking of his former
state Of plenty, he would refer to an old
canvass bag, which, he declared, he once
kept full Of bright gold pieces
Ny son, Symkin, he would say, when
you can I'll that bag as it was once filed,
you will be a rich man, and need envy no
noble in all the land
And thereupOn he would lake a mighty
draught Of ale; indeed he wis rather too
fond Of mighty draughtS, and was, am
sorry to say, rather disreprtable charac-
ter, and finished by drinking himself out
Of this world.
Symkin was not Of desponding mind,
so, when left to shlft for himself he work
ed manfully, and always looked upon the
bright side Of things. What happy gitt
that il. 70 be able to see the silvery lining
and take no note Of the sable clOuds;-
some people, like fools, OF cOuFse, when
they find themselves In The Queens
Bench, will not be merry and jovial, but
curse their fate and say they are misera-
bIe creatures. But others, the true phi
lOsophrrs Of this world, when they march
Oft to that place Of confinement, only
think Of the great pleasure Il will be
when they get out again. mo one" the
joyial philosopher win say, who has al.
ways been atlarge can know such pleas
ure as this" And is he not rightf As I
cannot speak from experience, I had bet
ter not speak at all.
SymkIn worked hard, say, and ifeach
man had his deserts, he would have been
Overtlowing with wealth. But it was not
to be, and Symkin took it all for the best.
lie had hung up the old money-bag In his
room, and when he had an idle fit come
upon him, he would look upon his faith
er's legacy.
'Symkin,' he said at such times, you
have got to Gil that bag with broad pieces,
so get to work, you lazy dog 4"
With all his poverty, Symkin was .
happy man. We Il speak Of the middle
class are apt to wonder how the mechan-
ic who works bard all day. can be content
with his lot, and docs not long to live In
such houses aS we DO No doubt, the
mechanic thinks the same Of the Irish Ia
borer, and the duke and duchess of u.s.
But are We or they the less happy for
thatY or course, all men wish for more;
but IL not our nilbition for large house
and carriage and SlX.ioot flunkies, and |
know not what, the same thing as the
mechanics longing for a little more pay
and little less work, little more pleas
urc and little less pain, and 80 Or?
And so Symkin Stink was happy-and
would have been able to supply the Sui.
tan, in the Eastern story, with that cele-
bratrd shirt which was 81 necessary to
his hcalth-but for one thing for which
he still longed lie wished to be married,
and how could he marry on such ridic.
ulouS earning ~ hiSi And he thought
the only way to get out Of the difficulty
was to ill that itiOney.bag at home; but,
.he ~ n~1o. oa.,11 Gll
lie had fallen in love already, rs q sort
Of . preparation for the event which he
had hoped would some day happen. Joan
Mincing (the daughter Of the Widow
Mincing, who kept the Golden Bell. }
was his choice, and il was settled that as
NOON as that wonderful mUney.bag vas
filed, they should BE- man and wife, but
not till then.
One evening Symkin took bis parting
cup at the Golden Bell, and was striding
or as fast as his long legs would carry
him, when he fell to thinking Of his affairs;
and he thought great deal about them,
too; he turned them this way and he
turned them that, but always came to the
same conclusion, which was, that the bag
had nothing in it, and he saw no chance
Of anything getting there; and so he
thought and thought, and thought, when
-click-his foot struck against some
thing, and Of course it wss purse. Ay!
and o purse worth the finding. too; It
Was one Of those bags, embroidered on
the front, which the nobility Of that time
wore at their girdles. With trembling
fingers Symkin undid the button, peeped
in, cut caper. threw his stick into the
river, and ran home as fast as he could.
Once there, he bolted the dOUt, looked
to the fastening Of the shutter, and pro-
ceeded to examine his treasure; there
were plenty Of gold pieces there, and he
counted them over and over again, and
chinked them on the table, placed them
in line, in q circle, tumbled them into
heap, and run them through his fingers.
Besides the gold, he found some rich jew
els, q gold chain, or necklace with large
ruby hanging thervto), . bFacelet and .
brooch. The next thing he did, was to
take down his money-bag, and cram it
iull Of the precious metal.
'Ah oh i said he, rattling it against
the table. Hlled at last, old boy; need
envy no nObleman now
When the first transports Of his joy
were over, he dug hole in the clay floor
beneath hIs straw pallett, and there buried
the bag securely, and retired for the night.
But he could not sleep every noise he
heard he fancied was thief, the swing.
ing Of the sign.board sounded like some
one forcing the door, the whistling Of the
wind down the narrow lane he imagined
was \ burglar signalling to his comrade,
the splash Of the river he took for foot.
steps; 40 he was obliged to take down .
large bill, and stand guard over his treas
ure until daylight streamed in ct the chiUks
Of the windOwG
He shut up his house that day earlier
than usual. and digging up his bag. secured
Il on his person, having 1Tst examined the
contents . second tune. fear he never
thought Of seeking who was the Tightiul
owner but II be bad there wers 10 police
In those days-only the watch, who were