The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1863-11-21
many slip between the cup and the

= liz 'P o~s"Se" 'ue cup anu tn'
"a debt, said the old merchant, hastily
'e rs II an adder had stung him. "One SC
- young, and already in debt! Well, hsu
70 mercrul l thank these baliffs, assure
3 you 90; they have prevented the com,
mission on my part Of a crime | would
nave introduced a spendthrift, and per.
> maps gambler into the house OF jackson
orotners but for this lucky accident"
ou were not wont TO be so uuchari
" tao'e, uncle, said his nephew, softly may
"ot 'ns debt have been contracted at some
o period of distress -
: Sharply when / was lad lived on
haif>a.crown a.week; l took dinner like
wilmington, who was Lord Mayor of Lon.
don, on doorstep; and, being member
OF the abstinence society, always had nav
y tea at pump 1 never owed a shilling
. when We make ourselves the scale by
: which We weigh out to others o.,r sllAu,
!; anee OF cnarity, 1t may be less kind and
partial, said the young man smilingly-
lie was Independant of Uncle Ben and he
was not afraid to be candid to him: and
uncle Ben was really far from being un-
kind, and certaI July was as favorable to
candor OF opinion as to punctuality. the
uncle and the nephew got along pretty.
considerably to each others satisfaction
and zone the worse for little occasional
tiffs
On the morrow Arthur Elmar was early
gone On some professional business, and
as Benjamin Bell, Esq. had nothing par
ticular to engage him, he called upon
jackson Brothers, moralised little on the
degeneracy Of human nature, and the
difficulty OF judging men, even after long
life Of observation, aud finally took his
] leo Va .,,i. ,fF Il
nior party of that extensive concern upon
their reciprocity of opinion regarding hu-
man nature Uncle Ben trudged along,
however, Uusing and muttering 10 himself
now and again. and thinking OF this young
Jones, in spite Of all his endeavors to the
! contrary. Uncle Ben had been left 10 !
fight his way through the world when /
young; bat if he had no one 10 back or |
push him along, he had none TO drag him ,
back. II IS comparatively easy TO push ,
ones self through crowd, when your
coat, tightly buttoned covers all your in |
cumbrances; but every body knows, VINO
has tired It, that 1t Is no joke to take FIVE or
six dependents with you. Ben's hat COW
cred all That he required 10 care about as
the head of his family, and when he took
his dinner daily, he had performed the
most important provisional service 10 his
household, so that his mind had become
as individual as his body and o;=ned very
few relations in all the broad world of
sympathies. Is The Old merchant walked
along, however, the rain began 10 patIer,
and then it began TO fall rather heavily
and then 1t came down in drops that put
the restive power of the crown of uncle |
Ben's hat very much TO the test, and tren
i, whipped into his face and sported on
his shoulders. until he took refuge in IN
~ ..
and there he IL ler2aily lectured himself
on the necessity OF carrying an umbrella.
IS he stood and looked upon the large
aqueous drops that were falling with loud
smacks upon the paTement, and rebound
ing IN Q thousand particles, his ea- was
suddenly attracted 10y the sound CT yo:ces,
ard, stepping farther into the doorway, he
thought that one Of the speakers tones
business, be.ve,' said q voice which was
e'.~ued to the soft and gentle cadence OF
humanity and wGI:u uncIe Be1 az once
recognized as his nephew Arthurs.
lie died in baGkruptcy,' replied the
woman softly.
Uncle Ben started, and n,u,tereI some
thin. ,bou! nest OF hornets AID hered:t
AIRY dishonesty.
Was there no: some blame attributed
70 tEC ltI!y OF j -AEn
thur, il synpathic voice.
There was but he was more cailous
than my husband and he lives replied
the widow tnidiy.
And you have had no support SINCE
then, save what you obtained through
your SON.? pursued the young physician.
lie has been blessing to Us ell, said
the widow meekly; 80 cheerful, SO hope
f1l, SO conten.ed; all we shall know what
II is to be alone now
| have had note from him, and he
tells ME it is Cor debt he is arrested; he
was not like one TO contract debts
Old Ben rubbed his hands, and Arthur
rose, 10 his estimation, ten per cent fer
the observation.
d" He contract; debt sir replisd the
widow, somewhat proudly. "Ah, not he
1t Is for medicine which his poor father
used upon his death>bed Week after
week has he laid by = portion of his earn
ings to discharge the lite expenses of
that weary time; he has succeeded with
all. save this Mr.. White, who is now dis
posing of his business, is retiring into pri-
vate life, and is psremp, orily collecting
what is due him
"but your son is not liable for this
"lie went and voluntarily rendered
himself liable, said the widow he has
often sara tHat he SuoIlu i've through !
life on bread and water before any one
should suffer from having known his faith
er. Many, many nights has he sat and
copied pay ers W hen others slept, in order
to earn little 10 assist in discharging his
fathers obligations and now, when he
was so hopeful, SO sanguine, the cup is
dashed from his lip
No 1t is noti' shouted uncle Ben, as
he crushed his hat over his eyes, ard, has
tily buttoning his coat, ,~ent again into
to the street, d" Poor boz. noble fellow y
muttered the burly merchant, as he huI>
ried along toward Jackson5 Brothers, alike
REGARDLESS of the rain or dinner time. I'm
4 positive old mule |" he exclaimed, as he
caught himself firmly by the breast, and
attempted to shake himself fiercely; ito
oe so harsh so unj just!'
Arthur Elmar had heard his unclos IN
,erjsctional apostrophe TO the widow S mar
rative and staring with amazea.ent, had
hastily babe her farewell and pursued his
relative he was only in time to see the
brass buttons on the broad skirts OF his
coat. and tho wide brim Of his lew crowned
hat vanish in the door of jackson count
ing house So, feeling it would be danger
Gus to break in ON his uncle just now, he
turned his footsteps towards Mr. Whites,
the apothacary, and in a vert short time,
had SO operated upon the heart OF the
dealer III compounds and simrles, that the
doors of the prison were opened for poor
Jones, and. that evening he was sitting
once more IN his own hrmble dwelling.
IL have thanked you every day since,
said jackson, Senior, as he confronted
uncle Ben at his own freside, and laid
himself back with an easy air iE his
chair. "The old court clock is not more
punc:ual than he, and you know what
sort of q clock ours is. And then, again,