The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1864-11-25
The Old Cartman.

Hal II Is prlei may be seen at a glance
that ii is true, | must emphatically avow
If the reader despiSes it from the first, O
; the editors of the Era reject it for the last
then | will eSchew truth in the future
and devote myself to the elaboration O
lies into chapters and the purest fiction
INTO volumes OF seventeen hundred page
each
With this understanding | proceed a
once to remark that about five years ago
or Whereabouts, John Ainsley-or PA
AnSley, a. he was tamiliarly called
was the owner of handcart. and earne,
living by conveying miscellaneous par
GELS from one section OF the city to anoth
er, and receiving therefor the reasonable
remuneration of fifty cents a load. IL
designate the occupation in the prosieS
language possible, he was Il handcart-mal
and when not employed, could always b,
found during working hours at the corner
OF Montgomery and California Streets
His hair and long beard We're quite gray
and his limbs feeble; and if he could no
shove a> heavy Il load through the deel
sand or up the steep grade above him a>
the >talwarl Trenton on the opposite cor.
her, thereby losing many IA job and many
a dollar, all the Ii ght loads in the neigh
borhood fell TO his lot, and kind hearted
men not untrequcntly Travelled Il square
OF two out OF their way 10 give an easy
job TO Pap Ainslev"
-Four years ago last September, Il rec,
ollect the month, for | had a note OF
four thousand dollars TO pay. and was
compelled 10 do some pretty sharp fl
nanclerlng to meet iD having two oI
three dozen volumes to transfer to INV
lodgings. | gave Pap Ainsley" the task
OF transportation. Arriving at my room
Just rs he had deposited the last armtul
on the table, and Observing that the old
man looked considerably Eatigued after
climbing three flights of stairs five or six
times. | invited hun 10 take glass OF
brandy, bottle of which usually kept
in my room lor medicinal and sophorilic
purposes, Although grateful for the In
vitallon ne politely declined. | urged,
but he was inhcxiblc | was a<toniShed.
"Do Won never drink " said l.
I" Very seldom" he replied. dropping
into Il chair at my request. and wiping
the prr~piration from his forehead.
- Well. it You drink at ALL" | insisted.
e" Won will not find IL fair an excuse in the
next twelve months for indulging. for YOU
appear tatigued and scarcely able 10
stand"
TO be frank" said the old man. Il
do not drink now have not tasted in
toxicating liquor for fifteen Years, since
''Since when ;" inquired thoughtleSS-
lv, observing his hesitation.
The old man told me- Sixteen years
ago he was Il wcI-to-do farmer near Sv-
raru>e New York He had one child. Il
daughter. While attending a boarding
school in that city, then girl of sixteen
wears of agc. she formed an attachment for
Il vom@ physician. Acquainting her
father with the circumstances, he tiatlv
refused his consent to n union with man
whom he had never seen. and removing
her from school. dispatched note to the
Young gallant. with the somewhat pointed
information that his presence in the neigh
borhood of the AinSlev farm would not
meet with favor. The reader of course
>Ilrm>cS the result. tor such Il proceeding
could and can have but one result. lr
less than a month there was an clopemcnt
The father loaded his double barrelIed
shot Gun. and Sworc vengeance. but fail
inc to find the tugitiveS he took TO tn,
bottle. Ills good wife implored him moi
to give way to despair. but he drank the
deeper. and accur>cd her of encouragin.
the clopcment In three months the wifi
died. and al the expiration OF Il year whel
the Young people returned TO Syracu>'
from Connecticut, where they had remain
ed with the parents of the husband. thel
learned that tie old man had sold hi
farm. >quandercd the proceeds, and wa
almost destitute. Learning their arrivrl
AinSlcy drank himself into frenzy. anC
proceeded to the hotel where they wer
stopping. attacked the husband. wounde,
him in the arm. and attempted the life o
his daughter, who happily escaped unin
iurcd through the interposition of person
brought to the spot by the report of TIN
pistol. Ainsley was arrested, tried, ant
acquitted on plea Of insanity. The daugh
ter and her husband returned to Connect
cut. since which time the father had no
heard from them. He was sent to a lu
matte asylum, from which he was dismiss
ed after remaining six months. In lS5
he came to California. He had followe,
mining for two years, but finding hi
strength unequal to the pursuit, returned It
this city, purchased handcart, and-th
rest is known. . Since Them conclude,
the old man. bowling his face in his hand
in agony, Il have not tasted liquor, no
have | seen my poor child"
regretted that | had been so inquisi
tive, and expressed to the sufferer the sym
pathv | really felt for him. After that,
seldom passed the corner without lookin
for . Pap Ain>ley,'' and never saw hil
but to think OF the sad story he had tol
me.
One chilly, drizzly day in the Decem
Der following, a gentleman having pun
chased a small marble-top table at an auc
ton room opposite, proifered to the oil
man the job of carrying it to his residenc
on Stockton street. Not wishing to az
! nnnnnnn,- tn. carrinr he had snlactnl th