Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1871-10-07
POOR But HONEST.

To whom can riches give repute and trust,
Content our pleasures, but tho good and just!
Judges and senates have been boughtfor gold;
Esteem and love are mover to DO sOld.-PoPR.
AT the time wherein my simple
story commences, had just returned
from the office Of one Of the railroads,
having applied, and applied success
fully, for the responsible, respectable,
and as times go, tolerably well-raid
situation OF q brakeman.
The situation, l repeat, is a respect
able one, yet not exactly to the liking
of one, who, but a few months before
dashed, in his own buggy, a pair of
fast nags, down the Bloomingdale
road-who eschewed anY Others than
Baiou's kids, sported diamond studs,
and throwing the bucks of the Avenue
into convulsions of envy, with the
patterns of his waistcoats. All these
were mine, and yet l became brake
man.
OF course, when l applied for the
situation-with q letter Of introduce
ton from former clerk Of my father,
now well-to-do merchant up town
I took good care to stroke my Incl
pient mustaohe with that declicate
white hand of mine. OF course, al
luded incidentally to the former great
ness, or, to speak more correctly, the
former wealth of my family. OF
course, took 1t for granted the Presi-
dent would not consent to debase me
by making me brakeman, but would
appoint me his private secretary
Alas! the unromantic, matter-of-fact
official, instead of shedding tears for
nv misfortune-instead of endeavor-
Ing to soothe my lacerated feelings
scanned me from head to foot, and
said
HWell, you are not exactly chap
we care to employ, but as my friend
| MIR. Brown recommends you, we'll
trv you. Come tomorrow; and mind,
Young man, to be here at eight o'clock,
to q second.n
HChonl' "Young mani" And this
to me. Oh, how my blood boiled at
the indignity! /, Augustus Reginald,
ct cetera: for | shall not utter my pa
tronymiG In connection with the brake
on the rail-, to be called o "chap''
by that insolent President!
But then, dear reader, did you ever
live, for months, by sending up the
spo,lt, or, In plain English, by depos'
ting with the pawnbroker, your val
uables? Did you ever come to YOU
last dollar? Well hope you never
| did, and fervently pray you nevel
NAV. | did this. 1t is truly wonder
ful what teacher Of philosophy anc
moderation is poverty l accepted Tux
offer.
NV history was pretty common
one in our fast country; a rise from
corner grocery and bad liquor store, t
a br0wn-stone front house; thence t
bankruptcy, which carried my fathe
through the bar room to the grave
and broke my poor mothers heart,
NV only sister, older, by some tel
wears, than myself, / Iscarcely remem
bered' being but child when sh
was discarded, for marrying beneath
her. as my mother used to say,
Young man VINO was Ao""uSi
mechanic to boot
On me, therefore. the presumptiv
heir to the bFown4stone front hon'r
and to countless thousands, were al
the parental enjearments lavished
that is to say, my father sent me t
the most expensive schools, where
t learned TO smoke cigars, ride on horse
hack. decline, without much STAN
merlng, the FIVE Latin declensionS
and sneak Saratoga French, which n
parisian could have, by any possibility
! understood; so that, when reverse
came, | was fit for nothing but
Jockey; yet with the innate shfe%o
: ness Of my nation, l took, in prefer
ence to the institution In the ascNno
ant, the rail.
| can't say l liked my new employ
ment. at least, did not like 1t at mrs
By degrees, however, custom biunte
f of the edge, and, In course q TIME,
\ almost forgot my former sell, an
l oven passed, without blushi m
0 former acquaintance on Broadway.
~ Hardships-and those of q brak'
man are neither few nor light
. strengthened my constitution, till ma
y ~. by dint of attention to my dutie
: and good conduct, ! workel my wa va
from from the platform to the inside ct II
: cars; cars and sported the label With Il
u legend conductor with iar mo-
nrlde than / formerly did with u
hest beaver of Genin's matches
!; II Ii So happened that my route W
l. on a branch road ofone OF the create
y y railways that ever entered the coul
y iTy i or beEgared the stockholders a.
y look board with Q widow remark
T. bic for nothing particular, unless Il, It d.
t. for a pale, pretty, rather sad-looki' y
niece[an oiphan girl, who suppor,,
herself in deeeney and comparau
&c comfort, in exercising her trade OF
,c At FIRST, there was but little syml
" nm between the young lady anu ~
self. She was silont reserved