Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1872-10-31
AMOS DYKES FORTUNE.

THE time of our little tale shall be
some sixty years ago, before express
trains tore along at the rate of fifty miles
an hour, before chumney-pot hats were in
fashion, and when there were many
quaint old ways and customs in dress
which have now faded quite away.
And the hero of our tale shall be Amos
Dyke, the son OF HOlliugton carrier.
Old Peter Dyke, the Hollington carrier,
lived in a little side place of the main
street of the town, and commenced life
with only a few shillings in his pocket
BY honest industry he had accumulated
enough to establish good business and
at last he became the Hollinston carrier.
Old Peter died, leaving a son about ten
years of age, and enough for him to start
well in life, and something more. But as
ne was SO young, it was necessary that he
should have some one to look after him
and his property; and who SO fit as the
miller Crust TO undertake this task Crust
was nothing 10th; he promised to defend
The boy and do the best he could for him
and as Crust was an honest man, every
ching promised fair for Amos. Old Peter
Dykes business was sold at his death, &C
cording to his express wish; and accord
ing to arrangement made between the
miller and the old man, the proceeds were
all invested in the mill-a t1ourishing
concern and one out of which all the
neighbors said fortune must sooner or
later be made. The prospects of Amos
Dyke, then, were about as bright as those
Of any young man in his rank of life all
the country round The miller did not
neglect his young charges education
lie gave him the very best the neighbor-
hood afforded, and acted h0norably by
him in every way Thus grew up Amos
Dyke to manhood; and side by side with
him grew Mary Crust. And often, if the
truth were known, the worthy miller look
ed with satisfaction upon them, as they
sat one on each side Of this table, and
thought that perhaps some day when he
was gone, Amos and Mary would be in
their places at the head and foot of the
table, and perhaps the mill would be more
hourishing than ever. There was one
drawback to this agreeable prospect
Amos Dyke was rather of dreamy ma
ture-he was often absent rs though his
thoughts were far away, and he had to
own that many a time when he should
have been attending TO what he was at,
he was building castles in the air, instead
Time passed on, az it will always keep
doing, and Amos was now twenty, and
Mary was eighteen-and in another year,
on New Years Day, Amos would be OF
age, and would come in for his share OF
the mill He hoped also to come in for
his share of Mary. But alasl there was a
heavy cloud looming over the Hollington
mill The worthy miller entered into a
large---toO large contract to supply Hour
at a given price for several months; he
thought he knew what he was about, and
if others had been as true to MIN as he
was in his dealings, all would have been
well; but the contract proved his ruin,
One dreadful morning the post brought
MIN the announcement that he was 9
bankrupt--he. and Amos, and Maryland
all Of them were undOne.
Honest John Crust could have borne
his own losses well enough, if he had NJ
one else to think Of but himself. Time
was when he had only bread and cheese
and on bread and cheese he could live
again; but there we're others to think o.
too. All the "0'hers"- these are Wha
makes life's trials and losses often 50 hare
20 bear. To- see them pinched; this soOr
doubles trials and losses
And the weight Of it proved too mucl
Cor honest john the trouble struck hin
With u deadly chill, and he did not sur
vive long.
Amos tended the miller, along will
Mary, during is short illness; and as TIN
time drew near when il was plain tha
the good man could not last long, b,
gave them BOTH his last directions.
''Auos, said the dying man, if thi
trouble had not come YOU would soone