American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1872-05-11
Miscellany.
LITTLE POLLY PILKERTON.

LITTLE POLLY PILkERTON.
OLD PmKERToN-old by virtue of hi.
being Polly's fathcr-kepta saddler's shor
n-LOng Acre lie was the third genera
ricn which had dealt in pig-skin, and had
been duly apprenticed TO his father. who
in his turn, had served his own father,
and had been dutifully instructed in the
art and mystery of making saddles. The
Pilkerton saddle had a good name, and
the artists who built them knew their own
work. The shop was excellently kept, a
pleasant, large room, smelling of new
leather, glittering with new bits, curbs,
and snatfles, and ornamenied with finely
carved head of a horse upon which the
Pilkerton head-stall, worked curiously
and With multiplicity of stitches. was
exhibited to perfection. Herein old pix
erton received his customers, gentlemen
of large estates, masters of hounds, young
heirs who took an interest in hunting
and in horses. and fair ladies, who would
step from their carriages to see their side
saddles built.-----r----
Pilkerton was handsome, dark man,
on the right side OF forty-tive, bald head
ed, well shaveEl, and with a neat black
whisker. His manner was that of a
sound, honest English tradesman. Quickly
deferentiaI in taking orders, firm and
manly in pointing out what could and
should be done, and of that kind which
generally won ~ ownway. "Leave that
tome, SIR" he would say. Il have work
in leather more than five and twenty
years; and l knew what can be done
with it."
The saddler was widOwer: his only
daughter Polly, rising, twenty, had been
well educated at the Misses Blumberry's
establishment, near Bedford Square, was
an adept at music, and had carried off two
or three prizes in French. On the whole,
she was superior in accomplishments to
the general run of tradesmen's daughters,
and was soberly religious, being a Wes-
leyan, and Sunday school teacher.
As a rule tradesmen who mind their
shop find that their shop minds them, and
have at their bankers plenty of money
to fall back upon in the rainy day. But
there are exceptions. PilkertOn was one.
He was, just as the story opens, subject
to a run of ill-luck. His banker had
'broken;" and, in breaking, broke some
Auadreds smaller men into little pieces.
The old saddler, however, weathered the
storm. The shop did not look less bright
and workmanlike, but it had less stock in
it; Pilkerton was in debt to his leather
seller, had to send in his own bills at an
earlier date; and, instead of a clerk, Polly,
who never saw her fathers customers be-
c,
glass case which served for a counting
house, and kept his books.
When sorrows come, they come not
single spies. Pilkerton, the saddler, tried
to hold his own; and seeing a contract
from a great house for saddlery, sent in
and blessed his luck when he got it,
The great Earl Sangpur, military no.
bleman, who devoted himself to his regi
ment-the Redlegs, a dashing light cav
n 1afo fn
world. He had invented a new demi-
pique saddle; and, as the Government
looked coldly on it, had obtained from
His Royal Highness, the COMMANDMENT
Chief, the great favor of presenting the
whole regiment with saddles. IL r.. II.
looked upon this craze with kindly pity;
but the earl had proved himself house
hold soldier to the backbone, and had
once added twenty pounds per man to
the regulation price Of the horses of the
regiment. Sangpur was beloved by the
men, but hated by his officers. whom he
put to all manner of expense. "What
does fellah, /" he once said, ''do in my
regiment with less than three thousand
Year," and the question was unanswer-
able.
known army clothiers Of st. James street,
took the contract. English society will
not allow the real workers to do such
large Jobs without a middleman. Moses,
MacbethE Co., thereon sent round to
various saddlers, and Pilkerton- whose
name stood very high-was selected to
carry out the order of t'seven hundred
and fifty saddles, as per sample"
We've got the best man in the 'orld,
mi 1ud, y said little Moses Ia red headed
1sraeiite, with Roman nose and a heavy
mustache, dressed in the most perfect
civil-military costume.) He had orig
ilally been a tailor at Chatham, but had
prospered-in spite of two bankruptcies,
which ill-natured persons said made his
fortune.
"Who is he?"
"Pnkerton, of Long Acre"
HHe'f do" said the earl, who knew the
saddler's fame in the hunting-field- Why
then did he not give the order to Pilker-
tom This is one of the mysteries of
trade.
We've got to find him the money"
said Mr.. Moses, with a jeer. ''These
good workmen are so poor"
You can draw, MIR. Moses, when part
of the order is executed" said the noble
man, kindly.
Moses, Macbeth & Co did draw; poor
Pilkerton did not. Like an old fashioned
tradesman, he liked to have his money in
lump, and had q pious horror of pre-
payment. His spirits rose with his luck,
and he worked bravely at his contract.
The Wesleyan minister, under whom
little Polly PiIkerton sat, was the Rev.
Samuel Sucker; pious man, who did |
not disdain to sport an American degree |
of ID. ID. DIR. StOker had prospered, |
lived in Bedford Square, had, son who !
was in a good position in the Metropolitan
and Provincial Bank, and a daughter who,
when poor Piikerton lost his money, tried
to help Polly by taking music lessons
from her. Miss Stoker was very stupid,
but very good natured and Polly was de-
lighted So was young Samuel Stoker,
who delighted in his second name of
Keach-Keach StoSer. Esq.-he was |
nnned after celebrated divine, who had |
expounded the prophecies.
Reach Stoker was fond of music; went |
every Saturday to the CrystalPalace con
eerts, end returned SO late that he was
meyer seen at his fathers chapel. 1t is a
way with clergymens sons, well as with |
those of pious non-conformists. Sally |
StOker, named Sarah after the wife of the |
patriarch and born in days before ID. ID.
Ornamented her fathers name, mourned 1
over this; and the preacher himself inn
proved the occasion. in his celebrated |
Lectures to Young Men, on what Reach
called profanely the Double Event." that
is, on Making Bank in both Worlds"
But Reach dressed fashionably, rose in
his bank, shook his head when auy one
talked about marrying, said he was beg
gar on five hundred year-and sohe was
q begger,l in slate colored kid gloves,
splendidly cut trousers, a glossy hat, and /
boots.