Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-01-31
ANNABEL BROWN.


pie c0ntriye 20 1--we. There's my friend William
Brown, now. He is a married man, has half q
SIsnbaniway .lxaTs has sometbinS hot o for
supper and glass OF grog for himself and a
friend afterward and yet, as tar as / know, he
has no income whatever. He's an old school
fellow of mine, which gives him kind OF claim
nPon me and ever since have renewed my early
acquaintance with him-he called upon me
some years ago, when hrst entered her Males
tvs civil service. a. a junior clerk, 10 request
nv interest with the authorities to procure him
an appointment of some kind-ever since then
he has been out of employment and on the look
out for an opening. m afraid that in the self
importance OF youth, gave William too ex-
allied idea of my influence with the sauthsri-
ties''-whoeyer they may be-thst patronizsd
him little, and held out some hopes, however
vague, that might possibly come across some
thing thar might provide him with the wished
Tor opening. Indeed | may say that / was as
good as my word, and did put HIM in the way
of obtaining public situation OF some emolu-
mept, having succeeded in placing his name on
a list of candidates for an open competition for
a situation in the Excise, fer which the poor
fellow was uncommOnly grateful. II turned out,
{ Ons was rom eighteen TO twenty. and William
was getting on for thirty i've. But this obsta-
ele' which would have been fatal thought did
not seem TO daunt William at all. He was
thiTty-fve, II is true: but he had a brother once
who was dead, poor fellow, who, IL he had lived,
would have been just the right age, and il wac
evident that he was wr0nging nobody by max
ing use Of the baptlsmal certificate and other
papers that would have been poor Bob's If he
~ and address IN overcoming the various diff
culties that presented themselves in making
tins arrangement, that thought it argued very
well for the fellows real qualities, and that such
industry and perseverance would, il they once
found sn opening, be sure OF success. But I'M
fortunately, as he told me Afterwards the time
and energy he had devoted to overcome these
preliminary difficulties had prevented his giving
himself 20 the necessary preparation for passing
Rule of Three; a rule, he informed ne, that
ISN'T OF the slightest use in mercan.le affairs,
and is indeed Considered quite obsolete by men
of business. But still, as told him, William,
YOU ought to have got II up" Obsolete and
stEpid a. might have been the system of exami-
nation, he ought TO have accommodated himself
10 eirCumstances-he ought to have gone in for
the Rule OF Three, il is a very simple thing. You
put your figures in a row with dots between
them, and II the answer comes out wrong-snd
II does sometimes, tremendOusIy-you may be
sure you've put the wrong figures in the middle.
and you must alter EN-. But I've found that
mercantile men, as a rule, are pig headed. Will
liam WAS mercantile man; he had been a
clerk in diapers counting house. William
was pigheaded lie wouldn't go n for the Rule
must abandon all thoughts of entering the pub
lie service OF your country He did 80 with
the greatest philosophy, not appearing much
cast down by his ill-success.
The pest time met William he told me he
was in the building trade. l couldn't learn
that he had done anything in the way Of build
ing himself, but he was on commission he told
me. At ali events, he had succeeded in obtain
ing a very nice little house, the one he at pres
that he had three landlords, each of whom for
babe BIN 20 pay anv rent to the other. IL was
true that they occasionally varied their pro-
ssfIed Il UPON R William, who. however with ss
usual resource, had hit upon an ingenious way
OF defeating their mansuyresiby means of
bill of sale, the operation OF which he explain
ed TO me, but can't exactly recollect the par
William came to me one day in state of jub-
liant excitement. The opening had come at
last. William was on the high road to fortune.
When explained, the opening was found to con-
sist OF an operation, and in the building trade
IL consisted in buying houses and selling them
again at an immense profit; really on paper it
looked most promising; but then one must make
ssctStS TSere was one ittls psouisit oi WR rH
liam added, q very trihing obstacle capital
"NOw, you know" be said, "you can't expect
M TO have capital"
''Clearly not ;" said.
al look upon my family William went on,
las my capital, the children I've brought up
anc educated; they represent an immense
fund but IT Is al present sunk-unay aIlable in
fact"
Yes, didn't see how they could be turned to
Then" went on william, "the question
arises, how i the thing to be metz Clearly by
somebody advancing the requisite capital
putting himself, as IL were, in the place of
the original investor, sharing his profits without
sharing his risks; but that advantage" said
William, I'm quite content he should have.
Now the question Is, where to lind the man?'
Yes, there II IL, said 1; "there must he
plenty of men who'd be glad of such a chance:
but can't think of anybody at present"
- thought OF you once, ," said william; ''but
dismissed the idea. No; il wouldn't do TOR
ooh, don see that, = said, "if the amount
was reasonable One.1
''Reasonsble." said William, '.its ridiculous
Eiity pounds; Ihe half share in fortune for
nifty ounds, Bah! the thing il sbsurd-o
now IL 80 happened that had q little more
than tfty pounds to my credit at the London
and Westminster Bank on deposit and they'd
~ ia viii oh
was disgusting; but still I'm such q cautious
Bird that wouldn't give William an answer
old friend of mine, lawyer of large practice in
the city. And, strange to say, he didn't think
20 highly OF the scheme as William did, and yet
tthey were both clever men-but sometimes these
''Don't let him have The money without good
secG5iiy,. he SAID personal would do-one
good name beside his cxn."
to1d William this, and he didn't raise any
diNculty AZ although II was quite proper
NLOggh needless. precauJon, and he named to
me man, one Wilks, whom ! knew very WE'LL
AiH 70 De good responsible man. There was
n1 doaot Of his consent, but as a mere matter OF
c.nrs. - wS,a oe a. well Is ask him. In the
IAN, saying iseeniealy. "Al right-wiil come
u .lOrrow nigh" So withdrew my deposit,
and waited AZ hcIs TO meet Master William
he came next in the highest spirits.
wei, I've succeeded admin al "; better than
! could possibly have expected. In point OF
TACT, shall no longer want your help. SuIl |
shall ever be grateful TO you; and some other
time ! may have another good thing open"
Then you've got the HSoney, :" 81 j. .sW.lI
WilianI I'm glad OF IL q has put ne to In,
tie lnconEeniehoe Withdrawing my deposit and
80 on bat never mind thst-Pm gisd YOUR
friends have such confidence in you
81 haven't got the money yet but I'm To
have II o-nights in fact, Wilkes enteres int
ne matter at once, in the hsadsomest way
HLook here he said; al daresay orr frisnd
Aam hasn't any too mach cash at his bank
ers but knoS him TO be good honest fellow.
nov he said "FH advance the money!
THAT was very good OF whks,n Issid.
wasn't tho consulting my LAWYER there
Halam come, old friend, only nv Joke, Won
know; bEc he s.ys, I'm advance ths ma1sy
and Nslsn. shall be security IL comes 10 iustt
tre same thing, you see"
is u the same thing" said dOubtfully
I haven't got any mathematical head. And
these commercial transactions generally bother