The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1874-08-27
ONE-NINTH OF A MAN.

"The fact is. Gus" said my friend
Vandewater. in reply 10 some confidential
bewailing on nv part. " you're neglectine
TO invest splendid capitalI If { had :
presence like yours. I'd take advantage Ot
II to do away with the want of money al
once and forever. I'd MARRY money. and
enough Of il to make the future plain sail
ing. DO YOU suppose nature gave vou
these advantages to let them rust i'm idle
ness? Don't hide your gifts i'm a napkin
my boy: make use Of them while yor
may; strike while the irons hOt-in othel
words, marry money while you're young
and handsome and attractive ~
! blushed with some kind of a feeling. s
mixture of offended pride and ahaSed con
SciouSnesS that a sneaking idea of this kind
had already entered my head. of desire tC
take advantage Of it, and an Ignorance how
to go about it.
But Van helped me ont.
"There's my cousin Gertrude he said
/" she isn't bad-looking woman. She,
high-brrd. YOU know. and all that sort o.
thing-high-nOSed too. for that matter. but
not hadlnoking woman. Nothing will
do for her but a tip-tOp appearance. ma
ieStv of form, grace Of demeanOr, plenty O
stvle. and all that. I'm afraid she'll bC
taken i'm some time with the outside gild
ing and marry some of these chaps always
prowling around women with money"
looked at Van and burst out laughing
swell, but you're a gentleman. Fithian
Hang it, if a mans a gentlemen. he car
afford to do anything. happen to know
she looks upon YOU with decided favor
and don't mind confeSsing I'd like the
arrangement myself. You see it's grear
dealfOr me to feel that | can trust Ger
ft.tIo'c happinacs I'm rour hands -
knew what Van meant. He was work.
ing hard for perennial fountain as a re
source on desperate occasions. But the
best advice isn't always free from selfish.
ness: perhaps a gOOdlv quantity of this
mOdicun lends strength and flavor to the
persuasion. as it certainly involves earnest
ness and sincerity.
Long after he went away that night
thought of the project. and by dint of Sc
we're necessity and weighty preiudices per
suaded myself that the sweet OutflavOred
the bitter: and perhaps it was the best il
not the only, way out of my present diff
cultieS.
Resolving upOn immediate action. | went
to work on the following morning with an
arlOr worthy of better cause.
NV first visit. of course. was to my tailor.
| was indebted to this worthy tradPSman
for the biggest part of the grace and ele-
gance so patheticallv referred to by Vande-
water. and was perfectly well aware that
without his aid and art the fine castles
reared during the preceding night would
tumble inglOriOuslv about my ears. | al
ready owed him large sum of money. the
very immenSity of which gave me courage
to ask for more. Ifhe had been induced.
| argued. to advance so much capital with
scarcely a chance for interest alone, how
much easier it would be to secure more
when | was fully determined upon i'm
proving the lucky elements which nature
and himself had thrown in my way?
found him i'm rather gloomy humOr.
and his remarks were very depressing.
THE fact is.'' he said, "I'm tired of it,
There's got to be a stop somewhere, Mr.
Fithian Me and family is coming to ruin
if this goes on much longer. It's riot al
home and it's riot abroad. and flesh and
blood can't stand it. We've gOttO take a
back seat. me and my family. while folks
that we dress from the skin out look
down on us. and shove us further to the
wall. If they see us at the opera or at
church. they're binder nor bats. and walk
right over us; hut, Lord! Lord! how
clever they are when they come to the
store -
gathered from these remarks that my
lately. and had naturally come to grief.
"When vou get tired Of heating about
the bush. Bigbv." | said. "I'll be glad TO
know what's amisS. If it's the old thing
about the money. | can't help YOU, though
have a capital chance of getting out OF
trouble if vOu'll hold on while; but il
its ANYTHING else, I'll do my best to eX-
plain it."
IFS that there charity concert, then =
he said. Indignantly. "Me and my Vitr
and daughter we went there the other
night and Hattie. she was mOnStrOus
taken with young gentleman few seats
ahead Ofus. don't deny he always does
honor to the clothes he wears. and never
did | see finer fit than that there purple
black o. vOurs-hut Lord. TcOuldn't catch
his eve. though told Hattie | knew him
well: he looked everywhere from the
stage to the moon. but cOuldnt catch
his eve. It's a small matter to be civil.
sir, when it's cheap and wheleSOme-it
wouldn't a done a bit o harm to have
given a friendly nod or so. and it'd "a
pleased Hattie most wonderfully"
"Whv. heavens and earth, Bigbvr' |
exclaimed, Il declare TO you didn't see
you. upon my honor! never caught a
glimpse of you'd have been glad to
recognize yOu. of course -
Fine words don [ butter no parSnips.'
said the Sulllv merchant. 81 don't care q
button for il myself. hut it'd a been {
feather in Hattie'S cap,'
"WeIl. come now. Bigby." continued
somewhat touched by this paternal afiec
tion. "the next time you 60 out, let me
know. and I'll be on the Qui Uire. / de
clare I'll do the fair thing by you and YOU
family-but to the business in hand"
Il J. v,,Uv-
count ola project l had for helping bOtl
him and myself referred largely TO my
exalted family. and the immense influence
my position in society lent 10 the scheme
| soon succeeded in winning him over tC
an unlimited credit for knightly armor in
the coming contest.
- | don't deny,' said the large-hearted
knight Of the shears, "l'm proud of you
There amt thing You put on but gains
by il somehow or other. Imade una bit
o. that there French gray for Moffat. and
he lust degrades IL. that's what he does
There amt no more style about him thar
there is i'm an elephant; but I'll wager
ANYTHING you'll look like prince in it
I'll make a single-hreasted cut-away of it
and we'll Just try it, that's what vel
do"
Bighy grew happy, almost exultant
Wlllle ne was measuring Ilt.
What il is he said. TO have such ;
fgger as yoursi Never an inch change
more or less-it might be set up for ;
model :"
These preliminaries arranged, il wa
comparatively easy to go on. l had con
venient access &c the circle which Mis-
Vandewater adorned. and was always
heartily welcomed by its seclusive anC
somewhat unattractive adherents. / be
came sorely surfeited by high teas. higf
churches. high noses and high prices
Amer enduring this altitude for consid
erahle length of time. | suffered as al
travellers do when they get out of thei
natural orbit found it hard 10 draw
breath. and became dizzy and decided,
exhausted. began IN long for a change
vearned for an opportunity of laayinf
these dry and arid heights for the ArcadiaI
simplicity of the green and fertile valley
This opportunity presented itself at til,
hands Of my worthy patron, Bigby. H,