The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1877-07-12
MAKE YOUR OWN WAY.

t
Perhaps the long clay pipe looked a little in
congruous with the handsomely furnished room
and the massive silver plate on the mahNgan
side-board. But, for that matter, he was an
incongruty-a little, common-looking man, not
very well dressed. Certainly very wide con-
trast to the handsome, stylish-looking young
fellow who interrupted his reverie ~ very
frank and noisy:
'.Good-evening, uncle. Can I talk awhile
with vou?"
''That depends, Robin, on what you're gaun
to talk aboot."
"You know, uncle that Aleck Lang and 1
have long been friends"
Il have heard so; don't know it."
Well. We have. To-day Aleck came to tell
me that he is going into the carpet-weaving
business in Kilmarnock. He intends to buy
Thomas Blackie out
He'll need some hawbees for that"
ellis father will help, and he asked me to
join him. What do yon think about t."
"H0w long have you been wi Hastie?'
90 Five years"
50 Md how mnch have Won saved?"
Well, to tell the truth. uncle, nothing at
all. What with Jessie marryng last year and
R?sa this, and the presents had to give. and
Other "Spensr'. my savings all went away"
'IIumph -
II thoIght perhaps that as the business
was such an old one, and as both the Langs
would he interested in it. you would lend me
two Thousand pounds for such wonderfully
81 have made it rule never to lend money
to young men,"
"a very unkind rule when it touches me,
uncle. You were never unkind to me before"
81 am not unkind to YOU now either, Robin"
"Onlv two thousand, uncle And such
chance !.
" Guid heavens, hear the lad 'Only twa
thousand Did We ever earn twa thousand
pounds? Did ye ever save twa thousand
pounds? When ye have, Robin, come to me,
fnl1y 1,oN
But, uncle, the thing is not new venture;
it is sure to pay."
60 1t is gaun to have new masters; an men at
sixty are ma sac sure about things paying as
lads of an'-twenty are"
So the young man went away much disap-
pointed and not little angry; but other friends
looked more fayorably on the plan.
The $4,000 were borrowed, and Robert Rae
and Aleck Lang bought the old-established
carpetweaying house.
The fir t year the concern, in spite of falling
prices, did very well. Roberts share of profits
not only gave him good living, but paid his
interest. and allowed him to lay by nearly f100
toward clearing off his borrowed capital and
the next year things were still brighter.
In the fourth year of the enterprise Robert
Rae called again on his uncle
" Good-evening, uncle"
- Gool-evening. Robin. How's business p
''Frst-rate. l don't come tonight about
business"
What for, them"
" L am going to be married. l wanted to
That's mair kittle risk than Blackie's
business Robin.
90 think not. uncle"
"Wha's the lassie 2"
'Jessie Lorimer."
What fortune has she?"
Just her beauty and her noble nature; she
is OF good family, too and has had the best of
cir'atons. Why, uncle, she can do most
arHlhlng-l aints, draws, plays the harp, sings
Ike an angel and -
I'm feared she'll be kind O. matrimonial
luxury, Robin. But she's Il bonnie lassie /
haze seen her. Yet / doubt if she's fit for a
puir man wife"
You'll come to the wedding, uncle?"
''Surely, surely"
1t was a very grand wedding, and David
Speers made quite a sensation by giving the
bride check for e500 Indeed, Jessie seemed
to have quite captivated the old bachelor, and
he soon Logan TO spend great many of his
evenings in her pretty home.
Three Years passed happily away.
In Roberts home there had been some
pleasant changes; and his uncle danced pretty
baby Jessie occasionally on his knee, or looked
admiringly and wonderingly at his own wee
namesake in the cradle Down at the mill
things were apparently equally prosperous.
All the looms were at work, and the very well
fare of Kilmarnock as communityrwas s. nsi-
bly, connected with the business of " Lang &
Rae's Carpet Mill" But great deal of this
success was only apparent, for it hung upon
chances entirely beyond the control of the
young partners in it.
They had been compelled to borrow largely,
and had big interest accounts to meet, and
great deal OF their paper being from houses
unknown to local bankers had to be cashed at
very heavy discounts. All these things were
much against them, yet SO great was their in
dustry and energy that they might have turned
them all into happy circumstances and won
in spite of the odds against them, if yarns had
not suddenly taken a tremendous and quite
unlocked for fall.
This, of course, was followed by number of
failures. in most of which they suffered.
Not all their efforts could now gather together
their numerous lines of enterprise, and they
found it equally Impossible to curtai them,
and so, after few months of desperate,
anxious struggle, the firm became bankrupt.
Old David had long foreseen, and resolutely
refused to meddle in the matter A GOODNESS
had, therefore, grown up between uncle and
nephew, and when the end came David was not
among those who offered Robert and Aleek