The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1877-04-20
TWENTY POUNDS.
4 Tale from Real Life.

Could it be Maxwell, who L believed
had left England for Brazil week ago !?
Why, he was seen on board the vessel,
past starting Nevertheless, it was he,
there could be no doubt about it, and
Enough he did not appear to see me, and
4 had not time TO cross the road to speak
to MIN, l was quite sure upon the point.
Presently met Henry Staining. He
WAS i'll rollicking good humor, as usual.
As lively and kind-hearted man as ever
lived was Staining, and / fear L might
add almost as foolish. A full purse,
robust frame and abundant leisure, what
advantages they are And yet, without
che steadying influences of a sound
Judgment and of moral tone, what mis-
fortunes, sometimes, the combination
entails
Staining, what can have induced
Maxwell to abandon his voyage to
Brazil2"
Nothing; and this for the simple
reason that on that voyage to Brazil is
Maxwell proceeding at this moment"
&c My friend, certainly not for 1 saw
him only ten minutes since, not far from
here"
&" My friend, certainly yes, for 1 had
Il letter from him a week back, posted
Just before starting; and the vessel, 1
know, sailed directly"
"Then he left her, that's all. "
"Not in the least degree likely. You
did not speak to him-or rather the man
YOU mistook for him ?"
"True, / did not but -
eli bet you ten pounds you are
wrong.
4 never bet; but l am perfectly sure
that"
"Ill bet you twenty pounds to
shilling you made a mistake. Smith,
ysu art getting old, and your eyes are
failing you. Twenty pounds to one
shilling. Awful odds but your shilling
~ gone, Smith
9 am quite willing to risk my shill-
ing but"
Here you are, young gentlemen"
cried q CHEEKY voice, proceeding from
bulky person close upon us. 'Betting
betting on the highway. Illegal,
mind-I'm a witness"
1t was Maxwell. Staining looked
a9hast.
- You are astonished. You thought
me on the way to Brazil. And so /
should have been but that ut the very
last moment, when the vessel was Just
moving out OF dock, my firm sent coun-
beg instruction, and | had to return to
London. Annoying, wasn't it? Such a
loss Z!
"Such a loss, indeed - mumured
Staining. But then he turned to Marx
well, and greeted him heartily.
Maxwell soon left us, and Staining,
Al /, ~ l.
Il twenty-pound note, handed it to me.
&" There you are, old fellow. A fool
and his money, etc. Another illustra-
zion of that wise adage.
Not exactly, for you don't suppose
that | shall take your money!"
Eyes, do; and | shall be extremely
annoyed if you make any difficulty"
L protested; but presently he said, in
irritation, "Then be my almoner, and
give the money in charity" And he
pressed the note back upon me, and left
abruptly.
There are objections TO standing III the
public highway with bank-note i'll your
hand, and puzzled expression in your
face, so the note was transferred to my
pocket. and / went my way bordering,
'when was met full tilt by clergyman
when / very well knew.
" Hulloa! :" he cried, "Mr. Smith,
both you and / seem TO have our minds
90 much occupied to-day that we cannot
take care of our bodies
Iapologized. "Nograve matter mine, )"
1 said; "but you look sad. Nothing
wrong with you or yours Z"
mo. thanks; but | have just left
depressing scene, one which | would
willingly throw sunshine upon, but | have
not the power.
Then he gave me the particulars "a
Young couple. married in hot haste, have
come gradually to grief At first in quite
comfortable circumstances, they are now
an DISTRESSING poverty. The wife and
child are i'll. Relatives and friends have
receded into the remote background.
And. worse than all, the husband"
d" Has become Incorporate or has gone
mad"
" Neither one nor the other-that is to
saw. not to the full extent. But he has
become Eighty, or else, / much fear"
Something worse 2
a. Yes for to be dishonest is worse
Fllan going mad. However, / have only
suspicious. and / do most truly think, If
ANYTHING wrong has been done, it has
been prompted by desperate desire to
alleviate the sufferings OF his wife and
child. And it is such mere trifie that
is needed, apparently, to put all straight,