The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1877-08-09
MAKE YOUR OWE WAY.

lFl A6 ~ -
David Speers was taking his afternoon
smoke. Perhaps the long clay pipe
looked little incongruOus with the
handsomely furnished room and the
massive silver plate on the mahogany
side board. But, for that matter, he was
an incengruity-a little, cOmmon-losk-
ing man, not very well dressed. Ger
tainly very wide contrast to the hand
some, stylish looking young fellow who
interrupted his revery with q very frank
and noisy
Good morning, uncle. Can talk
while with your"
That depends, Robin, on what you're
gaun to talk about"
You know, uncle, that Alex Lang
and [ have long been friends"
" have beard so I don't know"
well, we have. To-day Alex came
to tell me that he is going into the car.
Pet-weaving business in Kilmarnock. He
intends to buy Thomas Blackie OUT
He'll need some bawbees for that"
" His father will help, and he asked
me to join him. What do you think
about it ?"
How long have you been WI Hastie ?"
Five years.
And how much have YOU saved ?"
Well, to tell the truth, uncle, moth
ing at all. What with Jessie marrying
last year, and Rosa this, and the presents
] had to give, and other expenses, my
savings all went away"
Humph %
1 thought, perhaps, that as the bust
ness was such an old, sure one, and as
both the Langs would be interested in it.
you would lend me $4,000 for such a
wonderfully good chance"
have made it a rule never to lend
money to young men,"
A very unkind rule when it touches
me, uncle. You were never unkind to
me before"
Robin"
"Only two thousand, uncle And
such a chancel"
Guild Heavens, hear the lad 'Only
twa thousand ? Did we ever earn twa
thousand pounds? DID we ever save twa
thousand pounds? When We have,
Robin, come to me, and I'll talk WI we
about lending We the sum-"
But, uncle, the thing is not new
venture; 1t is sure to pay"
1t is gaun to haze new masters, an
men at sixty are ma sac sure ABBOTT things
paying as lads of five an twenty arc: y
So the young man went away much
disappointed, and not little angry; but
other friends looked more favorably on
the plan.
The $4,000 were borrowed, and Robert
Rae and Aleck Lang bought the old es.
tablished carpet weaving house.
The first year tie concern, in spite of
falling prices, did very we'll. Roberts
share of the profits not only gave him q
good living, but paid his interest, and
allowed him TO lay up rs arly El00 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"
Good evening, Robin. How's bust
ness ?'
"First-rate. l don't come tonight
about business"
"What for, then?'
81 am going to be married. ! wanted
to tell you about it,"
That's a mair kittle risk than Blackie't
business, Robin"
81 think not uncle"
who's the lassie?"
Jessie Lorimer."
"What fortune has she %
Just her beauty and her noble ma
ture; she is of good family, too. and ha
had the best of education. Why, uncle
she can do most anything-paints, draws
plays the harp, sings like an angel, anC
"Pm feared she'll be kind O. matri
monial luxury, Robin. But she's bon
ME lassie; / haze seen her. Yet l doub
if she's fit for puir mans wife"
"You'll come to the wedding, uncle 2
''Surely, surely"
1t was a very grand wedding, anC
David SDeers made quite a sensation by
giving the bride a check for $500. In
deed, Jessie seemed to have quite capt.
waited the old bachelor, and he soon began
to spend great many of his evenings il
her pretty home.
Three years passed happily away.
In Roberts home there had been som
pleasant changes and mis- uncle danced
a pretty baby Jessie occasionally on hi
knee, or looked admiringly and wonder
ingly at his own wee namesake in hi
cradle. Down at the mill things wer
apparently equally prosperous. All tn
looms were at work, and the very welfar
of KilmarnOck rs a community was sen
sibly connected with the business O
Lang & RAGS Carpet Mill" But
great deal of this success was onl,
apparent, for it hung upon chances en-
tirely beyond the control of the youn,
partners in it.
They had been compelled to borrow
largely, and had big interest accounts t.
meet, and q great deal of their paper
being from houses unknown to lOca
bankers, had to be cashed at very heav,
discounts. All these things were muci
against them, yet 50 great was their in
dHstrv and energy that they might hav,
turned all happy circumstances" anc
won in spite of the odds against them, i
warns had not suddenly taken tremen
dous and quite unlooked-fori fall.
This. of course, was followed by a mum
Der of failures, in most of which they suf
Not all their efforts could now gather
together their numerous lines of enter
prise, and they found it equally impossi
bic to curtail them, and SO, after few
months of desperate, anxious struggle
the firm became bankrupt.
Old David had long toreseen and reso>
Iutelv refused to NEEDLE in the matter.
A cooIness had therefore grown up
between uncle and nephew, and when
the end came David was not among those
Who offered Robert and Aleck advice
and sympathy. The young man behaved
we'll. They surrendered everything, but