River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1877-07-26
Make four Own War.

Make YOtir Own War.
David Speers was taking his smoke.
Perhaps the long clay pipe looked lit
tie incongruous with the handsomely
furnished room and the massive silver
plate on the mahogany side-board. But
for that matter he was an incongruity-a
little, common looking man, not very we'll
dressed. Certainly a very wide contrast
to the handsome, stylish-looking young
fellow who interrupted his reverie by
frank and noisy:
"Good-evening, uncle. Can L talk
awhile with your"
THAT depends, Robin, on what you're
gaun to talk ABBOTT"
"You know, uncle, that Aleck Lang and
| have been long friends"
III 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 in
tends to buy Thomas Blackie out"
Hell 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 been wi Hastie:"
Five years"
And how much have you savedf
well. to tell the truth, uncle, nothing
at all. What with Jessie marrying last
wear and Rosa this, and the presents |
had to give, and other expenses, my saw
ings all went away"
"Humph."
. thought, perhaps, that as the bust
ness was such an old one, and as both
the Langs would be interested in 1t,
YOU would lend me two thousand pounds
for such wonderfully good chance
Il have made it a rule never to lend
money to young men.
!" 4 very unkind rule when it touches
me, uncle You were never unkind to me
BEFORE
lam not unkind TO you now either,
Robin"
"Only two thousand, uncle. And such
a chancew
ood-eveniDg, uncle"
"Good-evening, Robin. How's bust
nessl'
"First-rate. l don't come tonight
about business"
"What for, them
4
TO tell you about 1t.
"That's main kittlc risk than Black
les business, Robin"
Il think not, uncle"
"Wha's the lassIeW
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 educations. Why, uncle, she
can do most anything-paints, draws,
plays the harp, sings like an angel
and -
"I'm feared she'll be a kind o matri-
monial luxury, Robin. But sizes bon
ME lassie; haze seen her. Yet doubt
if she's fit for puir mans wife"
"Guid heavens, hear the lad. Only
twa thousandr Did We ever earn twa
thousand poundsl Did &c ever save twa
thousand pounds9 When We have, Robin,
come to me, and III talk wi We about
lending We that sum"
But, uncle, the thing is not new
venture; it is sure to pay"
at is gaun to have new masters; an
men at sixty are ma sac sure.about things
having as lads of five and-twenty are
So the young man went away much
disappointed and not little angry; but
other friends looked more favorably on
the plan.
The GO 900 were borrowed, and Robert
Rae and Aleck Lang bought the old-es-
tablished carpet-weaving house.
The first year the concern, In spite
falling prices, did very we'll. Roberts
share of profits not only gave him good
living, but paid his interest, and allowed
him to Law by nearly el00 toward clearing
off his borrowed capital; and the next
wear things were still brighter.
In the fourth year of the enterprise
Robert Rae called again on his uncle.
you'll come to the wedding, uncle."
"Surely, surely"
1t was very grand wedding, and Da-
vid Speers made quite a sensation by
giving the bride a cheek for $500. In
deed. Jessie seemed to have quite capti-
waited the old bachelor, and he SOON be-
gan to spend q great many of his even
ings in her pretty home.
Three wears passed happily away.
In Roberts home there had been some
pleasant changes: and his uncle danced
a pretty baby Jessie occasionally on his
knee. or looked admiringly and wonder
nsly 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 Kilnarneck rs a community was
sensiblv connected with the business OF
.sLang Il Raes Carpet MIL" But a
great deal of this success was only appar-
ent, for it hung upon chances entirely
beyond the control Of the young partners
in il.
They had been compelled to borrow
largely, and had big interest accounts to
meet, and great deal Of their paper be-
ing from houses unknown to local bank
ers. had to be cashed at very heavy dis
counts. All these things were mich
against them, vet so great was their in
dnstry and energy that they might have
turned them all into .happy circumstan-
ces. and won in spite of the odds against
them. if yarns had not suddenly taken a
tremendous and quite unlooked-for fall
This. of course. was followed by num-
her of failures. IN most of which they suf-
/ fered.
Not ali their efforts could now gather
together their numerous lines OF enter
prise, and they found it equally impossi-
BE 10 curtail them, and 50, after q few
months Of desperate, anxious struggle, the
! firm became bankrupt.
Old David had long foreseen, and res
olutely refused 10 NEEDLE IN the matter
I A cooiness had, therefore grown mp be