The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1877-08-02
They had been compelled TO- borrow
arnalE ard had hir fifarast .aecauntS

bank efS, had to be GaShed. at very heitNl
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 cfrcurl-
stanees,n and won in spite of the odds
against them, if yarns had not suddenly
taken tremendous and quite unlocked
for fall.
This, of course, was followed by a
number of failures, in most of which
they suffered. /
Not all their efforts could now gather
together their numerous lines of enter
prises, and they found it equally impos-
sible to curtail them, and so, after few
months of desperate, anxious struggle,
the firm became bankrupt.
Old David had long foreseen, and
resolutely refused to NEEDLE in the mat
ter. A Goodness 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
men behaved well. They surrendered
every thing, but creditors did not fail to
stigmatize as rdishonorable and unbusi-
ness-like, and speculative and risky, the
nature of the trade done by the broken
firm, Aleck at once sailed for Sidney,
where he had a brother, and Robert took
his wife and children to his fathers,
while he endeavored to find situation.
But week after week passed, another
winter was approaching, and nothing
had been done.
nnx-sI .x,to I'D
This time it was his pretty niece Jessie.
His face softened wonderfully when he
met her large fearful eyes.
"Oh, uncle, she said, tive have sore
need of you.''
"My pr,ir little wemans sit down and
tell Davie what he can do for you
Jessie's tale was soon told-her tears
told it best. ssas. -, gaT-~g
Roberts heart had quite failed him;
they were almost penniless, and they
had worn their welcome out cher IA
theirs. t@f@ a
"Then you'll come here, you and
Robert. and D essie, and iwee Davie; an
We'll see what your man is fit for. If
he Gamma find, bis feet wi a wife like
you, FIN sorry for him. t4ae
SO the next day the family. moved,
with their small belongings, to David's
house, very much to the annoyance of
Mistress Janet, David's housekeeper.
This lady, indeed, soon made things SO
unpleasant that il was evident to all par
ties there could be no delay in decision,
and Robert, almost, in ,desperation,-re-
solved on trying his fortune in the New
World. David, pressed by his house
keepers grumbling and by his affection
for his nephew, knew only of one Other
wayne could advance Robert money
for a new effort.
But it would be the ruin O. the lad, y
he said, thoughtfully. "I'm. doubling
if he's learned his lesson yet; he cen go
to school again; -
SO he praised Roberts suggestion,
and offered to pay the passage Of the
whole family and give him f100 to start
life with. The offer was accepted, and
in a few days they were on the ocean,
not one of them aware of the real inter
est and affection which followed them
but they'll write to me,'' said David
to himself. "They'll write, for they
ken haze plenty o. siller.n *e
Once on new track, all Roberts en-
ergy returned Provided with a letter
to the proprietors of the Mattatook Car
pet Mills, he found his way there, and
readily obtained work. A part of his
hundred pounds was used in furnishing
little cottage, and Robert enjoyed q
degree of peace and comfort to which he
had long been stranger. The next
spring lucky event gave him specia,
prominence. A large mill in the neigh
borhood imported some machinery fol-
weaving peculiar kind of rug, and nc
one could be found in the locality able
to make it run smoothly.
Robert heard of the dilemma and of
fered his help. The loom was familiar
to him, his success easy. He had found
his place, and he knew it. Day by day
he made his skill and energy felt. HI
rose to be overseer-business manager
Still he varied very little
the quiet simplicity of his home
Jessie and he had found how little they
really needed for happiness, and so, yea
by year, whatever they saved was in
| vested in land which grew in value while
| they slept and worked at other things
and ten years after Roberts first invest
ment he found himself, by the simple
growthofs the village, avery rich man
just about this time David sent them {
very urgent request to come and see
him.. and as. he offered to pay all ex
penses, it was accepted. The old mar
was now nearing 80, yet he was won
derfully hale. and bright, and met then
at the steamer, apparently little Older
for the ten years that had elapsed sine,
he bid them ''good-by' on the very
same spot. He liked Roberts way a
the first glance.
He has the look of man wi siller