The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1880-07-08
John Boyden's Investment.

John Boyden's Investment.
| John Boyden was a young farmer, who
! lived, and still lives, in country village
not more than a thousand miles from
| Rochester. John WAS an honest. honola-
| BILE fellow, who believed in doing Just as
he promised, and only promising what he
could perform. In this respect, at least,
he WAS the very soul of honor. He would
| not have wronged a man ont Of a cent, to
use his own phrase, 'nO MORN he'd chop
his right hand OIL" And everybody knew
that he felt Just what he said They re-
spected him for hsup brightness, and proph-
csled that John would buy himself good
farm some day. and make one of their best
men. For notwithstanding the richness
of his heart, John was poor in worldly
1 goods. He had commenced in life by
working upon the neighboring farms 10y
/ the day or week, and in short time had
saved enough to furnish humble little
| house, which he had bought upon long
/ credit. He WAS already married. but his
wife being of feeble constitution. was
rather a drawback upon the young labor
el's progress But he loved Susan. and
was willing to forego any thing for her
pleasure or comfort. If she had a cough
the kind hearted husband haStened to the
village store. where everything found its
place, and purchased a bottle of patent
medicine, which he supposed intalliblr in
ltS operations, assuring the merchant that
ne would call in and "squarc up" as soon
rs hc bad the money. And he was in
NaIidotl prompt III llliS rs III other mat
teIs-
but an eFil gay came o. J"hn HeWas
engaged WIN nelEhhor IN digging
Hldil on hIN lItIlliStS' Wlei q sudden ddSh
~ ram GROVE thtih TO the mouse.
Ion you want !" look At the paper,
'oih llc man asked, passing nm the
Fil! ahe'l' "llleh ilad arrived the previous
evening.
ne TOOK lie paper rather ~ pass the
Ilihe IMAM lof any olhtf purpose as nc was
nor gwen 10 lta0lhS extensively. hlle
Ile Sal llNiieSSIy running ms eyes down the
t1iuihl!s' ne came 70 that part devoted to
'laN i'IStileilIS. ne ""ull nave turned
lht hh'Gl, hu' at tile moment ms gaze was
"It'Sl'H ~ q paragraph Aeated'
$50 PER DAY 70 \GENrS
lie read the strange announcement. then
rc-rcad II. being VERY careful CONCERNING
the figures Then he mutterctl to himself
nv ell now. if that don't beat all ever
heard of, Twrnty-tive dollars = dav,
wish could get into such a business Td
he content with ten dollars YES, or five
either.
He read the paragraph attcntvelv.
There Vas surely an opportunity for him
Nh agent. one Or more. was wanted in
every town throughout the United States
What if he should he the fortunate one to
secure this golden chance? He really
trembled lest somebody else should see
the paper and get the coveted agency.
"TWcnty five dollars day. he reflect
ed "a hundred and litty dollars per
week six hundred and fifty dollars Der
month seven thousand, eight hundred
year" At that rate he would become
rich man in no time Literally his cred
ulity was running away with him. The
enormous figures had turned his brain at
first sight. II he could get that situation
he would ask nobody to trust him, not he
Neither would he work for such paltry
wages any longer Already he began to
consider which farm he should purchase
None within the circle of his acquaintance
seemed fully to meet his wishes. But
there would be time enough to consider
that when he should have the cash in
hand.
The rain had ceased bv this time. and
they were ready to return ia the work ar
rather. the emnloyer was ready Holm
carefully tore the advertisement of the
agency party from the pappr placed if
in his pocket. and worked through the
long hours of the afternoon.
Upon reaching home his first thoupht
was to consult with his wife upon the
subject but he thought if would be an
agreeable surprise to her. when he should
have commenced to reap the Golden har-
vest So he said nothing to her about if.
He wrote to the concern. requesting an
agency extensive enough 70 occ,ny him
continually; and added many other things
which he had better not have written.
The following dav he made a preteyt
of a headache. to visit the VILLAGE nost Of
fee. some two miles distant lie saw
his letter safely in the mail. and then re-
turned to his work. He assisted durjno
the afternoon in building stone fence. bnt
the work was hard, and John Boydcn
was sure he never performed such davis
work before He pleaded sickness upon
the following dav, and the day after, no
one came to him for work. He knew Of
several men who would be clad Of his as
sistance, but Of what consequence would
the few dollars he could earn only by the
sweat of his brow, be in the end (? lie
would take matters easy and when the
/ business came up, he would strike with
all his energies. There were several little
Improvements he ought to make about his
own premises; but what was the object in
fitting up 50 much, when it wasn't at all
likely he should always live there
The third day BROUGHT the lonped- for
letter John placed it in his breast pock
ct, and fastened toward home. His heart
was light, and he almost ran part Of the
distance There was q thicket beside the
road, and into this Boyden turned 10 read
this important missive, First. he nullpd
ont a large circular, which he merely