The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1880-05-29

lnl6ItSt, Uut tna1 WAS Cht-@ AAS>A " AAAAA4 a.
lawyers letter, which must have cost
me IS. Sd.
Host sight of Mr.. Jones for many
day. He had got out of my debt and
had no misgiving that he considered 1t
convenient to forget he ever was in it.
IT'S the way of the world, according to
many proverb. There is no such thing
as gratitude. If you want to make an
enemy of man, put him under an OBJ
legation.
/ had full leisure to ponder over these
celebrating truths, forexperience taught
me they were of very general applica-
ton. First the Turks, who had got eyer
so much of my money, went unblushing-
ly into bankruptcy. Then a philan-
thropic establishment, in which l had
allowed myself to be mixed up, came to
signal grief, and was the only respon-
sible person among the directors. The
others had been all ruined in bank fail
ure. / liked my reputation better than
my money and did what the sharehold-
ers' attorneys assured me was right.
An-evening paper, which had first called
me to account, printed leader contrast
NY my COuuuCt du'dueaSSouois WIN
that of a man who had carried off some
money belonging to other people and
settled in America. But was ruined.
The little had left dwindled to nothing
in the beginning of the land panic. Even
my fathers house was sold by auction,
and one foggy morning in February !
walked out of some temporary lodgings
/ had taken in Bury street. intending to
take my name off my clubs. could no
longer pay the subscriptions and was
wondering gloomily how should man
age to live. / had received the usual
education Of an English gentleman and
could do absolutely nothing. Those
"Notes on La Rochefoucauld" had only
brought me in debt to my publisher and
besides had neither taste nor talents for
literature. Few people have. SO
had Just turned into st. James
Square in this disconsolate mood when /
noticed a fat, awkward man with splay
feet rolling down the street as though it
belonged to him and / was at once re-
minded Of that abominable bore, Jones.
Before l could avoid him, however, he
stopped abruptly to tie. his shoe, and we
unavoidably carromed against each
other.
"Ughr' exclaimed my old debtor, try
ing to recover the breath which l had
well nigh knocked out of him, and then
he seized me by both hands shaking them
heartily. -
"Who would have thought of seeing
you,', he then remarked, as though my
being in London was the most marvel
Gus thing he had ever known in the
course of his life.
"Iheard, he resumed confidentially,
still holding me by both hands, 50 that
You had fallen among thieves. Is there
anything can do for oup Say the word,
Mr.. Crabbe; only say the word and it is
DONE"
1t was with feeling of absolute conf
dence in my views Of life. and with q
depth of scorn l could not have put into
language, that l answered grimly, 80,
yes, lend me thousand pounds. =.
/ had hardly flung the knocking words
at him, when the mans face was lit up
with smile SO sunny and genial that its
homely features grew miraculously beau
| tiful.
/ "Come along,'' then said Mr. Jones,
without further parley. Ransom's ID
hard BY and my agents paid in thirty
thousand pounds yesterday for gold dust
only. There will be the proceeds of my
meat sales next week. You shall have
it ALL There is plenty more where that
comes from. My squattings have been
looking up these three years; mines,
woods, grass, corn, wharves, are all pay.
ing now. Thank God! I'm SO glad te
have met you. don't know what to dc
with myself I would have called on YOU
before, but l was told you had gone
abroad and I was afraid to make SC
bold as to write; though / should have
done it if l had known could have beer
of use, SIR"
l declare that although Mr.. Jones is i.
large man, and the houses of st. James
Square are larger, such mist came be
fore my eyes that could not see eithel
him or them. His MANNER was so bois
terously cordial, yet so respectful ant
delicate, it was so unlike anything l had
ever read or heard of that it upset my
composure. When / hastily answered
his obstreperous generosity, by sayins
/ only spoke in jest, and had no need o
help, his countenance grew quite blanl
again and all the glorious light tina
had burst over and illuminated it faded
away. He was so panied and humili
ated that l was obliged, in pity for hi
manifest concern, to accept Thousand
pounds, which returned to him mex
day, with civil note and the usual com
pliments. could not think of touching
the fellows money. l did not ever
dream that he was in earnest and coult
not have slept in peace as anybody's
debtor. Besides, a few days subsequent,
l was offered the Craftsmanship of rail
way which ran through the estate tina
once was mine. 1t gave me fifteen hun
dred year, and an inexpensive man cal
vegitate on that. never saw any NOR
of Mr.. Jones. When l thought Of him
which was but seldom. ! remembers
him merely as vulgar man, who wa
rude and clumsy, but not unassuming