The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-07-09

the amusement of the boys. Now il ~ LOT
excursion to Boston; next, the forma Has an
an amateur rifle company; after thai ,,V ~ OF
age to the fishing banks. Every few NY, Wy
something was proposed, which fired AgTl run
ser's imagination, and made him w.n now'
JOIN, put always his father held firm, and ~ ~
had no share in the frolics. II seemed IN. ne
enough, but Mr.. Kane was kind as wa Ii'ru
strict; he treated his son as if he wor e,' as
ready man, and argued with him IA, s'
mans point OF view; so, in spite of an nna.
sional outburst or grumble, Towser did IVA Va.
rebel, and his life and ideas gradnaMNV
nodded themselves to his fathers Wish
At sixteen, while most of the other h,.
were lifting for college, Towser left scbOsss
and went into the great Perrin Iron Wort cOi
to learn the business OF machine-makimn,
He began at the foot of the ladder. bnt Rs'
ing quick witted and steady, with natnraI
aptitude for mechanics, he climbed r,nidial
and by the time he was twenty was proma,'
ed to fOremanship. Harry Blake cam.
nome from college soon after, having Grad.
uated with the dignity OF a second dit
pute, " as quizzical friend remarked SnS
settled at home, to - read law, y he soid
but in reality to practice the flute, make wa'
ter-color sketches, and waste good deal .,
time in desultory pursuits of various kind,
He was sweet-tempered, gentlemanly feI'
low, not strong in health, and not at ali fond
OF study; and Tom, who overtopped him Ia
a head, and with one muscular arm cor15
manage him like a child, felt for him tbs
tender Difference which strength often navs
to weakness. 1t WAS almost as if Harrybsd
been girl; but Tom never thought of il IN
that light.
so matters went on till Towser was twar
ty-one, and beginning to hope for anolho,
rise in position, when suddenly a great
black cloud swooped down on the Perrin
Iron Works. l don't mean real cloud, 6ue
a cloud Of trouble. All the country tet
its dark influence. Banks stopped pay.
ment, merchants failed, stocks lost
their value, no one knew what or whom
to trust, and the wheels of Industry
everywhere were at stand-stil. Among
the rest the Perrin Company was forced ia
suspend work and discharge its hands.
Tom was trusted fellow, and so much in
the confidence OF his employers as TO know
Tor some time beforehand of the change that
was coming. He staid to the end, to hep
wind up books and put matters in order, and
he and Mr.. Perrin were the last persons to
walk out Of the big door.
Good-by, Tom," said Mr.. Perrin, as he
turned the key in the heavy lock, and stopped
moment to shake hands. "You've done
well by us, and if things are ever so that we
can take another start, We'll do well by YOU
in our turn"
They shook hands, and Tom walked away,
with months wages in his pocket and no
particular idea what to do next. Was he
down hearted? Not at all. There was some
thing somewhere that he could do; that, he
was sure of; and, although he looked grave,
he Whistled cheerily enough as he marched
along.
Suddenly turning a corner, he ran upon
Harry Blake, walking in Il listless, detected
way, which at once caught his attention.
hofJ !,
Haven't you heard" replied Harry, in
a melancholy voice. 1.-The Tiverton Bank
has gone to smash, with most of our money
in i'll"
g Your money!"
Ny mothers. It's the same thing, ex.
actly."
WAS it much? Is the bank gone for
good?"
of all we have"
Tom gave whistle of dismay.
Well, Harry, what neXt:' he demand
ed. :" Have you thought of anything to
do?'
mo. What can 1 do?" Harry's voice
sounded hopeless enough.
What could Harry do? Tom, who had
never wasted nights sleep over his own
future, lay awake more than once debating
this question. Hard times were hard times
to him, as well as to everybody else; but he
had a little money laid by, his habits were
simple, and to pinch for whik-would cost
him small suffering; besides, he couldtuynhis
hand to almost anything-but poor Harry!
One plan after another suggested itself and
was proposed, but each in turn proved
failure. Harry lacked bodily strength for one
position, for another he had not the requisite
training, still another was unsulted to ms
taste, and fourth sounded so ''ungenteel."
that his mother would not listen to it. 1t
would break her heart, she said. Tom, HIM
self got temporary place in locomotive
shop, which tided him over the crisis and
enabled him to lend helping hand, not to
Harry only, but to one or two other old
comrades whose families had lost everything
and We're in extremity. But these small
aids were not enough. Permanent situa-
tons were what was needed. At last Harry
obtained clerkship in drug store. He
dsliked it, and his mother hated it, but
that he did the work well and diligently,
and only relieved his mind by private grum-
blings to Towscr in the evenings.
"I'll tell you what,' said Tom one night,
after patiently listening TO one of these
lamentations, "you boys used to think my
father strict with me when we were at school
together, but I've come to the conclusion
that he was a wise man. Where should
be now if Pd grown up soft and easily hurt
like you? Giving knocks and taking knocks
that's what business mans life is, and
it's good thing to be toughened for it. l
used to feel hard to my father about it, too,
sometimes, but thank him heartily n0w,"
and he held out his brown, strong hand and
looked at it curiously and affectionately
Well he might. Those hands were keys to
pick Fortunes locks with-only Pm afraid
Towser's mind was hardly up to such no.
ton.
E'You're right said Harry, after think
ing little, "and your father was right,
You're true grit, Towser-up to any work
that comes along, and sure to succeed, while
Pm as easily Knocked down as girl, l
only wish I'd had wise father, and been
raised rough, like you"
Harry had repeated this wish good many
times in the years that have passed since
then. Life has gone hardly with him, and
business has always been distasteful, but he
has kept on steadily, and his position has
improved, thanks to TOMS advice and help
Tom himself is rich man now. lie was
| long since taken in as partner by the Perrin
| Company, which re-opened its works tne
year after the panic, and is doing an I'M
mense business. He makes sharp and en-
ergetic manager, but his open handedness
and open-heartedness grow with his growth
and prosperity only furnishes wider oppor-
tunity for wise kindness to those who are
less fortunate. His own good fortune ne
always ascribes to his fathers energeuc
training, and Mr.. Kane, who is an elderly
man now, likes to nod his head and reply
~ told you so, my boy; told you So a, a
habit of honest work is the best luck ana lne
best fortune a man can have '-SHSGn cow