Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1881-05-25
Good News From Home.

On a balcony Of their hotel In 0
pleasant city Of Georgia, Wcathcrsiicld,
president Of tho Grand Junction rail
road, and Carleton, capitalist, seeking
Investment In mines, were seated after
dinner smoking their cigars, They worO
mon Of middle age, and had tho mir Of
old friends, Each spoke At intervals,
and there were familiar pauscs. In one
oi these pauscs an Italian In the street
beneath began to play his hand.organ;
and the mir was the old-iashioned Good
News from Home"
Wcaihcrsilcd suddenly leaned for
ward and listened, Carleton initiated
him, and looked down at the performer
an old man, with n long, gray beard
turning his crank, while q monkey in
rcd Jacket held his cap to the crowd,
Then something curious happened,
Wcathcrsilcld and Carleton both put
their handsin their pockets and dropped
something into the cap, AS the two
something's fell they were seen to be
yellow-thc yellow Of gold, not OF cop.
per. Then the friends looked at each
other and said:
a gold piece"
"Ycs-and you also"
"That is true. Why do you give
yours"
al give it to the old Italian because
he resembles man who made my fol-
tune" said Carleton.
"And give mine because that air he
is playing made my fortune and saved
my life"
There was n pause. The Italian
organist was looking up in wonder at
them, with the two gold pieces in his
hand, He had stopped turning his
crank from pure bewiderment.
Enough, my friend" Weathersfeld
called out, "There is no mistake. Keep
the gold and come back tomorrow
move on, low."
The friends drew back and resumed
their smokipg--thcre was pause OF at
least ten minutes.
"Story for story" said Weathcrsiield,
man of few ords-accustomed to close
great contracts in two minutes by his
watch; "shall | begin, or you"
"You first !" said Carleton, smiling;
"Then will follow you. Friends as
close as you and ], Wcathersiield, need
have no secrets from each other. How
did it happen that hearing that air on
the Italians hand-organ saved your life
and made your lortuno?"
"You shall hear" said Weathersfield.
at am tho son OF blacksmith, and
an not ashamed Of it. In fact my grand
father and great grandfather were also
blacksmiths, which no doubt accounts
for my taking to the iron roads, as
they call railways in France. was born
in village on the gulf, and was my
fathers apprentice. blew the bellows
and learned to make tirst-claSs horse.
shoe. But making horseshoes did not
satisfy me. Blacksmithing was SLOW
trade. I had the risky genius in me-
fifteen cents for shooting horse was not
to my fancy. So went into store as a
clerk, and began soon to merchandise.
That is what they call it. 1t means to
make quick profits by using your brains
-WucL YOU IllhC lucll.
81 made them, but one day I slipped
up and failed. A speculation in cotton
laid me flat on my back. For this I
would not have cared, however. I was
only twenty-five or three, and had per-
feet confidence in my resources. But |
was in love, and had hoped to marry
soon, when this failure came. | say I had
hopes; perhaps they did not amount to
much. I had fallen in love with the
daughter of a gentleman of the village
Alice Hale, the best and truest- hearted
girl God ever made-and she loved mo
too, but her father refused his consent.
He was a grand old gentleman, and
made me the courtliest bows; he would
have died, 1 think, before saying to me,
'You cannot marry my daughter be-
cause YOU are only the son of black
smith ; so what he said was: My
young friend, I am growing old, and
cannot part with my daughter, my only
child"
"Well, you see, if there had been
any hope for me at all, it was now all
gone. As prosperous young merchant,
1 might have finally succeeded in over
coming the old gentleman's opposition,
for he was heavily involved, and the
pressure of debt often breaks down bar
riers on such occasions. A rich young
merchant, even though blacksmith's
son, might hope by his devotion in time
to marry the daughter of ruined gen
tleman-all the more as she wished to
L.. Dot =, Gun tb son IF FIN a hi oh.
smith was ruined, and there was not the
least chance of persuading the old gen
tleman-I could see that. So l de-
termined to go away, and either give up
the whole affair or trust to luck and
the chan ses that come with time i'll the
lives OF all men-they are great.
My parting with Alice was hard
business enough. There was no trouble
in seeing her. Mr. Hale was fine old
fellow and quite above anything small.
He always met me when 1 came to his
house, with a courtly bow, retired to his
study after few moments polite CONVEX
sation, and left me in the dTawing-room
with his daughter. She was there OH the
morning when went to tell her good
bye. l remember as / came up to the
door that she was playing the piano, OF
which she was very fond, and singing
in her sweet voice I have never heard
any OTHER as sweet-her fayorite air
"Good News from Home"
"I am rather hard man, CARLTON
my life has made me so but / swear,
when l heard that old organ grinder
play the same air-whenever and where
ever. ] hear tiny heart beats like
sledgehaminer, and the tears come to
nv ewes. Well, staid for an hour, and
broke my heart looking at the girl ana
longing for her, and thinking was