The National tribune., 1881-10-08
AN UNLUCKY SIXPENCE,

\ cObber an idle, diSsOlute fellow, who piled
his trade in a certain village near which passes
the main line of the Great Western Railway
then lately cOnstructed-used to spend a great
part of his leisure time-which meant that por-
ton of the twenty-fOur not actively employed in
eating sleeping or tippling-in sitting on fence
watching for the trains. When one iron monster
had gone laundering by, he was content to sit
there, doing nothing, thinking nothing, and wait
listlesSy the two or three hours which elapsed
before the next was due: for. as we have said the
railway was novelty III these parts then. One
day as he lounged there, idly turning over four
penny-piece in his pocket, the thought occurred
to him to place it on the rail, and see what effect
would be produced by allowing train to pass
over it. 4. man is proyerbaIy careless of his last
coin, especially when his prospects of getting an
other are somewhat haZy, So without any further
reflection, the son of Crspin put the money on
the shining rail. The clank and roar of a lug
gage-train were already audible in the distance,
and he awaited the result with some curiosity.
On came the engine, slowly laboring, and putting
heavily with the immense weight behind it. The
wagons ratified past, and were gone. Could that
be his fourpenny-bit? Why it was expanded to
the size OF anu SO Hlucn IKE an
old and well-worn specimen of that coin, that
Yes; he resolved to try it-quietly of course, not
to incur unpleasant consequences. Vending his
way to the village alehouse, he called for pot of
that refreshing fluid, and rendered in payment
the metamorphosed fourpence, which in its value
at par, so to speak, would have been the exact
equivalent for the beer. Nothing felonious about
that, as far as external appearances went, GER
tainly; though, when twOpence change was
received and accepted, a vista opened before his
minds eye. 1t was no longer dream engendered
by luggage-trains and thirst in tOrtuitOus cOmbi-
nation with solitary fourpenny-bit, but a fat
accompH. Fifty per cent. on all available capital
for life, easily realized without risk, without fail
Here was discovery! He went out of the beer
shop feeling already like moneyed man.
We have spoken Of the fOurpenny-piece as a
solitary coin, and it was as far as his pockets
were concerned; but the reader is not to assume
that it expressed the sum-total of his worldly
wealth. Mrs Crispin, who was rather a shrew,
always laid violent hands on her husbands cash
when she got the chance, which was not often,
and so managed to keep small reserve fund for
household expenses and for the purchase OF leather
and implements for the working thereof when
necessary. This little store he now contriyed to
extort from her by vague and magnificent assur-
ances of an immediate increase to be effected
through some mysterious agency, the nature of
which nothing would induce him to reveal. For
three whole days he kept comparatively SOBER
and having pawned such items of the furniture as
he could contrive to smuggle out of the house
when his wites back was turned, he found him
self possessed of nearly five pounds in ready
money. 1t was sore temptation to pass by the
red-curtained bar of the public-hOuse with such
an amount almost thrObbing in his pockets; but
he resisted manfully; and walked to neighbor-
ing town to change the larger coins, little by lit
tle for those small pieces which now appeared to
him to be the embodiment of all that was desir-
able in the coinage of the realm. At last, the ex
changes were negotiated in full, and charged with
fourpenny pieces to the extent of several pounds
he was ready for the grand experiment.
That it must be performed at nj ght was plain,
since it would never do to be seen engaged in
such task by any of his acquaintance. There
would be no difficulty about this, however, as
the down express flashed by forty minutes after
midnight. At the wtching hour, therefore, when
all the village slumbered, Crispin stole off to the
scene of action with his bag of silver and a Ian
tern and having carefully arranged the coins in