The Russellville Democrat., 1881-12-08
THE STRAW THAT SAVED.

A certain young man HVlng not thou sand miles from the city of New York, had, at the age of one-and twenty come into the possesstcn of large fortune Immediately thereupon the fair-weather friends assembled about him, and sought to make him believe that they could make life pleasant for him. He was fond of company; full ot life; with no restraint save his own conscience; and he was easily led on into the glare and glitter of conviyial enjoyment His mother had died when he was youth of sixteen, and his father had lived but a year longer. And he had no near relatives to guide him. Once he had loved beautiful young girl; but his dis ipated course had frightened her parents and they had forbidden him their house until he could truly mend. This had 50 angered him that he had torn her image from his heart resolving that he would never be slave.
 And he was living brilliant, glorious life, he knew, or, at least, he told him self so. He drank deeper and deeper; and, anon, he came to the gambling ta- ble. In short, every vice that wealthy spendthrift might find fieeting pleasure in he indulced in. And the circle of friends clung to him closely. They swore by him and declared him a trump They drank his wine and robbed him of his money and, if new source of pleas ure could be found, they all went in for the enjoyment, and he paid the bill.
 One day, after his eye had become bleared and his step uncertain, he met the gil he had once loved in the street. He tread pity in her sweet face, and saw tears in her eyes: and he tried to steal his heart, vet he thought of her until his wild friends were again around him.
 One day he went to the bank and drew out thousand dollars. That night he sat down in his own apart ments, with his own wine upon the side board, and his own cards upon the table, and played with his dear friends The wine flowed freely, he drank deeply, and the game went on reCklessly. They played for high stakes, and played fast and late.
 On the following morning the young man awoke with bur. ting head and aching eyes. By and by he called to mind the events of ihe night; He looked into his pocket book and into his purse. Empty, bothl And he remem- bered that he had given his check to various members of the party for large amounts. He found the stubs and they told him he had drawn his checks to the amount of over two thousandl
 But what of that? Before uigat he had drank brandy enough 10 steady his nerves and to make him once more happy.
 Another evening came, and again his friends were assembled around his board. He had got up grand supper for them this time, and after the vart ous courses of food had passed in order, came the wine and the toasts And one of the friends-one to whom large check had been given-got up to offer sentiment:
 "Fnlupl Fill up!" he cried, "whi!e give you the toast of the evening. Here's to our sober and thrifty host May he be ever as sensible as he is at the present moment"
 It was drank with cheers--three times three.
 It was observed that from that mo- ment the spirits of their host seemed to fail him. He became moody and ab siracted. By and by some one bantered him upsn if, and asked him what was the matter. He answered:
 q was thinking, did Tom tell the truth when he said l was sober and thriftyln
 And thereupon they all exclaimed "0f course he didi Ho! Was ever man soberCr or more thrifty"
 Because" pursued the host, patheti- cally, q shouldn't want friend to lie on my accountw
 "Ohol Sensible to the lastl Fill up?"
 But the host would drink no more. He bade the others enjoy themselves as much. and as long as they pleased; but they must excuse him.
 Without him, however, the sport Jagged; and when they found that there was to be no caTd-playing they soon dis appeared.
 And after they were gone, the young man sat down alone, and thought; and the words, Sober and Thriftyl Sober and thriityn rang in his ears, and he re s peated them aloud And then he TT peated; May he ever be sensible as ae is at this momentp And with a smit- ing of his clenched hand upon his bosom, he exclaimed: lie!"
 On the following day the youth went to the bank, and was closited for half an hour with the cashier On the morning Of the next day a paragraph appeared in the morning dailies, announcing: We are really pained to announce that A. B---, the young man who was left an inheritor of q fortune little more than two years ago, has lost every dol .ar Misfortune has befallen him; false friends have betrayed him; so that now, hls note for less than hundred dollars kks has gone to protest"
 III On the next day after this the young
 an i've will call him Fredl, went to
 pm Amberly, to whom he had given
 ndreds and thousands and asked him
 the loan of a hundred dollars.
 Pon my honor, Fred, l wish had
 but really ---
 be yoath waited to hear no more.
 tried half dozen others, and with