Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1882-11-17
SIMEON PIYGREES CHANCE.

group OF men was gathered in Elijah
Wiswelrs store, which was also the post office
debate was in progress and, as usual, Sim
COL P,rsIct had IT, floor lie was a long
loose jointed, shock headed specimen of hu-
nanity, with 30 large an Adam s-apple in his
long lean throat as to continually excite sur
prise that he was not choked by it, AID huge
feet upon which he had way Of uneasiy
shuthlng to and fro.
Sim had Inherited from his father the trade
of a shoemaker, but had long ago decided
that it was not sufficiently "intelectooa" for
him. Occasionally the inhosptable spirit
manifested by his neighbors when he was "a
pa-sin' by, aud kind o. dropped in" to take
his meals with them, drove him to the uncon.
genial pursuit just long enough to set the
pot a.b'ilin'." To keep it boiling was not in
the line of Sims ambitions after a day or
two Of effort he fell back into his old ways
with an air of supererogatory merit
His neighbors, who did not appreciate his
''intollectooal' views, regarded him as lazy
aud "shiftess, and openly pointed to him
the poor-house as his inevitable destination.
"As good for nothing as Sim Pingree," was
the height of invidious comparison in the vii.
lage. But though he was Of 80 small practi-
cal worth, Sim had a "how of language"
which caused his society to be much sought,
and won for him certain kind OF respect. 1t
was generally conceded that if he had been
possessed Of "sprawl" (the common synonym
for energy in Greenhollow), and little more
'book-learnin'," Sim might have been a
school master and there were a few who
even went so far as to think he could get the
better Of the minister in theological discus
sion whichever side ne might take but this
opinion was generally thought sacrilegious,
and those who held it were looked upon with
mournful suspicion as being inclined to inf.
deity.
The discussion had begun with theology to-
day, and gradually wandered down to luck
and chance-subjects upon which Sim was
always sure to run of an idee."
There was a man that came acrost up to
Gorham more'n twelve year ago that give me
some idees that l haiu't never forgot" said
Sim, his hands buried deep in his trousers
pockets, and his feet shufilng an accompani-
ment to his words. The more excited Sim
grew, the more energetic became his shut
fling; on the rare occasions when he preserv-
ed silence, the motion was feeble and mOnot-
ouous. "He was an all. fired smart feller.
The lightnin' calkerlater, nor the funny Teller
that was here with the show last summer,
want circumstance to him. He was in the
show business to fact is, most of the tarlent
nowadays is s-travelin' on the road. I've
sometimes had an idee of turnin my own
tlrlentS to account that way, but the chance
hain't never seemed to come along. Aud I'm
one o them that believes in a mans bein'
sure of his chance. some time or mother it's
bound to come. That's the doctrine that this
fellsr preached Haztt-Eph Hazlitt-his
name was; aud smart? He'd swaller snakes
as quick as look at EN-; boy-c ontractor
want no more'n a comfortable mouthful for
him Edicated He wouldn't have thought
II L.. ls.Ns- L
if he had felt so inclined Kind of a slim,
pigeon breasted Teller, too, but terrible hear
ty to his victuals. He was a master r-hand for
lotteries, and such kind of resky business,
and it alwers turned out well seemed as if
he hadn't nothin' to do but to put out his
hand and haul in the money. Made me think
of king that I'd read of somewhere in furrin
parts, that everything he took hold of turned
to gold hadn't never took no stock in the
story-them stories about furrin parts is most
ly deceivin'-and it didn't seem to stand to
reason, but when l see Eph Hazlitt begun
to think mebbe 'twa'n't so big lie, after all
Says to Eph, says l, Gurus what run of
lnck you have, amt it?' No. says Eph, says
he. it amt Gurus at all. It's in the mater of
things. I've been failin' for long time, and
it was time that my luck come. 1t had ought
to a come last year, accordin' to the law o
probaOilerties it was bound to come this
year, rs sure as two and two make four.
Well, kind Of laughed it off as a joke, or a
hggcr OF speech, AZ you might say, but he
went on, aud reason, it out to me till twas
jsst as clear US daylight. You see, there's
jost about Ms much good luck and SO much i'll
luck gon', aud one is bound to get through
with man and let tother have its turn some
time or mother Eph he'd reasoned all out
about hisn, JEST like the multiplication table,
ht,f | ha1 NJ haa1 Ruf
had wit enough TO see that what he said was
true on gineral principles"
"HOw you goin' to account for the bad luck
that folers some folks all their lives 2" said,
in querulous voice, detected wizened lit
tie man named Zachariah Avery, and called
uncle by everybody although he was nobody's
uncle in reality. Uncle Zach had fallen
from the proud position of stage driver, low
er and lower by degrees, until he had become
permanent guest in the low, struggling
dingy building which gave shelter to thetown
poor.
"A man has got to have wit enough to see
when his chance comes along that's where
the differkilty comes in, said Sim. "Theres a
good many thatain't got understandin enough
to know that it's sure TO come, so they get
terrible discouraged with their poor luck and
are afraid to take holt of anything even if it
does look promisin'."
"Mebbe I'd better a went shares raisin'
hogs with 'Liph'let Junkins when he wanted
me TO, said Uncle Zach, in plaintive voice +;
"but folks they told me that 'Liph'let was a
terrible hand to git all the fat and leave the
lean for other folks, and l calkerlated that
would be dretful poor business so fur forth as
hogs was consarned."
"And then there's other folks that amt got
the sense to wait till their chance comes
along" pursued Sim, ignoring this interrup-
ton. "And them kind is terrible apt to make
slightin' remarks about them that don't care
about goin through with all the failures that
belongs to 'em in the mater of things, but
follers Provdential leadin's, and keeps good
lookout for their chance"
"a Proyerdential leadin' to set and twiddle
your thumbs is dretful apt to lead to the poor
house." said Elijah Wiswell, the store. keeper,
a brisk little man, who was suspected of great
energy in the matter of sanding sugar
"Ineversaw my way clear to haul them logs
for Abijah Sprowl for three and ninepence a
day, though done it. Mebbe there was