Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1882-09-30
4 FORTUNATE JEST.

n CtTihlH JOuIlS Iildut llNliIS uOt
thousand miles from the city Of
London, had, at the age of one-and-
twenty, come into the possession OF
a large fortune.
Immediately ihereupon the fair
weather friends assembled about
him, and sought to make him be-
lieve that they could make life
pleasant for him. He was fond OF
company full of life; with no re-
straint save his own Coincidence /;
and he was easily led ON into the
glare and glitter Of convivial en-
JOyment. r.. .H. si-g-
His mother had died when he
was youth of sixteen, and his IA
ther had lived but a year longer.
And he had no near relative to
counsel or to guide him.
Once he had loved a beautiful
young girl but his dissipated
course had frightened her parents,
and they had forbidden him their
house until he could truly mend.
This had SO angered him that he
had torn the image from his heart.
resolving that he would never be
slave!
And he was living a brilliant, glO-
rious life he knew--or, at least, he
told himself so. He drank deeper
and deeper and, anon, he came to
the gaming-table. In short, every
vice that a wealthy spendthrift
might find fleeing pleasure in, he
INDUCED in.
And the, circle of friends chung
closely. They swore by him de-
clared him d trump. They drank
money; and if Il new source OF
pleasure could be found, they all
went in for the enjoyment, and he
paid the bill! r n
One day, after his eye had be-
come bIeared, and step uncertain,
he met the girl he had once loved
in the street. He read in pity her
sweet face, and saw tears in her
eyes and he tried to steel his heart;
yet he thought of her until his wild
friends were again around him.
One day he went to the bank and
drew out thousand pounds.
That night he sat down in his
own apartments, with his own wine
upon the sidebOard, 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 bursting
head and aching eyes. By-and-by
he called to mind the events of the
night. He looked into his pocket
book and into his purse. Empty,
both! And he remembered that he
had given his check to various
members of the party for large
He found the counter
foils, and they told him he had
drawn his checks to the amount OF
over two thousand
But what of that? Before night
he had drank brandy enough TO
steady his nerves, and make
him once more happy.
Another evening came and again
his friends were assembled round
his board. He had got up grand
supper for them this time! and after
the various courses OF food had
passed in order, came the wine and
the tOasts.
And one of the friends to whom a
large check had been given, got up
to offer a sentiment.
"Fill up! fill up!'' he cried
"while give you the toast of the
evening. Here's to our sober and
thrifty host May he ever be as
as he is at this moments"
1t was drank with cheers-three
times three.
1t was observed that from that
the spirits of their host
seemed to fail him. He became
and distracted. By-and-by
some one bantered him upon it, and
asked him what was the matter.
He answered:
81 was thinking, did Tom tell the
truth when he said / was sober and
thrifty?"
And thereupon they all axclaim-
sd:
"Of course he did! Oh! was ever
l man sOberer, or more thrifty?"
Because" pursued the host, pa
~ shouldn't want a
friend to lie on my account :"
"Oho! Sensible to the last! Fill
Ipw
But the host would drink no
more. He babe the Others enjoy
rs much, and iIs long, as
hey pleased but they must excuse
him.
Without him, however, the sport
Jagged F; and when they found there
was to be no card-playing they soon
And after they were gone, the
young man sat down alone, and
thought; and the words, "SOber
and thrifty :" "SOber and thrifty
rang in his ears and he repeated
them aloud.
And then he repeated:
"May he be ever as sensible as he J
8 at this moment ~ And then, !
with Il shifting of his clinched hand !
IpOn his bosom, he exclaimed,
'irom did not lie! l will not let
him lie"
On the following day the youth |
vent to the bank, and was cIoseted
for half an hour with the manager.
On the morning of the next day a
DHr12Tdpu dppSAlSu III biiC SOClSly
papers announcing:
We are rather panied TO announce that
- b the young man who was an In
,eritor of q fortune little more than two
ears ago, has lost every penny: MtsfoTt-
me has befallcn Linn false friends have be-
rayed him so that now his bill for less
han a hundred pounds has gone to protest.
On the next day after this the
young man Owe will call him Freely
vent to Tom Amberly, to whom he
lad given hundreds and thousands,
md asked him for the loan of hun
lred pounds.
aIpon my honor, Fred, | wish |
lad Ii; but, really"
The youth waited to hear no
more. He tried half dozen others,
nd with the same result save that
me man, who had won two thous-
md pounds from him at one sitting,
,fFered to give hina fe pounds Dat ne
vouldn't lend him.
Then Fred went to his rooms and
old off his furniture, and gave them
M: and from that time was lost
ioht of for several months.
A ID rio