Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-07-20

in my life. That bad luck has been the
making Of me. will tell you how in as
few words as possible.
awoke the next morning in thu most !
utterly depressed and dispirited condi- !
ton. / had racking headache, of course,
for, equally of course, | had got consumed
ly drunk after the race. Perhaps that was
natural under the circumstances Mind
a2d body were in torture. I felt gloomy
enough to do something dreadful. was
utterly ruined | had no prospects
everything possessed was mine no long
er. had not even the means left 10 earn
my subsistence with. In day or two
my very bed would be seized and should
be turned into the street.
My mind was little confused, you see
] had totally forgotten one thing, and it
was lucky | had, perhaps. Not until late
i'll the day did remember that / had
backed the Makeshift Colt for II place.
SO overwhelming was my misery ut losing
the 1000 had reckoned on and losing it
by such marrow squeak, that l had clear
forgotten the saving bet.
/ had turned into the Brush and Palette
moodily to seek what solace | might find
there. Suddenly some sovereigns were
thrust into my hand, and was told the
stakes, wherein / had drawn "the field"
as you may remember.
} All, it was a fine revulsion of feeling |
then experienced cheered up wonder
fully when | recollected how | really
stood. Things were by no means 80 black
rs had thought. As II matter of fact, |
had actually won over a hundred pounds.
That drove me back from the drink lust
in time. More, it led me to reflect
: conceived disgust at gambling and bet
ting from that time, and / resolved ne, err
to take to the same course again.
: | believe it was the luckiest thing in the
world that the horse I backed was beaten
by Cremorne If had won, and had
landed that big prize, I SHOULD have been
II confirmed gambler all my days. OF
that l am certain. should have come to
, eventual smash, when there was no posi-
bility of recovering from it. And. likely
as not, should have dragged my poor
Lucy into the mre with mo.
: That very day after the Derby, us was
, reading the accounts in the paper of how
/ the great race had so nearly been carried
off by the rankest of rank outsiders, my
, eyes lit upon an advertisement. 1t was n
call for emigrants to go TO New Zealand
That decided me. had hundred
pounds in hand, and with TINT I resolved
; to emigrate. l resolved to throw gentili-
ty to the winds, to quit the dangerous
5 Bohemia of London, to give up my fool
1 ish dreams of an artistic profession, and
to try what manful industry might do for
me at the Antipodes. resolved to con-
7 quer my own tailings, to concentrate my
energies, and to seek fortune in new
} land.
Within month had hidden hopeful
e au revoir to Lucy, had been the recipient
of farewell supper Mt the Brush and
Palette, and was an assisted emigrant'
r in the steerage of the good ship Rangi-
tiki, bound for Auckland.
l OF course, 1 had hardish times at first
e Who hasn't Chopping fre-wood,
r mending and making. roads, carrying a
Y hod, driving cattle-these were some OF
, my occupations and little enough could
r earn at them. But by and by my old
e profession stood me in good service.
T. One day / accidentally overheard no
: tel-keeper stating his wish to have n sign.
board On his house. He lamented his
t inability to find man who could paint il
: properly, and said he would willingly
/ stand c5 for what he wanted. l offered tc
. do the job if materials were found me-
G and, after some demur. was allowed tt
: try my hand speculatively.
r Before had finished the sign the salts
n fed "boss" commissioned me to decorate
his saloon. Orders came in upon me
/ thick and fast for similar work, and
+ soon found myself earning f6 or fS every
/ week.
!, Well, to make long story short, with
:. in few months | was foreman of II house
c fitting firm in the city, and before a veal
t was gone l was partner in the concerl
f and doing thriving business. In three
Years from the time of my leaving Eng
2 land was able to send money home tc
t Lucy. The dear girl came out at once
r and is now my wife.
S l have prospered amazingly. At home
: l could never have been more than pic
e ture dealers hack Here hold no incon
e siderable position in the city, my business
r as house decorator having gone ahead
and absorbed into it various kindred
| branches of trade
, Pehaps l can not call myself gentle
t man any longer. On the other hand,
f am not broken down Bohemian. Look
+ at my family, sir, at my prosperity Look
ut this shop OF mine i'll Queen street, and
} say have not cause to be thankful that the
Makeshift Colt did not win the Derby?
: That's my story.
III