The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-06-23

longer the decision would have been re-
versed. Oh, if-if-if-and have lost
O'Hooligan is beside me. He stands with
his hands thrust down deep into his pocket,
his face is pale, and his lips set together; he
gazes vacanty into the distance
Shot in the back againi" he murmurs
hoarsely, with an oath. Come on my
boy! Rouse yerself! Come and let's liquor,
any way"
1 crawled dejectedly after him to the tent,
for my mouth is as dry as lime-burner's
wig.
Well, that event was the TURNING point in
my life. That bad luck has been the making
of me. 1 will tell you how in as few words
as possible.
i awoke the next morning in the most ut
terly depressed and dispirited condition. |
had a racking headache, of course for, equal
ly of course, l had got most consumediy
drunk after the race. Perhaps that was nat
ural under the circumstances. Mind and body
were in torture. l felt gloomy enough to do
something dreadful | was utterly ruined; !
had no prospects; everything | had possessed
was mine no longer. had not even the
means left to earn my subsistence with. In
day or two more my very bed would be
seized and should be turned into the street
My mind was a little confused you see.
had totally forgotten one thing, and it was
lucky | had, perhaps Not until late in
the day did l remember that l had backed
the Makeshift Colt for a place. So over
whelming was my misery at losing the f3, 900
| had reckoued on, and losing it by such a
narrow squeak, that had clean 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 l was told that tine
| money was the second prize in the sweep
stakes, wherein | had drawn 'the field" as
you may remember.
II Hro Inf of fnnlI LINN I
then experienced. | cheered up wonder
fully when recollected how | really stood
Things were by no means so bad as | had
thought As matter of fact, | had actually
won over a hundred pounds.
That drove me back from the drink Just in
time. More, it led me to reflect. | con-
ceived a disgust at gambling and betting
from that time, and l resolved never TO take
| the same course again.
believe it was the luckiest thing in the
world that the horse backed was beaten by
Cremorne If had won, and | had landed
that big prize, 1 should have been a con-
firmed gambler all my days. OF that am
certain. l should have come to eventual
smash, when there was no possibility OF re-
covering from it. And, likely, as not, 1
should have dragged my poor Lucy into the
mire with me.
That very day, after the Deroy, as I was
reading the accounts in the paper of how the
great race had nearly been carried off by the
rankest of rank outsiders, my eyes lit upon
an advertisement. 1t was a call for emigrants
to go out to New Zealand.
That decided me- had hundred pounds
in hand, and with it resolved to emierate.
| resolved to throw gentIlity to the winds,
to quit the dangerous Bohemia of London,
to give up my foolish dreams of an artistic
profession, and to try what manful industry
might do for me at the antipodes | re-
solved to conquer my own failings, to con-
trNC n
4 a new land.
Within a month l had hidden hopeful
au revoir to Lucy, had been the recipient of
J a farewell supper at the Brush and Palette,
| and was an assistant emigrant' in the steer
age of the good ship Rangitika, bound for
| Auckland.
OF course, I had hardish times at first
Vino hasn't? Chepping firewood. mending
| and making roads, carrying a hod, driving
cattle-these were some of my occupations;
and little enough could earn at them. But
| by and by my old profession stood me in
good service.
One day / accidentally heard a hotel
keeper stating his wish to have sign-board
on his hosse. He lamented his inability
to find a man who could paint it properly,
and said he would willingly stand G5 for
+ what he wanted. / offered to do the Job if
materials we're found me, and, after some
demur was allowed to try my hand specu-
| latively.
Before had finished tine sign the satisfied
| ''boss' commissioned me to decorate his
saloon Orders came in upon me thick and
fast for similar work, and | soon found my
self earning s6 or IS every week.
Well to make a long story short, within
few months I was foreman of a house-titting
firm in the city, and before year was gone l
was partner in the concern and doing a
thriving business In three years from the
time of my leaving England l was able to
send money home to Lucy The dear girl
came out at once and is now my wife
| | have prospered amazingly. AT home /
could never have been more than picture
dealers hack Here hold no inconsidera-
| bic position in the city my business as a
house-decorator having gone ahead and
absorbed into it various kindred branches of
| trade.
| Perhaps cannot call myself gentleman
any longer. On the other hand, | am not
! broken down Bohemian. Look at my
! family. sir. at my prosperity, Look at this
shop of mine in Queen street, and say have
not cause to be thankful that the Make
skift Colt did not win the Derby?
That's my story