St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-07-24
A BIT OF REAL LIFE.
The Golden Opportunity That Was
Lost.

his VIE, pleasant, nlatrOnly Nollldil, Ho'
far from his own age, and handsomely
dressed. as became the wife of a million
aire. There was nothing extraordinary
about this couple. They were simply ricf
Americans; quiet, unpretentious people,
who lived handsomely, went to church Oh
Sunday, and endeavored to bring up thell
children in a cOmmon-senSe way.
They were on excellent terms with each
other. being of domestic tastes. In short,
they were, with the sole exception of being
somewhat richer than the average. very
creditable specimens of the great majority
of Well-to-dO Americans who do not get
into the newspapers.
The capitalist laid down his paper as the
lady entered. Really, to judge from his
eyes, one would have said he was rather
glad to see her. AS for her. she evidently
had something on her mind,' and her
husband, for the time being, was Of sec
Ondary Importance.
Sitting down, she shaded her eyes from
the fire.
John" she said, 81 am troubled about
Margaret, the nurse"
$50 am l." said John. ''Was thinking
about her to-day"
sis there anything that can be done to
Ildh6 llSI lllC JlcdSdllUcl llldu pAOlllAoSo ~
be after she is married."
"Well-yes. l think there is" and then
he proceeded to detail plan which so thor
oughly conceded with his wife'S views that
she actually-45 as she was-went over to
him aud kissed him.
That's good boy," she said. MAR
gaTets sutton must soon be here for his
usual evening visit. I'll give orders to have
him brought up, and you can talk TO him. 3"
After giving the necessary directions she
went back to the sitting-room. Presently
a heavy tread was heard III the passageway,
and big, sturdy man was ushered into the
library by an exceptionally neat and truSty-
looking maid.
The capitalist rose and shook hands with
his somewhat abashed visitor.
Thank you, Margaret" he said to the
woman. ''I'll ring presently. l want to
talk little business with Mr.. Brown.
You may shut the door so that we shall
not be interrupted"
Margaret blushingly retired, wondering
greatly i'll her honest heart what the ''busi-
ness might be, and resolving that she
would make Tom tell her directly the inter
view was over.
''Well, Brown" began the capitalist,
after giving the visitor chair. on which
he sat as if it were the most uncomfortable
piece of furniture in existence. ''Well.
Brown, you know Margaret has been with
me now going on fifteen years, and, though
we are glad she is going to marry man
who will make her a good husband. l
don't doubt you are that kind of man, but
being good husband is not everything.
You want to get on well in the world and
make good home for you both to pass 4
comfortable old age in. Now, you're a
bricll-layer, believe. L don't suppose you
get more than So day, and that only in
busy times. Margaret says you have rented
rooms in tenement-house in Avenue b.
''That's all right, and l don't doubt you
will be happy there for While. but five
years hence perhaps there will be three or
four children, and you Will still be earning
SIS day part of the time and nothing at
all the rest. You will in all human proba-
bility be a poor laboring man all your
DAYS. Her life and your life will be spent
in a crowded tenement; your children will
at best have but poor chance to rise in
the world, and they will have no end OF
chances to fall-nO matter whether they
are boys or girls.
''NOw, / propose to give You chance to
do better-to become leading man in the
town, to have a good home of your own,
instead of paying rent in a tenement; TO
have fresh air to breathe and opportunities,
If YOU are industrious and enterprising. to
make fortune. will give you and Mar
garet 81, O00 if''-the capitalist paused, and
Brown looked up amazed; he had never
thought of owning SO much money at once,
and the idea daZZled hinl-''if you will go
out west to place l know of and build
yourself a house and get a quarter-section
of ! laRd. . :. ....-,- e.
chanics there, at higher wages than you can
get here, and you can see a hundred ways
in which you can save and make invest
ments which will be sure to yield you a
good return. ''Just think of it, Here a
crowded unhealthful tenement. There, a
house of your own under the blue sky
Here, no chance to do better. There. al
most a certainty with your habits and char
acter, of laying by comfortable fortune
Margaret will be the wife of one of the
best men in town, instead of perhaps tax
ing in washing to help along when you are
out of work here.
''What doyo say, Brown--will YOU do
it?n w
Browns eyes had lighted up. and he had
Strengthened his shoulders instinctiyely as
the capitalist had briefly set forth the pos
slble contrasts in these two lines of life. But
when the question was put direct he hest
tated, shuffied with his feet uneasily, and
at length managed to say:
''Well. it's kind O sudden like. I'd like
to talk it over with Margaret before giving
an answer. It's very good of you, all the
same"
That's all right Brown. Talk It over as
much as you like till the wedding-day. and
then let me know your decision The
$1,000 shall be ready for you the day you
start for the West"
The wedding-day came and Margaret and
her beau waited on their wOuld-be benefac-
tor and. with some shamefacedness. made
known their determination to stay in the
city.
The conversation, substantially as re-
ported, actually took place some six years
ago. Mr.. and Mrs. Brown have moved
often from one tenement house 10 another.
They have three children. and Mrs. B,
the neat housemaid that was. is earning
the major part of the household revenues
by taking in washing, for Brown, when the
cares of married life began to weigh upon
him, took to ward politics and the children
are in fair way to bring up in the work
house, unless sOmeunforeSeen interposition
of Providence keeps them out of it.
Mems Pine Suits
Marked down 25 per cent, at the Red Fig
ure Sale, ''The Boston," corner Third anC