The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1886-05-26

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matter over. There was a very c,n.
siderable portion Of the American
eagle tucked away in my sixteen-year-
old body. and I was too independent
for any thing. I made up my mind
that would not usethe letter Of credit
or accept anv further assistance from
my father. I would cast him off. He
had chosen to turn me away from his
home, said to myself. Never, never
again would I touch penny of his
money. would show him whether
was good for naaght, as he had said.
My plan was to make fortune in short
order. Then I would return to New
York, and as l unfolded my millions to
the astonished gaze of my stern parent,
would snap my finger in his face and
cry:
keep thy wealth. sirrah! wish
none of it!'
'.lt gave me great comfort to repeat
these words. and as thought over my
coming triumph forgot all about my
homesick feelings.
30 dear! don't believe you want
to hear the rest of this story. 1t makes
me blush to think of it. Well, If l must,
here goes.
~ very soon found out that Mel
bourne was full of men who had come
from distant lands to get rich quickly
in the Land of Promise. The city was
full of strangers of every sort; English
men, Irishmen, Americans, Spaniards,
Cinnamon, and dom know what all. 1t
was pretty rough crowd, If the truth
must be told. They were all talking of
the gold fields and the sheep pastures,
and soon found out that these were
considered the two royal roads to for
tune. mingled with the rough. rest
less crowd. and my ears burned with
the stories heard of fabulous nuggets
of gold picked up in the new Ell Dorado.
Men looked at my smooth, boyish face,
and my stylish clothes. with some
astonishment, but they were accustomed
to see all sorts of men and boys among
them, for the gold fever is by no means
a poor mans disease. and ministers and
miners often worked side by side,
grading for the precious mineral which
makes the world so miserable.
..Onc day fell in with smooth,
sleek man who took Il great interest in
me. l told him all about myself and
my plans for astonishing the governor.
Ho said was brave fellow, and ad-
vised me to join his party, which was
getting ready for the gold fields. ! was
only too glad to accept. When woke
up one morning and found that my
new friend had walked off with my
new clothes. my gold watch, my letter
of credit, and all my money, began to
lose faith in the gold fields. The rascal
hal left me his wcll-worn clothes. and,
to show that he still had conscience.
he had placed couple of gold sover-
eigns in the vest pocket.
$50 l tried shcep-raising. perforce.
Now. 1 don't think care to say much
about the two years spent, three hum
dred miles from Melbourne, working
for farmer at seven English shillings
week. 1t was not life to brag
about. For a young man seeking his
fortune it was not success. If you
could have seen Ernest Travers, the
son of a rich man, shelling dried peas,
and helping to wash sheep, and curry
ing horses, all for the princely sum of
a dollar and half week and his
board, don't think you would have
envied the Prodigal Son bit. l don't
care to tell how many quarts of tears l
shed on those peas, or how many, many
times 1 vowed that II ever got home
again would be good boy for ever
after. Ihoarded the pennies but they
came slowly.
"One day, after two years of this
life, threw down my spade where l
was digging, and started on foot for
Melbourne. Do you know what it is
to walk three hundred miles over a
rough country? Ihope you never will.
When reached Melbourne my clothes
were in tatters and my shoes were all
uppers. Twas so stiff that it took me
an hour to walk half mile. and the
big blisters on my feet often made me
cry with pain. and I was no baby
either. Twas pretty looking specta-
Gle! On the road big. tramp took
away my little hoard of money, and all
| had left was few shillings which he
had overlooked. I had intended to go
home as steerage passenger. Now ]
must work my passage.
"But this was not SO easy. Sea cap
tains looked at my ragged clothes and
tangled hair, laughed, and said they
didn't want any help.
II slept at a tramps' lodging-house =
at best it was almost that. For six
pence you bought ticket emitting you
to nights lodging, such as it was.
ate stale rolls, and thought them good.
l had no money to buy better fare with.
Every day passed the bank to which
l had had letters Of introduction, but
pride kept me from going in.
"One night spent my last sixpence
for a lodging ticket. BY some chance
that night the man who took up the
tickets passed me by. kept the ticket
in my pocket, and wondered if could
get another nights lodging out of it.
The next day had nothing to eat
Late in the afternoon swallowed my
pride-and it was all had left to swal.
lOw-and went into the bank.
"'Have you any mail for Ernest
Traverse | asked.
"The clerk looked at me curiously
"What Ernest Traverse he asked
II mentioned my fathers name anG
address.
"'Wait a moment said the clerk
He went into an inner office, and
heard whispering voices and saw curl
Gus faces peering at me through the
glass doors. The room was whirlins
around and my head felt light and gid
dy and queer. My heart was beating
wildly. yet wanted to laugh, and al
the while was suffering cruel agoniel
of apprehension. o, how hungry
was!
"When the clerk came back and tole