Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-08-15
WHAT Is LUCK, ANYHOwe
Two Stories That Show Few of Its Remark
able Phases.

Two stories That Show . Few of Its Remark
able Phases.
From the New York Herald.
For the benefit of those who believe in that
mysterious factor called luck, and for the con-
sideration of those who do not, venture to set
down these two true little stories, both of which
came in my own experiences:
Mr.. and Mrs. Smith were Q brave honest
couple, with steadily increasing family and
steadily decreasing purse. For the first fifteen
years of their life together they met with mis-
fortune after misfortune. from death to rob-
berry, and last April they found themselves
compelled to move out OF the pleasant house
In which they had started housekeeping be-
cause they could no longer afford TO pay the
rent.
They vent on any number Of house-hunting
trips, but found only one house that pleased
them. But SIS per month was its rental and
that was way beyond the figure they had set.
Still the cheaper houses we're denominations in
their sight, and they kept looking at their
choice until three days before the LIST of May,
when the agent informed them that he had re-
ceived orders to let it go at $50 per month for
q year.
They closed the bargain at once and moved
in joyfully. although they could not help con-
trastlng their superannuated furniture with
the hardwood trimmings and stained glass Of
their new home.
OhC WEN L:tcT tuc OWEet VI Tue HOUSE tfdueu
it for Long Island country place, and it came
into the hands Of Colorado man who
anxious to realize on his eastern investments
and get back home.
He called on his tenants few DAYS later and
offered to sell them the house for IS 600 cash
The house cost 5l2, 600 to build, anu the Smiths
gasped as they thought of the bargain. but as
their cash capital would not buy more than one
chimney they firmly but respectfully declined
the offer.
At breakfast the very next morning the post
man came around with letter from Mrs.
Smiths father asking her to sign petition for
| q settlement Of her mothers estate, over
which there had been fierce family squabble
for ten years.
She signed the petition and announced
willingness to bury the Ratchet, which brought
letter from her brother Offering her $1,000 for
her share OF the property. She jumped at the
offer, saw the owner of the house, borrowed
| 81, GOO on mortgage and held the title deeds
| OF her residence in short order.
Ten days later she received q long blue en-
| velope which contained the news that an aunt
in Kansas had died and left her Sl0,0 When
| she recovered from the shock she paid off the
| mortgage. bought a new piano and q lot of fur
niture to match the house and opened a nice
| little bank account.
Before the month OF June ended Mr.. Smith
secured patent on an invention on which he
had been working for years, and was taken in
as a full partner in q big manufacturing firm as
| return tOr the sole use OF It,
So inside of sixty days this chain of events
raised the Smith family from genteel poverty
| to almost affluence.
Mr.. Jones was an industrious jeweler, who
possessed a CHEEKY wife, a musical daug hter
and cosy home with only q So, 500 mortgage
upon it. One day, about three years ago, a
pedler came into his store with handful of lot
terry tickets, and Mr.. Jones for the first time in
his lite bought one When the drawing came
around he found he had won 5000 and went
nearly delirious with joy.
He cleared off the mortgage and bought a
magnificent ebony-cased grand piano for his
daughter.
That night some one left the water running
in the bath tub. and along toward morning a
section OF the parior ceiling, together with the
chandelier, fell on the new piano and smashed
it into hopeless wreck Three days later the
house took fire and was burned to the ground.
| Mr.. Jones insurance policy had lapsed a
short time before, but he had forgotten in the
| lottery ticket excitement to renew it. So by
making 5000 in the luckiest way possible, he
lost the house and furniture 1t had taken him
| years of toll to secure.
The word luck is still looking for q compre-
hensive definition.