Middletown transcript., 1891-05-07

/ man is walking with that parcel
Dost thou perceive how everybody il
going somewhere and doing some
thing" And, indeed. the young mar
; need have had no greater example Of
energy than Mr.. Joshua himself, who
pulling out his watch often from time
|, to time, was evidently intent on get
ting through no end of work before
, evening.
When evening came, Amos asked
if he could go out and try to get q
sight of Mary, as he was SO fortunate
as to be near where she was.
And how wilt thou go to her, and
and with what sort of a tale ?" said
the Quaker &" how wilt thou answer
i her questions when she asks thee
what thou art doing, and how much
: nearer marriage thou art ? | should
be ashamed" said he, Ito have
asked to see my Sarah under circum-
stances like these and, indeed. I am
doubtful if she, on her part, would
have seen me. Now take my advice
young man." said Mr.. Joshua re :.
main here quietly with me this even
ing, and let US talk over matters. and
tomorrow thou shalt return with me !;
and tell thee it will be worth ten
pound note to thee, and more, if thou
dost not go to see that young woman.
am not going to tell thee how it
will be worth so much money, Tut /
do tell thee that it is SO, and if thou
takest my word thou wilt find it SO,
too"
That night the good Quaker kept
Amos at his lodgings, and talked with
him over his affairs, and over his
faults, which were surely amongst the
most important of those affairs.
"Now, will start thee," said the
good man, only on one condition,
and that is, that thou wilt promise
never to 60 to see thy Mary until thou
canst give her a good account of thy
self and thy concerns-or, at any rate
Of thy industry and efforts-one such
as thy conscience can approve of"
These seemed very hard lines for
poor Amos. Still he agreed to them,
for his e10O was slipping fast away.
On the following day good Joshua
Helps went to the Hollington carrier,
the successor of Amos's father, and
1 then and there made an agreement
/ with him that the young man should
have the place originally offered to
him. Mr.. Joshua himself advanced
what was necessary, on condition that
/ il was repaid to him in due season.
Very many struggles had Amos
with himself as he, for the first time
put on his carriers clothes and pre-
pared to start with the team, but he
overcome them all. Honor, graf
itude. the hope of fgetting Mary Crust,
and of shortening tie dreadful time
during which he could not see her.
all spurred him on to 10 the thing
which was right.
Two long years bad passed away,
and now Amos had fairly and honest
ly set himself to work. The long
road journeys, the "all weather., !"
which he had to meet, the old carriers
exactness in everything-to a farth-
ing in money, to minute in time
all helped to make him a business
man.
| At last the happy days come near.
The old carrier sent for Amos one
morning, and told him he was begin.
ming to feel too old to go to the
London stage any more that he was
about to give the journey up to him.
And now when Amos began to re-
feet seriously on the past, and see
where he stood at the the present, he
felt that he had earned the right to
see Mary. and could give her by word
of mouth good account of himself
but first he felt he ought to consult
his friend, Mr.. Joshua Helps.
"And now," said Mr.. Joshua,
"canst thou pay me back what have
advanced for thee, for whilst thou art
in debt there is nothing thou canst
call thine own"
"Aye, here it is" said Amos, pull
ing out a great leathern purse, and
counting the money out in guineas on
the table. "I brought it, for I could
not answer Mary if she asked me if I
owed anything"
Then go and see thy Mary" said
the Quaker; and when thou comest
back, come and tell me how she is,
and how much she has saved"
Folks may wonder what the Quaker
wanted to know about Mary's savings
ings for, but he bad a reason of his
own. He meant Amos now to marry
Mary, and he meant to help them, too,
but he would not put his money where
it would not be safe-into idle,
dreamy, spendthrift hands.
So Mr.. Joshua bought up the busi-
ness of the Holington carrier, and
also the stage which dashed past
dreamy Amos with the four gallant
grays, and he made a fine business of
them all.
Amos Dyke now changed the
wagon for the coach, and drove the
grays many q time himself. He
never drank, and never dreamed at
least by day. He worked like an
honest man and at last, by Gods
blessing commenced q new year him
self the proprietor Of the whole con-
cern. One thought often came into
the mind of Amos and his wife, and
that was. how delightful 1t would be
to purchase the old mill. As time
wore on this also was accomplished,
and Amos Dyke and his wife had the
pleasure of seeing two Of their own
sens prospecting in it.