The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1896-05-22
NEVER DESPAIR.

VINO mas not heard or read about
London bridge, that famous thorough
faro Of England's busiest centre Of
traffic, Of its endless stream Of human
ity passing to and fro in their daily
pursuits. of innumerable tales OF
woe, Of livos lost, misspont and for
lorn, Of tragedies. occurring only to
be at once forgotten and followed by
more startling crimes, the inevitable
result aud outcome of everyday life
in the English metropolis--the seat of
untold wealth and untold misery
that unrolls before us the depths Of
human nature, only too often in their
most revolving form?
Il was a dark aud foggy evening.
The hour when tho tired toilers seek
the comfort Of their Preside, when
everybody goes to his home-provided
he has home-has come and gone.
Suddenly two pedestrians approaching
from opposite directions came to a
sudden and rather unpleasant collision
on the bridge. One Of them, young,
and dressed in the height of fashion,
had come from the aristocratio re-
gions of the West End, while the
other, who had approached from the
laboring districts of Southwark was
much older and was poorly clad.
BOUNDS, sir" exclaimed the
younger of the two. "your Uranium is
not exactly bolstered up with springs,
assure you. Why could you not
get out of the way when you saw me
APPROACH"
The other, evidently a laborer,
shrugged his shoulders and threw n
longing look across the railing to the
dark waters of the Thames below.
where were you going post haste?"
continued the first speaker, noticing
the mans detected attitude.
"Therep came the hoArse answer,
pointing down to the river.
"There? Well, my man, our road
is the same. Take me with you!"
The poor laborer cast surprised
look at the well-dressed young man.
"YouP" he said. "You to go down
tbere9 Impossiblel What has put
such q dreadful thought into your
headP You are surely not suffering
from want; you cannot possibly know
the sorrow and the misery that is the
poor mans portion? You look like {
rich man, you have youth besides
consequently you are happy and to be
envied!"
Wrong, my friend, altogether
wrong. Wealth is not always akin tC
happiness, responded the young
man. ''Come, rouse yourself, l cal
see things also have gone wrong Will
you; walk with me short distanc,
and let me explain"
STRANGE Here were two person
who had not even known Of eacl
others existence five minutes before
but withal, they found themselve
drawn toward one another by that
sympathetic flash which so often infu
ences our destinies.
Peaceably and contentedly the
walked side by side, while the ric
man poured his heart out to his poo
companion, telling him with impul
sive words that he led anything but
happy life, although possessing every
thing that usually goes to make iii
worth living He was a bachelor VIII
had inherited great wealth from hi
uncle. He had drained the pleasur
cup Of all kinds of amusements ha
kept servants, horses and carriages
numberless friends had congregate
at his splendidly furnished apartment
and in his country residences; he ha
even widely speculated without rhyn
or reason in Lombard street, but VIC
in spite of his folly; he had trayele
pc had celebrated orgies, he had live
like a sybarite and thrown away b
money with both hands and now
as tired Of life, satiated and blase
aireA.