The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1901-09-07
Toms Miserable Luck.
BIZ JAMES o. PURDY.

BIZ JAA8S u. fUhO1.
81 dunno how It's our Tom always has
such miserable luck. Pm sure no boy
tries harder for a chance to work, and
no boys capabler than he is, but things
always seem to go against him, some
how"
Indeed, there seemed to be some
ground for Mrs. ellis complaint. Tom
certainly did have great many falls
in his wrestle with the world. He was
bright and active, not vicious and not
lazy. He found plenty of opportuni-
ties to work, but the opportunities did
not last.
tom hasn't got influence" his
mother would sigh in explanation. 1T
takes influence to push a boy on, and
how's a poor boy to get any inauence?"
When Tom was discharged from the
Electrical Works, he assumed that his
place was wanted for the son of some
stakeholder. The managers explana-
ton was different, but Toms mother
believed Tom.
As winter approached, the need at
home was more urgent than ever, for
the mother herself had fallen down the
cellar stairs, and was wofully lame in
consequence.
IL ought to have remembered that
broken STEP" she said, dolefully. tom
was goin' to fix it when it first got
broke, but he kept putin it off, some
how"
Under PRESSURE of necessity, Tom
announced himself as an odd jobber.
He was handy and apt at many things
he could put an electric bell in order,
rig up an electric gas-lighting attach
ment. put a new washer on leaky spi-
got, contrive a kitchen shelf, mend a
broken bracket, replace shattered win
dow-pane. All these things he under
took.
Mrs. Byrd gave him his first trial. She
was not rich, she did not even keep a
servant, but her word of commentator
went far with the many rich people
among her friends. Being interested in
Toms mother, she gave the boy two Oh
three small jobs to do. and he did them
well.
"You might try him." she said to hei
friends, "but don't promise any steady
work till we see how he holds out. Fol
he has had an unbroken run of what hi:
mother calls miserable luck Perhap:
mis- luck has changed now"
So Tom was given good many jobs
Presently winter was close at hand, ane
furnace fires must be started.
Build mine at once" Mrs. Byrd sale
70 Tom. ri will tell YOU exactly how
wish it managed" And she concluded
81 take you on trial for two weeks. Il
depends on yourself whether the tria
shall last longer than that"
Then she was reminded that some DO,
had broken pane of glass in the cellai
window facing north.
"Put a whole pane of glass in there,
she said, before the first freeze. /
won't do to have that water-ppe frozen.
"I'll put it in Tomorrow morning
said Tom.
Every we'll, I'll trust you for that"
The mild weather lasted nearly fort
night after this, and furnace fires wer'
kept as low as possible Tom had sew
eral of them to attend to, but not quite sc
many as at first. Already his miserable
luck had caught up with him again. Sew
eral of his new employers had dispensed
with him. Mr.. Crane told him blunt,
that, since he had skipped day, HI
need not come back to finish weather
stripping the windows. When he wen
to lay Mrs. Wilson's vestibuIe oiIcioth
he found it already in place. 1t was dis
couragiing but still Tom did not give up
The disappointment at Judge Grey
came near making him do that. however
He was called there to put an electri,
bell in order, and to put new wires t.
the gas-lighting attachment He soor
had the bell working perfectly, but whel
ne went back, three days later. with tn
wire for the other job, he found that
regular electrician had been called in hi
stead, and that the work was alread
done. Whyl Certainly no electrician il
the city could do that job better thai
Tom Gill could do it; and just becaus
he had put off doing it for couple Q
daysi
The cold weather came suddenl,
People woke in the night shivering fo
more blankets, and the next morning a
ponds were covered with ice. Then tn
wind rose, and came in an arctic gal
strairht from the north. 1t blew so q
day and all night. and before the secon
morning dawned the cold was bitter.
That second morning Tom was fu
half hour late in getting to Mrs. Byrd
She was in the kitchen to receive hin
and he noticed certain unusual Pr
ciousness In her manner.
II amt inst on the minute this NOR
los 10 ~. With - pleasant lasG'