The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-11-25
BY c. c. HAHN.
Copyright. 1910, by the Associated
( Literary Press.)

Copyright, 1910, by the Associated
Literary Press.)
When came Of age stepped into as
nice little fortune az any young man
need wish for. and said to myself;
Il have enough OF an income to live
o life OF leisure. l shall enter into no
business now and lose the best years
of my lii for enjoyment. When tiEed
OF amusing myself shall take up some
empioyment--as a pastime.
why should not man make business
q pleasure. just as he does travel, mu
sic or yachting7"
At the end of my first year i found
that I not only had used up my in
come, but had also cut off generous
slice from my principal At the end OF
three years--and / never was dissi-
pated--I had come to my last IS bill.
and when l spent 1t, wrote across its
face, Good by, Bill. You are my last"
Then began to look about me for the
business that was to be a pastime.
/ had always been firmly convinced
that X man really wanted to work
he could find 1t. But, strange to say.
when / started out in search of a posi-
ton. found none waiting for me to
step into. My friends all gave me good
advice. They did not know that my
fortune was gone and I took particu-
lar pains not to eniigh,en them. l had
that much worldly wisdom. / did not
want either their sympathy or their
cold shoulders. Their advice was al
ways to the effect that no one could
really engage in congenial business
without investing money. and they ad-
vised me to do so. They even went
further and brought forward schemes
in which to invest.
ho ali 1yull mi n
regard to the business and the men
with whom l would associate, and in
my search for employment neither
business nor men came up To those
ideals. Consequently. for the first year
my efforts ut earning "A living were ex-
trefnely varied and not marked with
the brilliant success / had expected.
At last ! settled down as real estate
agent. That, l thought, would bring
me among none but pleasant people,
or II 1t did l could easily get rid of
them. / took out a license. rented an
ONCE, and actually found myself en-
gagged In a business entirely my own
and without investing money. My
friends, as usual. were kind. They all
listed their property with me, whether
they wanted to sell II or not. But even
here there were some uncongeniai
things which did not suit me. There
was Jones. for instance. He had de-
lightful piece OF property, burt his low
est price was $1,000. while my friend
Brown. who wanted To buy 1t, would
not pay more than $4,000, When |
grew wiser. learned that the property
was worth only $500.
AT the end Of my first month pawn
ed my gold watch To pay office rent and
my boys wages. AT the end of the
second | began To dispose OF my ward
robe and speedily reduced II to one
suit. Then ! requested my landiady
10 ALLOW ME to occupy one corner OF
her garnet and began living on two
meals 1ns uase,- a-t tstst haif my
office 10 man Who could afford TO pay
rent At the ead of his second month
he failed with the requisite rental and
offered to take the place of nay oifce
boy as payment. 80 my office boy
went
In the course OF time / got down to
extremities. slept iii nay office and ate
when and where | could. also learn
ed faiioring-~so tar AS Keeping my
solitary suit la repair
One great and happy day | consum-
mated Il sale and built air castles as
TO how / would spend the commission.
IL never came Eater ] learned that
commissions frsfm that particular man
never did come. II was hard. but II
taught me caution. After this | saw
TO It that my commission was In sight
before closed a deal.
But things took turn at last.
had q beautiful cottage on my list,
and one day handsome carriage
stopped before my door. and In came
= widow whom l had slightly known
In my moneyed days She wanted
that cottage-~wanted II hadly--but at
ter looking over the terms. said.
Mr.. Saviiie. I must have this place.
But I cannot pay cash unless you can
md q purchaser for my brown stone
house ON Madison avenue. IL I could