Year: 1871

CLAIMS for a living and whose name is John
although the boys called him Jack Bre-
vet, l think you may recall me-"


"Jack Brevet," he murmured; "well,
I'll take it for granted you are Jack Brevet
as you remember what used to say to him;
but he was a clever little shaver of four
teen or fifteen, and 1 cannot realize that
this stout heavy bearded man is he."


"Twenty years make great change in
all Of u.s." l said "but what are you do
ing here in this shape?"


"Dead broke" was the sententious an
swer.


"That's very evident; when did you
feed last?" inquired.


ebay before yesterday" was the trem-
bling answer, weakness and long fasting
unmanning him so that few sobs escaped
him, although he tried to control himself.


ebay before yesterdayr' I shouted ;
take your hat, old fellow, and stir your
stumps for a short distance )" and followed
by my old pedagogue, hastily made my
way to neighboring restaurant, where l
soon had the satisfaction of seeing him
tuck under his old camlet reasonable sup
ply for small menagerie, my only fear be-
ing that he would overdo the thing


Did you ever see hungry man eat 1
don't mean man with good peclxish ap-
petite, but real out and out hungry one
-one who has been on short allowance for
some time and the commons poor at that {;
that is the kind of hungry man mean,
and that is the kind my old instructor was.
He wasn't bit particular as to duality I;
it was the quantity he wanted, and l almost
fancied that the first few mouthfuls went
down like deep sea lead, bringing up with
thud. Our Teutonic restauranter cast
many glance of approval on his customer
as he quietly slowed away the prog.


"Eat hearty, and give the place a good
name," said, when after a good half hour
of steady feeding, he pushed back his chair
from the table, saying, "enough is as good
as feast"


"How old are you, Mr., Seymour ?" I in
quired, as we were returning.


"Forty-two - was his brief answer.


"Forty-two! Impossible! l went to
school to you over twenty years ago." l
said.


"Exactly; l commenced teaching at
twenty, although l looked fully five years
older" he replied.


l could hardly realize that my old master
was only six years my senior. concluded
that his strange life must have aged him as
it did, and as we now were back in the
house, / asked him to give me his history
after leaving Nantucket; but before doing
so, got out of my trunk some of my un-
der clothes, which had shrunk so with
washing that thought they would answer,
to which / added a pair of heavy boots and
a calico shirt that / had bought in Jews
shop in the mines, that had proved entirely
too small


"Now, Mr.. Seymour, while you are TAX
ing good wash and changing your duds
for these, / will have smoke outside -
So / left him a short time to himself, think
ing he would be less embarrassed if alone.


When ! returned again, said, 81 have
a family at home to support, and as I am
out Of business l cannot do any more for
you than have you stay quietly here and
share my living, such as it is until you can
better yourself; in the morning will visit
some townsmen, and get up contribution
without telling who it is for, and get you
some decent clothes for you to solicit en-
ployment in."


AS said this the tears stood in his eyes,
and he finally managed to say, 81 have
been everywhere, even among cannibals,
and yesterday / wished heartily that l
was back again out of Christian land !;
but tonight, feel some hope in me, and
while must accept your offer temporarily,
will try not to be a burden too long on
you, and if can ever repay you l will,
tenfold."


Little did he or then think that the re-
turn would be made as soon as it was, or
in so substantial manner but in Cali for
mia in its earlier days, the poor man of
to-day was the millionaire of the morrow.


How did you come to this country ?
for when last heard Of you, they told me
you were in Boston, rich.


"While my California experience is
similar to hundreds, presume the way l
got here is somewhat peculiar; in 1s47, l
inherited from an uncle in Boston quite a
fortune, and concluded to go on wild spec
ulation. Having heard in Nantucket, from
the old whalers there, how easily fortunes