your businesses. You attend to it ably, too; “I didn't mean to scare you,” said Lugdon't imagine that your failure to capture wine, “ but I don't know the ways of the me is due to any lack of ability or effort on town, an' I haven't got an extra cent no your part.”

how, an' you ain't the kind of feller that “Why, thank

you, that's kindly any way,” smokes pipes ashore; couldn't you spare me said the old man, hoping anxiously that the some of your extra smokin' tubbaker ?” recording angel had been listening to the Brown recovered his color and his selfconversation and had taken note of it. possession, and handed Lugwine his tobacco “But I want to ask one favor of you; if you pouch. ever do experience a change, let me know, “There,” said he, “now keep sober on won't you? 'Twould be an awful comfort the way back, and be a better husband to me that so smart a fellow was on the good when you get home. Your wife is too good ship Zion with me."

for you. But wait-come along with me a “You shall know in such a case, I prom- little way.” ise you," said Brown with a smile.

The astonished Bottomite followed in The city had now begun to disclose itself, silence. What did Brown know about him and a very grateful view it was to men who and his wife? Like enough that sneaking had for weeks floated through the lonely Tanker and troublesome Soole and infernal wildernesses of the lower Mississippi. The old Deacon had been telling lies about him. Sam Weller was slowly worked up to the Why couldn'l folks mind their own business ? levee in the upper part of the river, above But where was Brown taking him? Could the almost endless line of smoking steam- it be-oh, sweet heaven !—could it be that boats, and one of the consignees' clerks came Brown was going to stand treat? The old aboard, and the Deacon formally turned the wretch's whole nature was alive in an inboat over to him. Brown dropped down the stant at the mere thought of such a thing. ladder, seized his portmanteau, re-ascended, The couple walked on until they reached exclaimed, “Good morning, gentlemen," to a street containing small shops, all open, as his more leisurely messmates, and was ashore was customary in New Orleans on Sunday. before any one recovered from their aston- Brown entered one of these, in which a ishment at his haste.

number of people of various colors were “Don't seem to want to continner the ac- chattering and bargaining: here he purquaintance,” remarked Soole to Tanker, as chased a small, cheap bright-colored shawl, their late fellow-traveler moved rapidly and handed it, wrapped, to Lugwine, saying: across the wide street called “the levee.” “Please give this to your wife with my

"Well, then, nuther do I,” growled Tan- compliments : good-bye.” ker; “though seein' I let him into the way Brown walked rapidly away, while Lugof makin' money on sugar he might just wine stood at the store-door with eyes nearly have shook hands with me.”

as large as saucers, and watched the retreatLugwine was too much astonished to say ing figure. Slowly the Bottomite found his anything, but his wits were busily engaged tongue, and then he drawled : in taking in the change in the situation; the “Well, I'll be durned! I might have result was that he'sprang ashore himself, and knowd from his cut that he was a ladies' chased his retiring messmate with an agility man, but I never would have 'llowed that which no one would have believed him capa- Almiry wuz just the style that he liked. ble of. Brown had just struck the pave- She is a fine woman though-I can lick any ment, and was regaining the New Yorker's

cuss that

says

she ain't. I hev licked fellers own step and realizing how long it had been when she was a gal, just for sayin' their since he had taken it, when a man ran rap- gals took the shine off of her. Now I come idly 'up to him and clapped him on the to remember, she wuz kinder took by him shoulder. The defaulter shrunk away from that mornin' that the boat started. I hope the touch and dropped his portmanteau from he ain't a goin' to come back an' try to cut pure fright.

me out! Sends her a present by me too

a

me—her husband ! An' a shawl! Won- precious outpouring of the Sperrit in town der what put it into his head! I never since you left; mebbe you've heard of it. thought to give her a shawl. Well, I'll be Lots of sinners have been gathered into the durned !”

ark of safety, an' there's more a-comin'. It's

kinder simmered down now, but there's The crew of the Sam Weller, Brown ex- a prayer-meetin' kept up every night; all cepted, reached Brackelsville in due time, the churches jine in it. You'd better come and the Deacon, who arrived a fortnight around ; mebbe you can bring old Lugwine later than the others, having tarried in into the fold yet if you have us Methodists New Orleans to look after some little specu- to help you.” lations of his own, sought the store of his The store-keeper's slurs upon denominaemployer. Uncle Berryman happened to be tions other than his own were not sufficient without customers when the old man en- to keep the Deacon away from general retered, and greeted his pilot heartily. ligious services, so promptly at half-past

“Good mornin', Deacon,” said he; “glad seven he walked into the Methodist church to see you back. First-rate trip wasn't it? where the union meetings were held, and No leaks, no wrecks, no towin' to be paid took a seat well forward among the godly. for. Ah, the Lord seems to have smiled on The service did not seem to the Deacon to that cargo; do you know I got half a cent differ much from the regular weekly prayera pound more for my pork than anybody meetings of his own church. The flood of else in this town did ?"

excitement had subsided, the noisy eddies " I'm glad to hear it,” said the Deacon. which had whirled sinners about in previous

“Yes,” said Uncle Berryman, gleefully, meetings had quieted, and the drift-wood, “got the offer by mail, as I wrote you, both good and bad, which every flood brings while the other fellows, who hauled to the to torment both friend and foe until it is river an' shipped by steamboat, got to mar- caught and put where it will do the most ket earlier, had heavier freight expenses good, had been left high, dry and lonesome to stand, and sold cheaper after all. I tell by the lowering flood. The hymns were you what 'tis Deacon, “the angel of the Lord much the same as those which were sung encampeth round about them that fear in the Deacon's own prayer-meetings; the him.' What did you pay that stranger prayers offered by habitual prayer-meeting feller, when it came to settlin?”

men of different churches, bore a strong • Twenty dollars, as we agreed to do,” re- family resemblance to each other, and to plied the Deacon.

collections of favorite passages of Scripture; "Sho!” exclaimed the store-keeper, his and the audience would have been recog. spirits drooping somewhat. “I hoped you nized anywhere as a prayer-meeting audience might get him to think it over again and -a body which was remarkable principally get him to take fifteen."

for the absence of those who most needed “He earned his money,” said the Deacon; to be prayed for and those who needed “I never knew a better flatboat hand.”

most to pray. Outside the door and win“Well,” said the store-keeper, with a con- dows lounged several men, young and old, servative air, “ that's no reason why he who had come as escorts to women, but should get more than he was willin' to take. who cared not to follow their mates within Oh, I forgot-how did you get along with the sanctuary. Among these was old Lughim an’ the other fellow that you was goin' wine, and he leaned against the frame of a to convert. I know about how much you did window which commanded a view of his for Lugwine, for the old reprobate went on wife, and particularly of her new shawl, an awful tear as soon as he got home, an' which he considered about the finest article was put in jail for fightin'. P'raps you did of female attire in the State. The old man give him a Presbyterian convertin'—there's occasionally varied his position to relate to some kinds of convertin' that don't strike the other loungers some reminiscences of in very deep. By the way, there's been a the flatboat trip, and the place and occasion reminded him to tell, with great glee, a stranger, to disquiet her own heart for my how the Deacon had tried to convert the sake. I have had Christ preached at me stranger hand, and how he got harder in every conceivable way, my friends, ever knocks than he gave. Through the open since my boyhood; but I really learned to windows came the sound of both praise and comprehend Him for the first time, through prayer, and both sounded dismal to the this low type of humanity, but high form of loungers.

human unselfishness. I have come all the Finally, after the usual number of prayers way back from New Orleans just to look at and hymns, the leader of the meeting an- a being who cared this much for me, and nounced that an opportunity would now be who has made plain to me the nature of a given to any who felt moved to speak. A greater Being whom all other teachers have voice, strange to most of the persons pres- expounded to me in vain. And I beg to ent, but familiar to the Deacon, was heard, impress upon you the truth which this expebeginning:

rience has impressed upon me- --that unsel“My friends.” The Deacon hurriedly fish human lives are the best means of teachtwisted his neck, and saw, standing in a ing to men the nature of God, in whose back seat, his late flatboat band, Walter likeness they are made." Brown. Lugwine espied him at the same Brown seated himself, and Mrs. Lugwine, instant, and his surprise caused him to of whose presence he was ignorant, wept ejaculate in a tone loud enough to be heard silently and happily to herself in the extreme throughout the room:

corner of a back seat. There was a move“ Well, I'll be durned !”

ment near the door, and then the voice of “My friends,” said the strange speaker, old Lugwine was heard exclaiming : “ I am unknown to most of you, but I have “I weaken; if you've got him, there ain't

word to say to those who profess to serve no chance outside for me." God and desire to bring others unto Him. Some of the brethren left their seats and I have long been a member of an Evangeli- gathered around the old sinner, while Brown cal church elsewhere. I accepted religion pressed close to him, whispered, “ Ask your logically, and have urged it upon many wise," and disappeared. another man in the same manner. Then I fell from the position I had occupied, or Some days later the directors of the Dofancied I did, in the church. I left my mestic Bank, having transacted the business home, and believed myself abandoned, for for which they had assembled in one of their good cause, by my friends. I learned what regular meetings, indulged in considerable a hypocrite I had been, and I endeavored to desultory grumbling about small depositors, preserve my pride by sacrificing my belief in customers who were too urgent for discounts, the religion in which I had professed to be securities which had gone down when the lieve, and was succeeding quite well, in spite bank held them, and gone up while the bank of the efforts which a very good man in your should have held them, when there appeared midst made to lead me back again. After in their midst their defaulting teller. Every he had employed all argument—the ablest one was too much surprised to speak, though argument-unsuccessfully upon me, I was one clear-headed old fellow took the precaustill abasing myself, and uprooting my faith tion to slip behind the young man, lock the in what was good, when I accidentally dis- door, and remove the key. There seemed covered that an old woman who was under no at first to be some doubts, either as to the obligations to me—whom I had barely seen, identity of the intruder or that of the in fact-out of pure sorrow for the con- lookers-on, but at length the president redition of mind in which she had detected me marked sternly, to be, was praying for me. This truth I "Well, sir ?” could not shake off or forget, that some one, “Well, sir," replied the young man meekly. and not a being of high order, but one of “What have you to say for yourself ?” your own Bottomites, cared enough for me, “Nothing."

66

« Then you

“ Where is our money ?”

men,” said the defaulter. “I've brought « Gone."

myself here from two thousand miles away, shall go to prison."

so that you might satisfy yourself with me “ I suppose so.”

in any way you could.” “What did you come back for? Who • Why, I believe the rascal has got religbrought you?"

ion,” exclaimed the president, after surveyNobody; I came of my own accord. I ing his late employé critically for a moment came to be punished, as I supposed I de or two. served to be."

“ That's it, sir,” said the young man. “Much good that will do us, who have to “Get out, then,” said the official; “go lose the money you stole,” growled one di- somewhere where you can be of some use; rector.

the bank's too good for you, but jail's too “I've nothing to offer but myself, gentle- bad.” And he went.

THE END.

DR. FRANKLIN'S INVESTMENT.

Dr. Benjamin Franklin is commonly re- some time before it could be used, and gartled as a shrewd, prudent man, who was directed the two thousand pounds to be paid 80 wise in worldly matters that his wisdom over, in equal portions to Boston and to settled into aphorisms still quoted and often Philadelphia, to be used by each town in the relied upon for small change when one is same way, and for the same purpose. making a present of good advice to the The thousand pounds in each case was to young. Probably the character of no other constitute a fund from which loans were historic American has been so clearly writ- constantly to be made at an ordinary rate ten out in men's minds, yet I suspect that of interest to young married mechanics, few have appreciated the large element of who had been apprentices in the town, and imagination which it possessed. No doubt could produce two respectable securities. this imagination was closely connected with Franklin, now in his eighty-fourth year, and his vigorous hope, his confidence in the comfortably placed, recalled the pinched promise of America, and his clear concep- years of his youth, and how greatly he was tion of what constituted the element of well- assisted, when he set up for himself in Philbeing in the State. At any rate the codicil adelphia, by loans of money from two to his will discloses all this.

friends there. It seemed to him that he Franklin held very firmly to the convic- could create a perpetual fund which would tion that in a democratic State there ought at once go on accumulating and at the same to be no office of profit; and accordingly he time render assistance to young men who had devoted his salary as President of the repeated his youth. He guarded the gift State of Pennsylvania to the assistance of quite carefully. In Boston it was to be churches, colleges, schools and in similar managed by the selectmen of the town, todirections; when he came to make his will, gether with the ministers of the oldest a portion of this salary, amounting to some- Episcopalian, Congregational and Presbything over two thousand pounds, was still terian churches in the town, and assuming due, and he directed that it should be ex- that it would always be possible to find pended upon a plan for making the river public-spirited men who would oversee the Schuylkill navigable. But a year later he fund and its distribution, free of charge, he had pleased himself with a fine scheme for directed that no portion of it should ever be the public benefit, so he revoked this be diverted from the main object. Then the quest, especially as he found it would be recipients of the loan were to be not over

a

twenty-five years

of
age,

and great care was for another hundred years, as I hope it will to be taken in the selection of them; the have been found that the institution has amount of each loan was not to exceed sixty had a good effect on the conduct of youth, nor fall below fifteen pounds, and in order and been of service to many worthy characthat the sum available might not be too ters and useful citizens. At the end of this long locked up, he required that each bor- second term, if no unfortunate accident has rower should pay, with the yearly interest, prevented the operation, the sum will be one-tenth part of the principal.

four millions and sixty-one thousand pounds Franklin, by this device, conceived that sterling ; of which I leave one million sixtyhe would not only benefit a steadily increas- one thousand pounds to the disposition of ing number of worthy young men, but that the inhabitants of the town of Boston, and the sum being always out at interest, and three millions to the disposition of the Govthe interest being steadily added to the ernment of the State, not presuming to principal, the fund would constantly grow. carry my views farther.” He suggested that little by little, the people Possibly this vision, which could not help of Boston might invite other towns of pleasing the old gentleman as he saw his Massachusetts to share in the benefit of the modest thousand pounds swelling into such loans; but his imagination took a bolder vast proportions, and doing all manner of flight, being helped to it by his favorite benevolence on the way, was after all a little practice of computation. The old man, more magnificent than his shrewd sense looking upon the youth of the nation which would be prepared to admit in the case of he had done so much to establish and re- any one else; for we find that he utters a calling, perhaps, his own famous calculation half doubt of its becoming realized, when as to the future population of the United he adds the clause : “Considering the acciStates, sat down and computed how much dents to which all human affairs and his thousand pounds would amount to at projects are subject in such a length of time, the end of a hundred years from that day; I have, perhaps, too much flattered myself and then, pleased with the looks of his sum, with a vain fancy that these dispositions, if he did another one and computed for another carried into execution, will be continued hundred years' growth; but being a man without interruption and have the effect who kept his imagination within bounds, he proposed. I hope, however, that if the stopped at that point, and decided that the inhabitants of the two cities should not trust which he created should expire before think fit to undertake the execution, they the beginning of the twenty-first century. will, at least accept the offer of these dona

“If this plan is executed,” he says in the tions as a mark of my good will, a token of codicil, “and succeeds as projected without my gratitude, and a testimony of my earnest interruption for one hundred years, the sum desire to be useful to them after my dewill then be one hundred and thirty-one parture.” thousand pounds, of which I would have the Both Boston and Philadelphia accepted managers of the donation to the town of the trusts; and as the hundred years since Boston then lay out, at their discretion, one Franklin's death is drawing to a close, it is hundred thousand pounds in public works, worth while for the expectant heirs to which

may be judged of most general util- inquire what sort of an estate will fall to ity to the inhabitants ; such as fortifications, to them. The history of the fund in Bosbridges, aqueducts, public buildings, baths, ton is recorded in the various acts of town pavements, or whatever may make living in meeting, and after the incorporation of the the town more convenient to its people, and city, in the acts of the Board of Aldermen render it more agreeable to strangers resort and trustees of the fund. The operation of ing thither for health or a temporary resi- the fund was to be two-fold; to aid young dence. The remaining thirty-one thousand mechanics setting up in trade, and to acpounds I would have continued to be let out cumulate as a fund for public works. on interest, in the manner above directed, Franklin died April 17, 1790, and at a town