EPISODES I.Y PILOT LIFE.

441

Into the life of a steamboat clerk, now dead, had dropped a bit of
romance—somewhat gi-ote*que romance, but romance nevertheless,
"When I knew him he was a shiftless young spendthrift, boisterous,
good-hearted, full of careless generosities, and pretty conspicuously
promising to fool his possibilities away early, and come to nothing.
In a Western city lived a rich and childless old foreigner and his
wife; and in their family was a comely young girl—sort of friend,
sort of servant. The young clerk of whom I have been speaking—
whose name was not George Johnson, but who shall be called George
Johnson for the purposes of this narrative—got acquainted with this

1 HE Ci.tJN0 TO A COTTOX BALE.'
young girl, and they sinned j and the old foreigner found them out,
and rebuked them. Being ashamed, they lied, and said they were
married; that they had been privately married. Then the old
foreigner's hurt was healed, and he forgave and blessed them. After
that, they were able to continue their sin without concealment. By-
and-bye the foreigner's wife died ; and presently he followed after her.
Friends of the family assembled to mourn ; and among the mourners
sat the two young sinners. The will was opened and solemnly read.
It bequeathed every penny of that old man's great wealth to Mrs.
Gfeorge Johnson /