HOMEWARD BOUND 



blood in a proprietorial capacity for " nowt." That 

 idea will always act as a deterrent, and is not the only 

 good bit of advice that the ruling factor of John Bull 

 has given. He has the capacity for gauging every 

 situation and taking a super-intelligent view of his 

 own. In another way, too, he is an object lesson to 

 many men who want lifting out of despond. He 

 is a supreme optimist, and has been saved in all his 

 darkest moments by a natural buoyancy of disposition 

 and sense of humour — heaven-sent endowments both, 

 I can claim to have enjoyed, perhaps in a lesser sense, 

 both attributes, and the possession makes it possible tc 

 shake off evil dreams, have a gay air in opening th< 

 curtains in the morning, and fancying there is a gleam oj 

 sunshine trying to pierce any old mass of black clouds. 

 I have been up against it so many times that I suppose 

 real reposeful affluence might make me a dull fellow. 



In this thought I am always reminded of a chap 

 many of us knew about town a few years back. He 

 did not go racing always, but Epsom, Ascot and the 

 Parks usually were visited ; he backed horses regu- 

 larly, however. It would be a struggle ; he would get 

 a limited overdraft ; maintain a " float " of cheques ; 

 touch a bit, and generally was on the financial collar 

 — ^always uphill. 



One day he came in for money — a. thousand down 

 and thirty pounds a week for life. It was stipulated 

 that he was never to go racing nor back a horse. There 

 was no power of anticipation, and if he conformed to 

 the conditions laid down, and the trustees were satisfied 

 that he had, he could touch five thousand pounds ready 

 — apart from his annuity — after five years. 



He was very happy until the first Sunday. Under 

 other conditions it used to be his day of days : no 

 post, no duns, no bells ringing, no banks open — all 



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