Plymouth banner., 1853-09-29
THE J0UaYEINiI'S SECRET.
Leaves from the Diary of a JOurneyman Printer,

"You can take this case" said the
foreman: "here is stick-here is some
COPY, and you would like quiet and
steady partner, you will find this gentle
man still enough in all conscience.
The "partner" merely looked UP and
family smiled in acknow owledSment OF the
foreman's compliment, and kept on with
his work, while the foreman turned away
to attend to something else.
We worked on steadily until dinner.
as we were in hurry to get the paper up.
without exchanging word. or even
look. In the afternoon had more les
ure to study the physiognomy of my
nrighbor. He was II young man, of "a
bout three or four aud twenty, with
handsome features and rather intellec-
tual cast of countenance. His face was
quite pale, and the raven darkness of his
hair, eyebrows and eyes made me imme-
diately come to the conclusion. after tho
roughly studying his physiognomy, that
he was hard student during his leisure
hours. or other sources OF enjoyment. he
spent ali his waking hours a the case
The latter supposition time proved cor
rect.
As day after day passed By | became
more acquainted with him; and | found
him to be singular character. Beneath
his stand, he had constructed kind of a
closet, viii ch contained spirit lamp. a
mattress with bedding. few cooking
utensils and a small stock Of the plalnest
kind of food. When the hours for meals
arrived, he would light his lamp and put
ting some food over it to cook. would
work until all the rest of the hands had
left the office, when he would sit down
to his frugal repas.. He worked inces-
sanity during work hours. hardly leaving
the office unless to purchase food or upon
some ~rrand of that kind. Morning, noon
and night, when returned from my
meals, l invaria bly, found him at the case.
working away with all his might, as if
some great issue depended upon the i'm
provement of every minute. l suppose
he slept upon the cot which he kept in
his closet; but S he was always at work
when left at night, and when | returned
in the morning. | could not positively !
assert that he did so. am not very gar
rulous, especially when employed al the
case, and as he would not first address me 4,
l would not speak to him, so while the
fun and joke were passing round the 9th
c, cases, we were silent as the grave. /
was not long in discovering that there
was some mystery connected with him,
and that his intense application to labor
svas not prompted merely by desire to
make money; for if there is anything in
phrenology. judging from the formation
of his head, he was the very one whom l
would have selected from score for a
spendthrift. Occasionally his cheek
would flush, his eyes light up, and hap
py smile overs pread his features; then the
smile would go away, his eyes would fill
with tears. while an expression of sad
ness--almost despair-would seat itsel
upon his countenance. | have been
tempted a thousand times to ask him the
cause of this, but as he appeared so cold
and isolated, i RETAINED doing so, as it is
npt pleasant proffefing sympathy unasked.
well. how do you like your neigh
bor?" asked one of the journey men of me,
as We were descending the stairs one eve
ming.
81 can hardly make him out" said i
''he appears to be strange sort of being
You are better acquainted with him than
/; how do you like hin?'
''For my part, hate him, and what is
more, he has no friend in the whole of
flee. That fellow has been here for three
months, and he has hardly spoken to any
A lyor l.. iI-, ha
does and boards up his money like mi
ser, have very Aittle friendship for. We
wouldn't any of us care so much if he
would be little sociabe and spend a
dollar, or ever a dime, occasionally; but
no--every five cent piece he gets he hangs
OIL TO as if he was afraid the eagle on it
would spread his wings and fy away Will