The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1853-09-07
- THE JoUR's SECRET.
LEAVES FROM THE DIARY OF A JOUR. PRINTED

LEAVES FROM THE DIARY OF JOUR- PRINTER.
"You can take this case" said the fore
man; s'here is stick-here is some copy;
and if you would like quiet and steady
partner, you will find this gentleman still
enough in all conscience"
The partner" merely looked up and
smiled in acknowledgement of the fore
mans 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,
outexchanging word, or even look.
In the afternoon / had more leisure to
study the physiognomy ofmy neighbor. He
was youngsman, of about three or four
and twenty, with handsome features and a
rather intellectual cast of countenanee.
His face was quite pale, and the raven
darkness Of his hair, eyebrows, and eyes,
made meimmediately come to the conclu-
sion, after thoroughly studying his phys
iognomy, that he was hard student dur
ing his leisure hours, or that depriving
himselfof the recreation of books or other
sources of enjoyment, he spent all his
waking hours at the case. The latter sup
D.. position time proved correct.
AS day after day passed by became
more acquainted with him ; and l found
him to be singular character. Beneath
his stand, he had constructed kind of a
closet, which contained a spirit lamp, a
mattrass with bedding, few cooking uten-
sils, and small stock of the plainest kind
of food When the hours for meals arriv-
ed, he would light his lamp, and putting
some food over it to cook, would work un-
til all the rest of the hands had left the
Office, when he would sit down to his fru-
galrepast He worked necessarily during
work hours, hardly leaving the office un-
less to purchase food or upon some errand
of that kind. Morning, noon and night,
when I returned from my meals, I invari-
ably found him at the case, working away
with all his might, as if some great issue
depended upon the Improvement of every
minute. suppose he slept upon the cot
which he keptin his closet; but as he was
always at work when I left at night, and
when returned in the morning, 1 could
not positively assert that he did so. I am
not very garrulous, especially when en-
ployed at thescase, and as he would not
first address me, l would not speak to him !;
so while the fun and jokes were passing
round the other 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 was not prompted merely by de-
sire to make money; for if there is any
thing in phrenology, Judging from the for
nation of his head, he was the very one
whom / would have selected from score
for spendthrift. Occasionally his cheek
would flush, } his eyes light up, and a hap
,py smile overspread his features then the
smile would go away, his eyes would fill
with tears, while an expression of sadness
almost despair-would scat itself upon his
countenance. I have been tempted a thou
sand times to ask him the cause of this, but
he appeared 50 cold and isolated refrain
ed from doing SO as tits not pleasant prof
ferng sympathy unasked.
"Well, how do you like your neighbour
asked one of the journeyman Of me, as We
were descendingthe stairs one evening.
II can hardly make him out, z said ]
che appears to be a strange sort Of a be.
ing. You are better acquainted with hin
than /; how do you like him?' M
'For my part, hate him, and what i;
more, he has not friend in the whole of
fee. That fellow has been here for three
months, and he has hardly spoken to an,
one. A man who makes such bills as h,
does, and boards up his money 1ike. mi
ser, have very little friendships for. w
wouldn't any of us care SO much if h
would be.a little sociable and spend dol
lar, or even dime, occasionally ;but
every fve-cent piece be gets he hang
on to. as if he was afraid the eagle on
would spread his wings and fly away wit
it, doing him out of a.five-cent. piece. BIZ
he can't stay here long. We've insulte
him adozen times; and he has less spun
than ] think he has if he, don't resent
some day. Well get him into quarre
then, and have him discharged" .
But" said !, "do you know anythin
about his history2 Hemay have some al
@.