Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1853-11-17
The Faithful Clerk.
BY MRS. z. wELLsIoNr.

You cannot stop the course of Gu
lpiG's arrows; they will hit when leas
Expected, and leave a mark that n,
Ipatent medicine can cure. Mr. Bos
well went to the great city, full for
Hty years ago, as a poor boy; but hi
worked bis way up by 'clerking it,
until he went into business for him,
self. He then hired poor young
men, like his former SELF and among
the rest took Sam Offing, as a boy
Ito do messages and run on errands
lin particular, Sam was always des-
IIpatched with small notes to his mas.
ters house, and while he was sitting
in the entry waiting for ma'am to
return an answer - for she was ter
rihle slow penman-l little Nancy, the
rich man s daughter, made his ac-
quaintance. Sam wins bright boy,
rather precocIous, ha d an interesting
way to an muse the little girl, so that
by and by size used to enquire OF
her father, ''ifi he were not coming on
some errand again soon?" And there
was never any long suspensions in
his calls, for it either rained and his
master wanted an umbrella, or a
friend was invited to dinner, or he
had heard something of Importance
to communicate, SO that Sam was
dispatched with the message. And
then he was great favOrite of the
old lady for lie was very exact and
truthful two excellent traits in any
messenger.
For years this sort of transmitted
intelligence was conveyed by Sam.
He was no longer the little boy,
but a tall, graceful youth, and little
Nancy was some way in her
teens. Now, he used to be invited
BY the daughter into the sitting
room; he was no longer called Sam +.
but Samuel. Miss Nancy and he
discoursed of concerts, theatricals.
and lectures, and once in a while
Samuel attended the same church,
and would peep over to his masters
pew, and catch a glance Of Nancy 81
blacIx, lustrous eyes. ''But what ifI
she did return ii e glance?" thought
he, "Iam theson pfapoor widow, ouly
a clerk; it Is all nonsense to think pfI
being a aJorte, only as | am faith
fill in the old ma MS services Bit
somehow Nancy did show wi H.,
ming ways. She halfway invited
him to come and take a seat in the
pew--or rather, Eve have always
room enough" and when she gave
heT birthday parties, she insisted pp-
on Sampel's being invited. The old
lady thought at first it would never
do, but Nancy pleaded 50 hard, at
last she told her father in considera-
tion of his truthfalness he ought to
be invited, and none Of the company
wo uld recognize him, but she should
be so delighted to introduce him to
her acquaintances as Mr.. Offing!
She did so, and many inquiries
we re made by sundry young bellies
as Ito 'who was that handsbme young
ma An?9 All this flatterf ID Nancy S
van nifty, and increased her Affection !
She he now had low conversations when
he came Of errands, ard once her
mother detected her in writing note
to him. She reproved her temerIty,
which seemed not a bit TO a hatcher al
ia ehment. Finally he II mother
th ought Of sending her from home
to abate the silly girls love, and be-
in obliged to tell her Eat her, be pro-
tested she should be sen TO a con-
vent rather than disgrace herself in
tHis way.
But Samuel was SO well versed in
bis mercantile affairs; he knew 50
much better than himself the char
aGter Of his customers, a1 d had such
ready tact in detecting any eva
! live artifice. that he saved him thou
"a nds annually, and this fact was not
ID be overlooked by dismissing him
rTon service. But the affair with
Miss Nancy was not to be passed
Without repr0yal. Boswell had al /
ways been on the most in'llila'e
terms with his clerk, and now ne
could SO reprImand him IS 20 accom-
plish his purpose and de{troy his at
t thchment for his daughtef was to him
a puzzling enigma. lie Vas mistaken
however in one of his conclusions