Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1855-09-12

time, took away all his little capital, and
he was about returning with q soured spi-
rit to his spade and mattock; when o.
Shane generously offered to loan him
lenough to make fair start as peddler.
With grateful feelings this kind tender
was accepted.
The interest of the two young men be-
ling now more really united than they had
yet been, and as both were required to
be much from home, small house was
taken between them, and their families
united, in order to lessen expense. This
arrangement continued for about year
and a half. during which period both Lea
ry and O'Shane reaped very fair ,har-
vest on their labors. AT the end of this
time, the former, having saved about three
hundred dollars, laid by his pack, and
opened a "grocery and liquor store.''-
About the same time a situation at the
South, with very fair salary, was offered
to O'Shane, and accepted by him. At this
point, the ways by which the two friends
were to travel in the world, diverged.
They parted with many sincere express
sions of friendship. and mutual pledges
TO aid each other in any future extremi-
| With three hundred dollars, shrewd-
ness, industry, and economy in personal
expenses, success in the "grocery and Ii
quor" business was a thing certain. Six
years from the day Leary put up his 81 ign,
he sold out his shop and commenced the
business fzAawhoIesae dealer in groce<
ries in general, but rum and whskey in
particular, ON Bowley's wharf. He was
then worth some ten or fifteen thousand
dollars, and deemed it but due to his in
creased importance as merchant, to as
sumo style of living rather more impo-
sing than the back rooms and second sto-
rics Of a grog shop. But in gratifying his
pride, Lcary was cautious not 20 put the
main chance in jeopardy. a house at
four hundred dollars rent, and five or six
! hundred dollars laid out inMparlor and
some additional chamber furnituFe, cover
ed the length and breadth of his extrava-
gaucc at this era Of his history. During
the whole of this period, he had heard
inothing from O'Shane, except on his ar
rival at Charleston, the place Of his des-
tination, Ire had represented to him.
and that the situation he had accepted
would enable him, if he kept his health,
10 lay up some little.
The change that had passed over Ter.
cnce Leary in ten years was quite remar-
kable. When he landed from the "Cleo-
patra," he was a fair specimen of rough
healthy, coarse, young lrishman, and res
tanned this appearance until he got be-
bind his own counter, at which time a
gradual process Of transformation com
menced. The corduroy trousers gaveway
10 cass:net pants. the coarse roundabout
to long tailed coat, and the sealskin
cap TO black beaver with shining sur
lace the stout, We'll CREASED brogans
that had carried him a many mile, over
rough roads as we'll as smooth ones, were
thrown aside, and boots. well backed,
Worn in their stead they were the FIRST
blacGed boots that had ever covered his
feet. In this new dress, Leary, at first,
scarcely knew himself, but he was not
long in forgetting that he had ever worn
any garr ents Of an inferior quality. The
constant attendance uDon Gus omcrs, with
the necessity of handling all the various
commodities which he had to sell, preven
ted Leary from making any material al
tcrations in his every day external ap-
pcarance until he ceased TO be a retail
dealer. and wrote himself ga mer-
chant" At this period, the change in
the man was very apparent. He stood at
least two inches higher the reason was,
his chin had become elevated precisely
that much further above the point where
the collar bones rest against the sternum.
lie shaved, or was shaved every morn
ing there was time when once or twice
a week was deemed sufficient. His linen
was laultless and renewed every morning;
his black coat and pants guIltIess Of eve
ry sign Of hard service.
4 few years more, and Terence Learv,
Esq, was man Of wealth, standing, and
importance-One Of the first merchants
in the city. a porter. laboring man, or
clerk, was now treated by him more like
d dog than a human being. He had no
symPathlcs whatever with the poorer
cl"sses-actuaI!y despising every thing not
possessed of golden attractions.
One day, it was twenty years from the
time the ways Of the young Irishmen be-
came divergent, Leary was sitting in his
counting room, when two natives OF En-.
era!d Isle, man and woman, entered
the store. They were plainly but not
roughly.dresSed. Leary recognized them
in an instant; they were Andy and Bid
dy O'Shane. The sight of them did not
give him much pleasure, especially as
there were present in his counting room,
two or three merchants of the ''irst stan~
ding"
Go and see whatthese people want, >"
he said abruptly, and in tone of COM
mand, to one of the clerks. elf they
ask for me, tell them I'm engaged, and
can't see them now =
" The clerk met Andy and Biddy half
way down the store.
lis Mr.. Leary in r. asked O'Shane.