Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1856-06-02
Tne WmIrE OOrTACE


For ths Wheeling Iuteiiizenesr.
THE. APPRENTICE PRINTER;
-,1ss AND
Tue WuIrE COTTAGE.
One evening about twilight, young man en-
tered q restaurant, in the city of --;; his
hurried gate and restless manner indicated an
unquiet spirit, while his pallid brow and faded
check bore evidence of one who had passed the
rugged ascents Of life; endured its toll and par
taken its cares; still, the flashes that occasion
ally emitted from his dark undimmed eyes, the
Z. i,enignity that beamed III his counteuance, and
the big thoughts that struggled for utterance'
ca his trembling lips, denoted-on devoted to u
cause .'that made ambition virtue"
Yesterday, he was an Apprentice Boy; to-
day. his own master. Years bad elapsed since
he had been in this restaurant On public
day he had then come here to procure some re-
treatments; the room was crowded, and one of
the aristocrats of the city rutlely pushed him
aside, snecring,y stigmatizcd him an Appren-
ticc Boy, and ordered him to give place to a
geatlsmaa All day he had been in the aPpren-
tice procession. and was weary and hungry, but
he retired before the proud man that had so ar
rogansly spurned him.
On his way home, he sat down on the marble
steps of one Of the many private residences that
ornamented this city, to rest, and to restore ex-
hansted nature. The badge that he wore on
this public day denoted that he was an appren-
tiee; his apparel, that he was poor; and his
hngnid appearance, that he was hungry and
weary. a little girl came to the door, saw
him, and went ia and returned to him with some
food The indignity that had been offered to
him to-day sunk decp into his warm heart, but
the fairy form of this little girl on her mission
of charity. revived his spirits and hopes. lie
resolved that he would SO demean himself in his
apprenticeship that it should be an honor in
stead of stigma upon him; he would struggle
on in life, and prove himself tho worthy recipi-
ent of this little girls charity.
As an Apprentice Printer he mastered all the
mystery of his trade; he did morc-hc never
safe the bread of idlcness" but cultivated his
mind, became wcll-truinei thinker, and fin
ished writer. To-day-the first day of his free
dom-he revisited this house to review the past,
and to renew his resolution lie passed into
the same room, called for bottle Of wine,
tasted a glass of it with't!e nauseating grinace
of one unaccustomed to the beverage, then or
dcred plate of oysters, tasted them, pushed
them aside, and gave indu ,ncc to the thoughts
that occupied his mind. Allie had accomplish
ed in life REQUIRED to him the indisnity that
had been inflicted upon him years ago, in this
same room, was yet fresh in his mind, and he
felt his heart still swell with the ambtiohto be
the man who would vindicate the Apprentice
Printer. The old printing Office was to him the
inviting fed, and with his high resolution and
fixed purpose he returned to it, and became in
stalled in the Editorial chair. He had been an
Apprentice, endured its toll, lived on its scanty
rations bore tho contumcly of the proud and
tho mean; and now, to reform the apprentice
system, to limit the hours Of labor, to extend
It's education, to bring tho mind to tho relief of
the manual powers and elevate the toiing mil
lions, Were now his high purposes and ain, and
70 this, he devoted his energies and applied his
talents; and he graduated ia the service of the
toiling millions With a name and fame of which
any man might be proud.
But he was poor, and name or fame could
not supply him with the comforts of life he
was sick and it would not feed or clothe him.
Impaired health and poverty, with their pale
cast Of thought" might have defeated the pur-
porsc Of his life; but the proud aristocrat that
insuited his order in the indighity to the APP
prentice boy, passed by HMM his tiara of splcn-
dor, in the pomp of his atiiueuce, and impaired
fresh stimulus to his dropping energies.
Another passion then possessed him it was
the passion to make money, to realizl fortune;
and with him became the all-absorbing one
Long his exertions vera bafhsd, his aim frus-
trated; but patience, the ''young and rosy lip
ned eherubim," that brightens the clouds of to-
DAY with to.morrow's hopeful ray, chcered and
sustained him, and at last the lucky day came.
Prosperous man was he! the precious banc"
was acquired, and his fortune made. He had
considered money as power, and he desired to
enlarge his usefulness; he believed it the means
of extending his happiness and desired to at
tain to all man could enjoy. But when he had
attained this, he felt that he had net yet reached
his browning point, and as he one day strolled
along the street, amid the city's busy world, he
approached a crowd assembled at the door of a
real estate auction room; boy in the service of
the concern handed him bill of the sale; it was
the WHiFs CoFFAes estate-an estate that he
knew well, and had often admired and almost
coveted. 1t was crying at five thousand five
hundred dollars, and in the language of the auc-
tioneer-.Just a-gOihg, going" He bid six
Thousand dollars. and it was struck off to him.
He ordered the deed to be made to - and
he would pay the rsouey to the vendor, at the
restaurant over the way. The vendor executed
the deed, aud he gave check for the purchase
money on one of thecity banks. TheyendOr of
The estate then remarked, with some emotion
.sI'he men that you see cycling US 50 anxiOusly
frora the door are my creditors; they are impa-
dent to divide among them this money, which I
have been compelled to auction OF this estate
10 satisfy; It Is the last OF my estate, all of
80 S,...sfsf q, ,vt,sf is called