Quasqueton guardian. (Quasqueton, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1856-1858, 1857-01-24

moRE whom he mlngles, wnich gives
him his wonderful popularity, can trace
it all back to the development of his
heart under the hot summer of that love
of his for Dora Anson. | do believe
that the genial smile, the cordial man
ncr, the melting persuasiyeness of his
tones, all owe their development, if not
their origin, to that cultufGo Of his heart.
The sun may have set which shone on
his soul, but it left that soul all ruddy
and ripe from its warm rays. If Dora
had tilted him, it would have left him a
soured man. II she had married him, it
would have left him satiated man. In
either case it would have injured him.
But she did not jilt him-did not marry
him ; he outgrew so sensuous a love as
that, and somehow or other they drifted
apart.
l believe, bowever-and my wife, to
whom l have just mentioned it, agrees
with me-that his connection with Mr.
Nelson had very much to do in making
him the man he is.
You see, when Charley had finished
his law studies, his father and mother
was dead. He never had any brothers or
sisters One or two thousand dollars
was his fortune. Being young man
now some twenty-fve-of fine appear
ance, and talents, and manners, he at
tracted the attention of Mr.. Nelson, a
keen and rich lawyer in the village, and
in few weeks he was settled in his Office
as a junior partner. For some six months
Nelson seemed wonderfully attached to
Charley-coninually spoke of him with
the loudest praise-over-rated him, in
fact. AT the close of this period, how
ever, he suddenly took just as violent a
set against Bell, as he had before for him.
Nobody ever knew the reason of this. /
don't think Nelson himself did. The
truth is, the elder partner was a singular
man. He was always dressed neatly in
black--was rather thin, with a STOPPING
shoulder, retreating forehead, quick
...a: - lsslin9 nd a ranid step. He
was excessively hospitable and generous,
more for the sake of being sort of pro-
tector and superior of the guest than any
thing else. Self-will was the trait of his
character.
But | am writing about Charley, and
have got no time to paint this Nelson
Enough to say that he took as vehement
dislike to Bell as he before had liking.
He ridiculed and opposed and thwarted
him with an astonishing bitterness. Bell,
at first, was staggered with astonishment
then cut to the very soul with such un-
kindness from the last man in the world
from whom he expected it. But it did
him great good. 1t corrected his blind
confidence in every man completely, and
gave him quiet watchfulness of men in
all his dealings with them, which was of
immense benefit to him. 1t DESTROYED in
an instant all his false and colored ideas
of things. The faults of his character
which Nelson pointed out and ridiculed,
and made the ostensible cause of his
alienation, were forever corrected-iust
as wart is burnt off by corrosive subli-
mate Nelson's extravagant depreciation
of him after such exIavagant praise,
gave him, in one word, an impulse to
prove himself unworthy that deprecia-
tion and more than worthy the former
praise, which did more for him than if
his senior partner had given him years
of the most careful instruction and coun-
tenance. Besides, il threw him sudden
ly on himself-made an independent man
of him forever. just what that chest ex-
ercise did for his lungs, that Dora affair
did for his heart, thu Nelson matter did
for his whit deepeled and broadened
and strengthened it &c an unusual degree
1t did very much toward making him
Senator.
My wife agrees with me that the little
love affair of his with Marie McCorcle
had not much if any effect on our friend.
Falling little in love with her when he
was some twenty-six years old, for re-
mark she made in speech when May
Queen, he proposed in a note-was re-
jected ina note. Mounting his horse he
took a ride of some eleven days on busi-
ness somewhere. On his return he was
over with it, except of course the feeling
of pique. The first day of his ride he
chanted, as he told me, the words of her
rejection to Old Hundred, all day long.
over and over and over. The next day
it was to faster tune He trotted his
horse rapidly back, making his hoofs
keep time to the swiftest jig of his recol-