Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1858-09-30

e
sunshine behind and sunshine before So
look upon the shadow as monitor,
friend, and take lesson from its unvaryins
industry" r.ss- Sos .s
"You have grown quite philosopher
the Young man said, sadly, as he fondly ca
e ressed the delicate hand that was without
any coyness placed within his; shut you
E always were placid and hopeful, / ,0,H try
but oh! Lucy, it is hard to part with those
we love. Years may eiapse before we meet
again. and then-then-"
"Nsver, Frank Webster" replied the
maiden, earnestly. sLucy Dixon's heart
was not given away lightly or to one un-
deserving, and she will not refuse her hand
when the proper occasion arrives, unless
upon such proyocatien as Christian girl
ought not to. overlook. Have the same faith
in me, Frank as have in you. trust you.
/ "Dear, dear Lucy returned the young
man, earnestly. MAY Heaven shower
every blessing on your head. / do trust
you-I will"
!! Leaving them 10 their sweet I. though
mournful .conference-for they were about
Ito part for an indefinite period-and what
is sadder 10 young hearts than the parting
4 of ioyers-se will say something about
their previous history. : y .--s--.z 80. 80
Both were orphans. and each had been
brought up by relation. Lucy Dixon by
an aunt, Frank Webster by an uncle. Lucy
| had received wLat is called a good education
| for country girl in hum5Ie life, and for
tunateiy for her it happened to have been a
practical one. She could write English
with propriety, knew little of arithmetic,
but she knew a good deal more about house.
keeping She was what is called famous
manager, and performed her work with
such tact and delicacy that few noticed
she was working until she had worked, and
hard too. She was bee, without its buz-
zing or sting. Her aunt dying, she found
herself the possessor of few pounds and
little furniture. >Alone and unprotected,
what was she to ID!
Frank Webstsr had been educated in a
different manner altogether, as it was only
natural he should have been. His uncle,
being chldless, doated upon him, and beiH
thriving, although small farmer, placed
him in neighboring grammar school,
where he received a classical education.
and the good old man even denied himself
some indulgcn:es to allow him three years
study at one of the universities. So that
when Frank Webster had passed his TWEEN.
ty-irst year he was a good scholar, knew
Greek and Latin, was well up in math-
amstics and had even taken to Kant and
the German school ofphilosophy His uncle |
was proud Of him; but the former happen
ing to die suddenly, host of next-of-kin
puunced on his property, and Frank turned
his back on the home Of Ms childhood with
just one hundred pounds sterling in his
pocket. What was he to do! He knew no !
business or profession. Having no friends,
the Church was closed against him; and as
to the law,hIs pecuniary means forbade him
to look to that as resource. What was
he to 60! London suggested itself to his
mind; and, after short deliberation, to
London he resol, ed to go and try his for
tune, as hundreds o. thousands had done
before him. And Lucy, his dearly betroth-
ed, what was she to do with her scanty
purse, We shall see.
To town Frank Webster came, with no
settled aims, no defined purpose. He trusted
to chance and his own abilities. Poor fell
low! hewas swaihed up in his own shadow
the very moment he entered the metrop-
oils. Being duly located at coffee.house
his FIRST step was to make tour of this
wonder of the world, London; the second,
to visit some old college friends, who having
selected professions, were laboriously pur-
suing them; his last, to see what he could
do for himself. He had a high opinion of
his own powers, and felt confident that he
could fill any position either in law, divinity
politics, or lfteratere. He had recourse to
the papers-eyery young man similarly sit
uated does the same-and day after day did
he carefully peruse those advertising COL
unns which are SO eloquent an index to the
splendor, business, wants. and miseries, Of /
the metropolis of the world.
At the end of month he found nothing
that would have snited him. He then ad- !
vertised his own wants, with, at the end of
a mhntq, no better result. He began to be
alarmed, and took 10 authorship, hat tempt.
ing refuge for the frIend!ess and embarrass-
ed who fancy they have talent 1t is one |
of the leading peculiarities of large class
Of he voung men of the present day, that ifl
they have received a tolerable education. |
they rush TO the conclusion that they are
geniuses. Some aspire to the stage
others to the press-o;hers to the high |
art OF writing books, and astonishing the |
world with new ideas. A few succeed, bu, |
they are very few, and their success is pnr |
chased by severe privations and the most
umiiating notifications. The rest, after
faint struggle, fall back on less ambitious
pretensions, and seek livelihood in more
humble and profitable capacities.
Frank Webster, who really had ability
belonged to this aspiring class; bu, he had
no genius. He possessed The machinery OF
thought, but not the tact, solid judgment,
and keenness of perception necessary to
give it adequate motive power. He there
tore wasted his time and abilities by not
knowing, or earnestly striving to know
what to do with them, to say nothing of any
/ power 10 keep on doing when he had made
the grand discovery. His continuous quer-
eious complai mt was, %" am only shadow,
iuselessly travelling round the dial of mis-
fortune" However, he die write a book ;,
full Of Greek and Latin, and, in his opinion
a very learned composition. By the advice
OF an acqua;ntance he forwarded il to an
eminent publ and in due course waited
| nnon that Wort hr uantlo-...