Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1860-07-28
ROMANCE POOR YOUNG MAN

IL is strange wnat wonders may be ao-
complshed, by industry and perseverance,
in few short years. A few years ago
Tompkins was at home with the cold
man, agriculturally engaged IN the Spring
Summer and Fall, and walking mile to
school in the Winter. At that time he
wore thick COW hide boots, bis hair was
long, ragged and yellow, and his clothes
were vulgar homespun. He had heard of
the city, and now and then had golden
dream about it, but had never visited it.,
but had never seen any of its luxuries aid
refnemcnts, save on one Sunday, when
party of high-toned young drunkards from
town raced past his fathers door.
Having frequently read that the city
'gets all its smart men from the country" ;"
Tomkins obtained the old mans consent
to go thither. He went, and during the
first year of his residence in town he pur-
sued various avocations of mcnial charac-
ter. But he kept steadily onward, and at
length received thirdratc elerkship in a
retail store.
An agreeable change now took place in
Tompkins' personal appearance. He wore
I checkered pantaloons, and there was some
thing almost supcrnaturally elegant about
his nscktie. By hcrculean efforts and
considerable I'll he made his hair "rcll
under" behind and "frizzle up before
Standing before the glass he would Won
der if the old man and neighbors would
know him now. He made new acquain,
tances fast. He forgot his old friends,
Bill Jones, the Hobbs boys, the Browns,
and the other boys of the noighborhood.-
He had forgot all the sweet things he had
said and all the promises he had made to
Sarah Jane, out there in the Peasley
woods, which joined the old mans FARM
Bnt-was ever so much better, he got ac-
quainted with the gay and brilliant blades
who were identified, as he was, with the
retail trade. lie also got acquainted with
the Miss Batknses, the Miss Flipkinses,
the Miss Murkinses, &c.
He was gay, was Tompkins. lie mas
tered billiards, he drove livery horses at
| furious rate in the suburbs, and he got gen.
teelly drunk every Saturday night He
knew the names of all the fancy drinks, of
all the swift horses and the swiftcr women;
and he chuckled to think how very much
more he knew than those low fellows out
there in the old man S neighborhood
lie read the titles of many books, but
never looked beyond them. These titles
he would gaze at very profoundly in Old
Batkins' parlor while waiting for the
young ladies', who were going out with him
to dress. But-to his credit be it said
he read the Eastern literary" papers,
and much good they must have done him.
He was subjected to Il great trial one
! day last summer.
A solitary horseman stopped in front of
Biggs, Jiggs & Cos; an. wanted to know
''if his Jeems worked there p
That solitary horseman was old Tomp
kins. The person he inquired for was the
gay and dashing young fellow we have
been writing about. Now, old Tompkins
was quite man at home. The neighbors
in fact, rather looked up to old Tompkins.
But the idea of his prcsuming to come up
to the city on that Internal old mare, in
that everlasting old swallow tailed coat,
and that old hat and above all those scan,
dalous homemade pantaloons, was actual
ly frightful So James thought. But he
had to grin and bear it; had to take the
old fellow home TO his boarding house,
| where he made such awkward mistakes
that Alfred jenkins and Miss Larkins
came very near choking themselves laugh
ing at him. James was right glad when
the cold cuss" went home.
! Tomkins grows more and more elegant
every day Inc neighborS certainly
would not know him now. His appear
ance is perfectly splendid.
/ Only think of it Let the poor and un-
couth young men ia the country especially
think of it When James Tompkins first
came to the city he was awkward aud pen
niless. Now look at him Gaze on the
iilustrious young man. He dresses beau
tifally, can bow charmingly, can talk ex-
quisitely for hours about nothing, and
owes about every tailor, shoemaker, bill
lard marker, and livery stable keeper in
town
1t can thus be seen what poor young
man from the country can do in the
city if he chooses, and how many of them
do it !
| Rut the Romance of a Poor Young Man