The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1860-07-14
Frezn tie Iowa SaSs.sl J0zrzal.
THE TWO CLERKS.
BIZ KRIS. CAROLINE 4. sorLE.


shelf, and flung bis yxrd stick under ,h
counter, and then TO an inpEom.u nelod
be sung gaiiy-
..Apsther Iuestsy'. work IS eore,
Another gooa time has Begun
"Come Jimmie, hurry up" to anothe
young man about his own age. "A lot o
boys have hired big sleigh, and are goin;
down the river apiece-ssy ten, or fifteen, o
twenty miles, and then coming back rs ia
IS '.Holrs,. where we're going TO stop an.
have little dance. You'll Join Us woa'
yous come, say yes, for once now. like
good fel!ow,.-and he txirled his Estl
mousraehe, and run b fingers lightly thro
his curly locks.
"Thank you, Henry, but I'm engaged ,hi
evening""
Engaged, engaged I'd Ike to know i
there was ever an evening when you wereu'
engaged. Pray, what do you do with your
self: Is there pretty girl in the ease
if th re is, Ill release you, and say moth
ing.n
"So pretty girl,"-and James SeytoI
smiled, 'but an old man who expects Ii,
punctually at half past seven"
San old man J who is he, pray. An ole
Pd ike to know
considerable about these times, seeing
that spend four evenings out Of every week
with them"
1.-The deuce you do, thought But whc
are they, and what in thunder do you want
with them.'
"0ne is Professor Molineux, Of whom
take lessons in French, and the other i.
Professor Blackman. who is initiating me
into the mysteries of book keeping"
''French ! Bookkeeping! What do you
want to know about either of them for :
What is the use of a poor clerk bothering
his brains about the parieyUoIs of folks
over the ocean, or about single and double
entry. Tell me if you can.'
81 will, as We walk along, Henry, and
James linked his arm within that Of his gay
companion. 81 am not satisfied with being
4 poor clerk-l want to rise little in the
world as | grow older. | want to earn me
competence, at least. want home and
a little something at interest TO look to if
dark days should come. | have no rich
friends 10 push me. have only my head
and these two hands to work with and
mean to use them. receive FIVE hundred
dollars a year now; if understood book
keeping in part, only, could get thousand;
if understood it thoroughly and practical
ly, could get fifteen hundred if under
stood French, also, could get two thou
sand. Think of that, Henry,-it would'n
take me long to save up enough TO get me a
snug little nest. And then, besides the
money, | should have the satisfaction Of
knowing | bad a capital in my head one Of
which no man could rob me.''
Sand for this, you deny yourself all rec
reation, Jimmie shut yourself up like a
hermit, and never take a bit Of fun
YOU'RE mistaken, Henry. | have plenty
of recreation. | get good walk three
time. II day, going to and from my boarding
house. Then | attend lecture at the
Young Mems Institute, every Wednesday
evening, and Saturday nights have good
time practicing with the choir Of the church
| attend. My lessons never last later than
nine O'Clock. which gives me good hour
for reading before bed time. And then |
have the mornings, Henry, and much can
be done in them, if you are an early riser,
which | am habitually. la the summer
take u long. walk into the country, and nsv-
err fail to find something to add to my
herbarium or specimen shelf, while in win
ter have grand time with my skates"
"But your fan, Jimmie. When do you
have that"
"What DO you call fun, Henry 2"
"Why, getting together a lot Of fellows,
and having a grand good time-a little
dance, or little spree Of some kind, with
perhaps game of euchre or whist, and al
f-lvaa nf Dli H., 4 a..
finish with. l don't see as you have any
such fun"
81 do not" said James, gravely, Sand
Henry, lot me tell you, that the less you
have of it the better for your future for
tunes. Such fun is risky even fer rich
mems sons, whose fathers names and
purses can help them out of many scrape:
but for poor boys like you or |, it is perilous
n the ext: eme. \ merchant may tolerate
, fast young man in society, bu; never in
his countingro There be exacts sobrie.
y, punc,ual,y, and the nost rigid morality.
on are in dangerous track, Henry, and
)eseech you TO leave it while you have
strength. You have everything to encourage
sou IN an honorable course. You have
good looks, and those 20 good way with
, clerks fortunes are quick and yet easy
n your movements; naturally afable and
polite retentive in memory, and accurate
n calculations. You have done well so
.ar.'
Sand Imean to do well hereafter, Jimmie,
)ut as to denying myself ali youthful en-
an old bach of myself
before | am eighteen, I'm not going to do
t. | have ny aspirations as well as you.
shall yet be junior partner of this frm, or
greatly miss my guess, and that too with
,ut knowing how to ParieypoRS francois, or
% read balance Sheets
A crimson lush spread over James Sey-
on's handsome face. AS his rafting COM
,auion finished his last sentence, and
making no further reply, be bade him good
,yening at the next corner, they parted.
Punctua!ty at half past seven, he went TO
he private rooms of Professor Molineux,
md spent an hour and half in reading
french. \ brisk walk brought him to his
boarding house, where he found the coal
ire he had kinded before he went out, now
, cheerful light and warmth over his little
BEDROOM. As he stood before it rubbing
lis hands in the red blaze, he held an
imaginary conversation in the language he
rad just been studying, sni corrugated half
! dozen of the most irregular verbs. Then
With satisfied look, he sat down to one of
he Attest publications Of the day, and took
lis recreation. Shortly after ten, he re-
red, frss bending his knes--as his mother
ons since saint in heaven, had taught
him, when be was q child +; and reading
,hsptsr from the Book Of Books. By
.levsn o'clock. his measured breathing told
hat be was sound asleep, and if We might
udse by the quiet smile that sofsened
.hous his lips listening to angel whispers.
Before sunrise he w.s up and had bathed
lud dressed. Th. first golden ray found
lin out ef doors with his SKATE. upon hi.
,rm. 4 walk Of mile broagh; him to a
arsc pond, now frozen to CLASSY smooth
le... /; WAS the work Of moment TO strap
IN hi. skates, and then he started off on the
cs With lightning velocity, and for an hour
.njsyei to the utmost the quiet, but exhil-
,rasins ra.iimc. Then with qujckened
,uI.es, and crimson cheeks, be returned to
lis boarding hou.e-partook of his break
'a.s, ssve half en- hour to his N orning paper.
,uayinc carefuIly the Commercial items, and