The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1862-10-11
MY UNCLE,s CASHIER.

You nnst go with very small allowance in
| deed, and You must work hard for q fellow
ship Of some kind, for can leave You nothing
as You know that, beyond provision for you
mother aud the unmarried girls, ! shall leave
nothing behind me when go. If-you do gt
to college, you will enter Il circle the enterins
of which will multiply ten-fold your chance.
Of success in after life; it will give you po
sltiofl In. society of which nothing but ba6
| eontittct on your part can deprive you, and vii
put you IN the fair road TO become what
should like to see yona scholar and n gentle
man. If, on the other hand, you accept vclti
uncle's offer, you will have far larger allow
| anee, as salary, than can give you under any
circumstances, the chance Of succeeding him
IN very good business, and soon becoming 4
man OF some Importance in the commercial
| world. need say no mOre-you must choose
for yourself; i shall want your answer to.
morrow in time TO post; go and think it over
Don't say anything to your sisters or they'll
persuade you to go to Paris for the chance OF
| visiting you there
| Such was my fathers address to me ut the
age OF seventeen. 1t was a difficult question
to decide-Oxford or Paris! Still l did de-
| eide, and next day announced that decision.
81 should prefer going to college, father. at
all events
Glad to hear it, my boy, though the other
course would have been the cheaper for me
Z 0t1fk - fStA kittA 10 ftCz1T Gill
\ Fou; bat IN sending you to college, can do
more than can in any other way. If there's
anything in you, it will come out there if not,
you will not be spoiled for other things after
ward; so God speed you. my boyn
70 college, therefore, went, with only one
I more word of advice from my father. AS |
| left the gate in the hired case for the station
| he said
! God bless you, my boy if you rean 10 he
| anything, don't hear midnight strike too of
ten
Three years passed, and was getting on, >
| us my mother used to tell her friends; in a few
| months more had hopes of getting something
worth having in the shape OF my degree, with
| honors and a fellowship. Alas My hopes
were vain. | had hardly returned to college
| at the end of my third long vacation, when |
| received Il telegram announcing my father S
| Illness and reached home too late to see him
again alive. My college dreams were over-I
| had not IA penny in the world-I must work
| for all | was TO have.
| My uncle now wrote to repeat his former
| offer. l Joy fully accepted it; and a month af-
| ter MY fathers death was in Paris.
| My uacle's house was in one of the small
| streets lying between the Rue Fivicne and the
Rue Montnmrtre, Just north Of the Bourse.-
| 1t was as ms be supposed from its situation,
an old rambling places, with the banking Offices
on one side Of the courtyard and the resi-
dence on the other The offices, the scene of
my new duties, consisted OF Il suit of three
| rooms, communicating by swing doors iii the
farthest sat my uncle, the next was the chief
cashiers or clerks, and the third the Office
proper. a counter stretched along the whole
length of the room, and on top of the counter
ran a high, strong, wire guard, with two or
three small circular openings, through which
the money was passed and papers We're taken.
Behind this guard was to SIT us third cashier
or clerk My uncles business was that of Il
banker, bill, ,diseounter, and money lender; ami
to Judge By the rate at which he lived lie must
for some years have employed a very large
| amount Of capital, or have lent his money at a
little more than live per cent. interest.
My uncle having shown me the offices, took
me over to the house.
MY daughter, Mr. Wardes; Victorine my
dear, Mr.. Wardes. a nephew of mine.
looked al my cousin once and again-she
was worth looking at-a most singular mix
ture Of races was visible in her face She had
high, broad, thoughtful, German torehead-a
man S rather than girl's-a delicate chin and
mouth, with the small teeth SO characteristic
OF the more highly organized French nature,
afld a nose and eyes Enthusiastically TEngiish in
the clear bridged outline of the one, and the
open, fearless gaze Of the others. She WAS Il
curlosity--il new thiDS-and determined to
study Victorine, my cousin.
''You must dine with us at six o'clock
Where did you sleep last night?"
cat the Bedford
You'd better bring your trunks here your
room is ready
''ReaIly, l had no idea that was to live
here
"Where else, boyl Where else =? Paris is
not a cheap place for young men; you'll live
here cheaper than anywhere else; more COM
fortably, perhaps, if you and Fictorne don't
q'larrei"
This was more than had hoped for TO find
myself domicled in my uncle's house.
thought he had done much in renewing his
offer after my previous refusal, but this over
came me.
"Im really very grateful to you for all your
kindness"
"All right, my lad, all right! See and
get your things here, or you'll be late for din
ner.'
AT dinner l was introduced to the chief clerk
For rather, the manager Of my uncie's business
Once or twice noticed his eyes TX them
| selves on me in a way that gave me the idea
of his measuring me. felt annoyed at this
and showed it IA little, perhaps, in the tone OF
| my voice as | answered his inquiries as to the
practices of English commerce.
con-! said my uncle, ''he knows nothing
about the matter, Monsieur Vernay. Ask hin
| TO recite to you chorus from the 'Antigone,
and he'll repeat half the book; but of com
merce-of banking-he knows nothing"
| 1--WE shall be able to teach him our system
| in few years, if he shall stay so long will
| us
'He'n stay longer than shall, dare say
NJ Vernay.''
"Let me hope not, NJ Wardes; you are /;
| young man yet-quite a young man
| ''That may be- but l don't mean to spen(
| all my life in your dear Paris, NJ. Vernay.-
Oh, no" :,
| .|Whateyer comes, we shall do our best witt
| the young gentleman, to make him useful"
felt angry and vexed at this conversation
though the hints thrown out by my uncle were
| plain enough, did not like this contemptuou.
| treatment from his manager.
Moreover, | noticed that NJ. Vernay pait
most assiduous and graceful attentions to Vie
torine, who accepted them as u matter o
course, and this made me still more inclined tt
dislike him
1 NV work was easy enOngh--toO easy.
copied letters, paid away money, and did tn.
work that belonged to my department rs jul
I nior clerk NJ. Nernay was careful to give M,
nothing to do that was not simplicity itself
| and was bored for want Of something tina
might occupy my mind as well as fingers. II
the evenings seldom went out, and was very
| content to spend my time with Victorine, who
on her part, seemed to think the evenings were
| pleasant enough to seem short; SO while pap;
| dozed in his chair Victorine and talked ant
sang to our hearts content.
| NJ Vernay came about once week to din
| ner and eontryed then, and indeed at al
times, to give my uncle the idea that was IL
| need of much teaching as regarded business
| matters.
..How many years do you think, Charles
| 1--WE were cousins, reader,) sit will take you
| to learn to conduct papa 9 business
he, .ai.l