The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1864-04-28
THE PARsIMONIOUs CLERK.

| xAUC10ONAONC IIlH kNns
| .. lBY I. n. WHITNEY.
Il "Dimes and dollars, dollars and Dimes
An empty pocket the worst of crimes
"Weston," said Mr.. Dayton to one ol
his clerks, as they were alone in the spa
cious cou nting.room, which was attached
to the large store of which Mr.. D. was
proprietor, "givo me leave to say that
do not think your dress sufficiently gen
teel to appear as clerk in fashionable
store" A deep blush suffused the face
of the young man, and in spite of his
endeavors to repress it, a tear glistene ed
in his full, black eyes.
/ "Did / not know that your salary was
sufficient to procure more genteol babili
ments, / would increase it," a t..#
"My salary is amply large, SIR re-
piled Weston, with . mortified air, but
with that proud independence Of feeling
Of which even poverty had not been able
to divisc him.
"Oblige me then, by changing you,
apparel, and presenting a different sp-
pearance in the future. You are wanted
in the store" Weston turned and lef,
his employer, who muttered to himself,
as he took up his paper, show l do detest
these parsimonious fellows" Mr. Day
ton was widower and had but one child,
daughter, who was the pride of his
declining years. She was good as an
angel and as beautiful as she was good.
She was simple in her tastes and appear
ancc. Such was Laura Dayton when
Weston May first became an inmate of
her fathers house, and what won der was
it that he soon learned to love her with
deep and ardent affection. Though
their tongues never gave utterance to
what their hearts felt, yet the language
of their eyes was too plain to be mista-
ken. Weston was the very soul of homer
and although he perceived with pleasure
that he was not distastefal to her, still
he felt that he must conquer the passion
which glowed 10 his heart.
II must not win her heart" he said
to himself; 81 am penniless, and her
father would never consent to our union.
Thus he reasoned, and thus he manfully
ondeavored to subdue what he considered
an illfated passion. Laura had many
suitors, and some who were worthy of
her, but she refused all their overtures
with decisive get gentle 6rmness.
Her father wondered at her conduct,
but would not strive to alter her inclna.
tions. He was in the decline of life, and
wished to see her happily settled ere he
departed this world. 1t was not long
before he surmised that young Weston
was the cause of her indifference to 9th.
era. The nlnasnre which shn took in
hearing him praised, the blush which
mantled her face when their eyes met,
served to convince the o!d gentleman
that they took more than a common in-
terest in each othor. He forebore to
make any remarks upon the subject, and
was not so displeascd at tho thought as
Weston had imagined he would be.
Weston May had how been three years
in his employ. Mr Dayton knew moth.
ing of his family; but his strict intcgri-
ty, good morals and pleasing manners,
conspircd to make him esteem him high
ly. lie placed unbounded confidence in
him, aud was very proud of him. He
wished him to dress as we'll as others,
and had often wondered at the scantiness
Of his wardrobe for although Weston
dressed with the most scrupulous regard
to neatness, his clothes were almost
thrcadbare, which Mr.. Dayton thought
proceeded from nisgardly disposition,
and, accordingly, he addressed him upon
the subject, as before related. Soon
after this conversation, Mr.. Dayton left
home on business. A he was riding
through pretty little village, he alighted
at the door of cottage, and requested
drink Of water. The mistress, with an
ease and reliteness which told that she
had not always been the humble cottager,
invited him to enter. He complied, and
a scene of poverty and neatness met his
gaze which he had never before witness.
cd. The furniture, consisting of moth
ing more than was actually necessary,
was SO clean and neat that it cast an air
of comfort all around. A venerable old
man sat by the window with his staff in
his hand. His clothes were whole, but
so patched that they seemed counter
part of Joseph's coat Of many colors.
"This is your father, presume" said
he addressing her.
"1t is, SIR"
"He seems quite aged.'
"He is in his eighty third year, and
has survived all his childrcn but my
self"
"Have you always resided here 2"
"No sir; my husband was once veal
thy but indorsing ruined him, and we
were reduced to this state. He soon
after died and two of my children fol-
lowed him.
"Have you any children living p
"One sir, who is my only support
My own health is SO feeble that | cannot
do much, and father being blind and
deaf needs great deal of attention. My
son will not tell me how much his salary
is, but | am sure that he sends me nearly
all of it," s@
"Then he is not at homo ?"
"No, sir, he is a clerk in New York. F"
"lndeed! Pray, what is his name p