The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1866-04-28
THE LOST PoCKET-BooK..
BY VIRGINIA F. TOWNSEND.

T. eL =
Ola certainly it seemed to me thai. morn
ing that Hope and had shaken hands. fer
ever.
Looking at that time as I do now. over
years which have brought me wisdom and
experience still feel that was in. too sad
case to smile over itnow,faA few words
will strike out the leading feature of my sity
uation. l was boy, just fifteen years old,
orphaned Of father and mother. was
without near kindred IA the world, saving
Susan, my hllessister, more than two years
my junior sgsa sts5s.airr a.. las. .y.sya5s y
g., Since the death Of my parents which, fol-
lowing closely one on the other, transpired
about my thirteenth Birthday, I had held q
situationJbetwix under cle,k and erraudF
boy, in a9REge mercantile warehouse - sz
can cay with sincerity that / bad been
diligent and faithful, constantly stimulated
by the nope of advancement and an Increase
of salary, which would enable me to assist
my little sister, whom l loved better than
anything on earth, and who now made a cold
home wlth-distant kindred, neither gentle
nor generous. who, having reluctantly re
ceived the orphan into their family from
some stingy sense of duty which their con
science would not utterly dsallow, resolved
that that should be as little care or expense
to them as possible.
They were not deliberately cruel to the
orphan to whom they gave unwilling shell
ter, but her Lille was starved Of all tender
ness, her daily tasks certainly went beyond
her young, fragile powers, and body, soul,
heart, were all defrauded of their rights to
life and gladness in the only home that
opened to the pet and darling of our house
hold. my little sister. Susan Loring
And surely the sharpest psDg which 1 ex-
perienced that morning was the tho'r of her
all the. comforting, courageous letters l
had wIitten-all the consolaton-all tie
pretty promises l had made of taking her
away 10. a little wnile-just as soon as my.
salary vas raised. were all over now.
could not say again-"Take heart, little sis
ter before long we shall be together once
more" That was all done now, for this
very morning l had been dismissed from
my situation iu-t1e wanehouse-not from
any fault of mine, my employers had dis
tinctly assured me, but nephew of one of
them. older and lstrouger than I, was to
succeed me, andfso The blow fell. and allmy
young hopes with it. ~ eguCb I5H.R
What could / do On all sides the dark
ness seemed to settle thick about me
Friend nor kindred had to lend me help
ing hand in that season of EXTREMIST trial,
and as I bowed my head on the table in the
small room of my b afdiDg house, the only
course which Suggested Itself TO me was to
run away and 60 10 sea. 81 zoe p. - ~
In my case 1t was hardly, ''ruhptng away, .
however, for there was no human beng
who would place the Smallest obs tacle in
the way of my departure. But no vision.of
the wide. blue sea--oflthe fair foreign coup
tries 1 should yisit-rof marvellous scenes
and stirring adventures, kindled my boyish
enthusiasm as the fhopght Of this new,
strange life suggested itself to me. L only
remembered one little lonely heart that
would acher-one small, sweet, pleading
face. drowned in tears over my departure.
Poor little lonely Susie 70 l said. II
could bear il if itowers not for you.''
At last put on my cap, and IN kind of
desperation hurried down to the wharf of
The lazy old seaport town, where a new life
seemed to eoncentrate around the great YES.
and iIling the air With their sounds of bus
tle-of lading aud unlading go
Asp approached company of sailors.
who were busy rolling great boxes and bar
rsls 1on the deck of a large vessel that was
to sail in day or two for the East Indies, a
handsome carriage drove slowly past me,
aud stopped before one of the great ware
1 houses which lined the wharf. Isaw gen
tIeman aiight. turn moment TO address q
lady inside. thrust his hand in his pocket,
take out large book. open this. evidently
4 offer the inmate of the carriage portion ol
4 the cOnsents, recIaspa the pocket book pause
q moment 70 see the driver spring to biz