Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1869-07-08
The Parsimonious Clerk.

The Parsim0ni0us Clerk.
"Weston," said Mr.. Dayton to one
of his clerks as they were alone in
the spacious counting-room which
was attached to the large store OF
which Mr.. Dayton was proprietor,
"give me leave to say that l do not
think your dress sufficiently genteel
to appear as clerk in fashionable
store"
A deep blush suffused the face OF
the young man, and in spite OF his
endeavor to repress it, tear glist-
ened in his full, black eyes.
"Did not know that your salary
was sufficient to procure more gen.
teel habiliments, I would increase
It,"
"My salary is amply large, sir"
replied Weston, with mortified air,
but with that proud independence OF
feeling of which even poverty had
not been able to deprive him.
"Oblige me, then, by changing
your apparel, and presenting a diff
erent appearance in future. You
are wanted in the store" Weston
turned and left his employer, who
muttered to himself as he took up
his paper, show l detest these parsi-
monious fellows" Mr.. Dayton was
a widOwer, and had but one child,
daughter, who was the pride of his
declining years. She was good as an
angel, and beautiful as she was good.
She was simple in tastes and appear
ance.
Such was Laura Dayton when
Weston May first became an inmate
of her fathers house; and what won.
der is it that he soon learned to love
her with deep and ardent affection.
Their tongues never gave utterancc
to what they felt, but the language
of their eyes could not be mistaken.
Weston was the very soul of honor;
and although he perceived with
pleasure that he was not distasteful
to her, still he felt that he must con-
quer the passion that glowed in his
heart.
81 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 endeavored to
subdue what he considered an ill-fa-
ted passion. Laura had many suit
ors, and some were worthy of her;
but she refused all their overtures
with decisive yet gentle firmness.
Her father wondered at her con-
duct, but would not strive to alter
her inclinations. He was in the de-
cline of life, and wished to see her
happily settled ere he departed from
this world. It was not long before
he surmised that young May was the
cause of her Indifference to others.
The pleasure which she took in hear
ing him praised, the blush which
mantled her face when their eyes
met, served to convince the old gen.
tleman that they took more than a
common interest in each other. He
forebore to make any remarks upon
the subject, and was not so displeased
at the thought as Weston imagined
he would be.
Weston May had now been three
years in his employ. Mr.. Dayton
knew nothing of his family; but his
strict integrity, good morals, and
pleasing manners, conspired in ma
king him esteem Weston. more high
~. He placed unbounded confidence
in him, and 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 threadbare,
which Mr.. Dayton thought proceed
ed from niggardly disposition, and
accordingly he addressed him upon
the subject, as before related.
Soon after this conversation Mr..
Dayton left home on business. AS
hn vaa riding thrOuph n nrattv little
village, he alighted at the door of a
cottage, and requested q drink Of
water. The mistress, with an ease
and politeness which told that she
had not always been the humble cot
ltager, invited him to enter. He
complied, and a scene Of poverty and
neatnass met his gaze, such a. he had
never before witnessed. The farni-