The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1871-01-31
Sticking to the Point.

4 friend Of mine who was in business aud
IN need OF clerk. advertised, but out OF the
whoe Ium Der of taoSs who presented them
selves only enc shu. the door tight as he
veat out OF the Office. This one was imme.
dlateiy called back and employed.
4 little while stLarward another friend, q
successful lawyer, advertised as follows
WAETED.-A young man 10 work in attor-
Ieys Office, and also to read law at his leisure.
Apply to John Smith, Is Dunlsp street, b
II was the conviction OF my friend that
wAa: is most desired In lawyer Is a certain
cool iud cement, which holds on TO the main
poIuE 10 Il given case, sad allows no side
issue 10 warp the mind from iss anchored
position. ! have often heard him say, In
the end, tbs lawyer who, having hit the nai!
On the mead, kseps driving It IL until i: Id
countersUn4 in the conviction OF botn Judge
aai jury, Is the leader who succeeds bes. at
the bar of Justice. ! always select for nv
students such young men Us have this quail
lty, aud i almost Invariably ind it lodged in
II Is that are incin ed 10 stick TO the point"
On the dGv following the publication Of
above notice, Mr.. Smith had III the loren oou
dozen applicants In person. He babe
them wait his pleasure; then when they were
a.! seated around him, he addressed them es
follows:
Before We proceed to business my young
friends. wish TO tell you story"
OF course no one objected to this.
"On Deacon Whites barn." began Mr.. S.,
there perched one evening an owl. The
Deacon wss slightly superstitious, and not
tAncying the h0otiUg of the lugu brious visit
eat, he took his gun, stole out softly, got
within good range, leveIed his gun at the
omlnoas intruder, and fired. Now the barn
was old and full OF chinks and holes, and il
beng very dry time, the trescherous wad-
ding Immediately set fire to the hay
inside, and in an instant the
entire fabric was in hsmes"
80 dear dear = cried the deacon, - how
can | release al my COWS, oxen aad year
hngs, and my sheep and horses, in Season
10 save them ?' for the wind was high, and
Is It always happens, it increased in fresh
ness as the ire COINED in fury.
Help help be shouted.
did the folks hear him in the house ?"
asked Alfred. II shall call the applicants
by their Christian names
IN ot directly" said Mr. Smith. "The
deacon lost time in getting out the cattle.
Hs found them frantic with terror and un-
manageable. While engaged in loosiDg &
stout young bull, the latter suddenly turned
his hons and pierced him. I'm gored I'm
gored = he exclaimed, IN agony, ust as his
terryr stricken wife came to the rescue
Did hs dep
He was injured seriously" resumed Mr.
Smith. ''Feeling faint he was obliged to go
ead lie down. The woman ran for doc
tor. When she returned, the piteous below
lag of the tortured and dying cattle fell On
her cara. The thrilling thought quickly
lap bar bua hap in no
burning ruins? Had be veDsured beyond
his strength again, and fallen helpless
victim ?'
40, my husband my husband = y
ibid he answer ~ inquired Charley, with
anzieus face.
WAS be in the FIRE ?" asked David
There was no reply continued Mr..
Smith, save from the cracking timbers and
means Of the doomed animals. Presently
she heard the voice of her only son among
the flames"
"'HeIp help he cried.
The mothers heart ready to break
She fastened to rescue her darling boy"
ibid she save him 2" asked Edwin.
$50, hope she didn't get burned herself,
said frank.
Please tell US, sir, whether they were
burned to death, 4" pleaded Grant.
well" resumed Mr.. Smith, THE poor
deacon died of his wounds
TOO bad, said Henry. ale was brave
man
And his son was badly burned
80. awfui!' exclaimed Isaac.
"A nd the widows clothes caught fire, but,
luckily, Que of the neighbors tthere was
none living very near arrived at the scene
OF destruction jus, III season TO extEngu;sh
tae fames'
threw the buffalo In the wagon over her, /
suppose ?"
You are right" said Mr.. Smith "And
he released one Of the best horses'
Nv as he burned at all :" arked Karl.
"Only a little scorched," SAID DIR Smith.
And so the narrator went on until he had
depicted the consequences in detail of the
cad event. Then he paused. His audience
was silent-their sympathies had been
deeply touched. Each one seemed silently
plying the poor, afflicted family. But one
boy sat unmoved through the whole story,
ana said nothing. And now that the nara
tive was finished, and pause had come,
he deliberately looked into Mr.. Smith 8
face in straightforward manner, and
asked
'Did he hit the owl?"
This was the youth tina, stuck to the
point, and the one that the lawyer selected
from the twelve. The story had simply been
manufactured FOR effect.
In illustrating the fruits of advertising, an
EXCHANGE SAWS: "a family in Florida los.