Middletown transcript., 1873-09-13
popular Nlistellanp.
A STORY OF A LIFETIME.

In the city Of Portland. Me. in the
memorable martial year Of 1861. respect.
able merchant was moved to grave anxiety
by his only daughters iufatuation with
masculine admrer, Of whose an,eccdents
and character it was very difficult for her
or her family 10 gain any definite know
ledge She had been introduced to him
in mixed company, on some semi-public
occasion. by an acquaintance knowing him
ouly slightly and BY name His FIRST sub.
s,qucnt call upon her at her home had
been without formal invitation and, in
deed, his forwardness in improving the
introduction would have been resented by
the Young laly herself but for her mmc.
date strong liking as the phrase is, for
the man
He was handsome and geutlemanly
aud. beyond this. had what she persisted
in regarding as a face 10 be implicitly
trusted
Her parcnts--hcr fathcr in particular
refused To- accept this latter characteristic
in lieu of all other ordinary guarantees u
social trust worthlness and after expos
,nlatins vainly With her against encpnr.
aging an acquaintance with visitor Of
whose nri gin aud avoea,inn no ane in to 10
seemed able to give any satisfactory in
formation. took renewed pains To ascertain
uha, manner Of person their daughters
suspicious almiger really wag
Little w little came the discovery TINT
lie lived in covert way by his wits \
friend Of the merchants VA. sure that b.
had once seen him cnming out Of gaming
house another. who boarded IN the same
house with him. reported tia, be kept
strange hours
In short the father succeeded in gather
ing enough information uf ,hi. kind To feel
justified IN assuring his daughter thut her
now devoted caller was Lot respectable
character, and declaring that he mus, come
TO the house no more The parental fpnlt
had been IN GLOWING the acquaintance ,a
go on even thus far under matter OF such
dount. and its penalty was shown in The
girls resolate refusal to believe anything
againat her hero IL hui faer. sbe per.
sisted in saying that geinted every cgum.
ny upon his honor. ani any une wha knew
the tirs, thing about phy,lagnnmy would
.ny that such trnnk. honest countenauce
could not helnng II bad man.
Parental authority. refusing u be mos.
ed by this argument, and continuing lis
ban against the lover. the Infatuated aam-
sci capped the climax OF her hlial aisehe.
dience a, last by clanac-tinr marriage
aud elnpemen, with iha objec, Of her faiih
They were traced 10 the parsonage
where the ma,rimonial knot bud been tied
aud from thence had disappeared from the
city. Never having anticipated such n
re.ul, as this. the deserted parents were
overwhelmed with grief and fearful ap.
prehension, aud los, all heart for the fl.
ture. The mother who had been an in-
valid for some time. died under the shock
and the father, at this accumulation Of
misfortune, sank into a lrthargy from
which he rallied only to find himself a
bankrupt Thus were family aud fortune
bth broken up in q brief time By o
,hankless chilis disloyaliy aud ~ilful.
ness
Thcu the ruined merchant. too, disap.
pcared from Portland with whu, little be
could save from the wreck Of his old
uhtues auu ane stoF uaSeis Win ulW 10
California. whittier be wandered desola,ely
il the hope Of distracting his thoughts
from the pas, and seeking a lonely liyeli
hood. Too old and wnrn to contend sue.
eessfnlly for new career anywhere. his
business experiences on the Pacific side
OF the continent were but a series of fec
BILE failures. until day about Ave years
ago found him the keeper of small can.
dy-s,and on Washington street. near the
old post-ofilcc. in San Franaisco. Every
day since then, says the Post Of the latter
city, which now takes up the tale. no
matter how heavily the wiu.er rain came
down. or the gusty summer winds swep,
down from Telegraph Hill. the old man
has appeared at his humble stand and
cold cheap sweets to the passing children
until the occurrence Of incidents now TO
be mentioned
Amongst his little customers there came
one day. about week ago, a bright-eyed.
neatly dressed lad, apparently iu his ninth
or tenth year. who bought candy to bis
taste and sccmingly greatly pleased At its