The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1873-11-27
A QUEER CLERK !!
BY HIMSELF.

No, Pm not a fool. Neither do
folks call me philosopher. I'm sim
ply a common clerk in the service OF
Hinkley & Co, commission merchants.
l have been with them about thirteen
years. do my duty, and they allow
me six hundred dollars a year. i
have lived thirty-five years, and have
a wife that is all the world to me.
We own a little home, COW; some
pigs and q brood of poultry, and, my
salary keeps1us supplied with Whole-
some food and comfortable clothing.
These are the facts, and you very nat
urally wonder that decline the offer
of my employers to make me part
neF in their extensive business. Such
step, or rather such q standing still,
would surprise most men. Yet re-
peat that j am not crazy, nor dol lack
sagacity. That's just why / choose to
remain Luke Grafton, the clerk, and
resolutely shut out from my humble
dwelling this CLEAN of fortunes sun
shine. If you have leisure to listen
Ill plead my case in particulars, and
you shall be judge and jury. f.futIs e
was an only child, and both my
parents died within a single year,
leaving me, then boy of fifteen,
with no inheritance but poVerty-no
hope buta q life OF hard labor.a Stand
ing beside me in the shadow of deso5
lation was a. little ten years old girl,
sweet Mollie Farnum, whom my deaf.
parents had taken from a poor neigh-
Dor to 'fraise" and to bea kind of help
to my feeble mother. There we were
two penniIess orphans, gazing into a
great sea OF sorrow, and having no
strength to turn from or pass over it,.
[ felt-but pshaw this has little
more to do with the case now in court
than the story of Adam and Eve view
ing their nakedness after the fruit
breakfast. Yet must say, the re-
suits IN the two Instances were similar
The banished Edenites sought to COW
er their shame with garments of fig.
leaves, and stroye to turn my tears
backwards and drown my grief by
grasping the nude misery with q bold
heart and strong hand. i..{f-s.f.3
l found home for little Mollie with
a farmer, where her labor would pay
her board, and I went to work four
miles up the valley with Major Nor
ton, a stock grower. Major Norton
had daughter, Laura, about my age,
duO, l1kC AuC3 d1A OAA " OAAAfAs " AOu-
ever had time to spare we were to-
gether. She sympathized with nae,
and rejoicea with her. Time passed.
well, to be brief. it was another echo.
of the edict which made two sexes
The invisible chord of juvenile love.
was sounded, and we grew. sad and
silly, and began the practice of eating
moonshine aud sleeping with the eyes
open. $500 a9sa qs s835
When the mind of youth gets into
this groove, its workings are cHmula-
tive. One idea, one feeling leads to
another, until the accretion eliminates
in success or disaster. The young
man who commences to spidersWeb
his brain with ribbons and calicos,
usually ends with catching q. great
STRUGGLING thought of matrimonY. So
was awakened one day from a Ieth-
argic waking dream of cnrls and Gu
pids, and seraphic communings with
a shock of fact. | staggered, doubted
for a moment, and yielded. Then,
niistakine instinct for acuteness, i be-.
gan to sound the depths OF the tide
upon which / was floating, and to cal
cnlate my chances of reaching the
shore in safety. ..,r ,-f.,.fe.s
Laura was rich 1 was poor as a
frost-bitten potato. Laura had educa
ton and gloWed with accomplish
ments; / had merely mastered the
primary rules of arithmetic, and knew
no morelof. gentility than a cat does
of chemistry. There / WAS / pumped
nv heart for precedent LAS well
might have sesrchedna a desert a1or
roses. What could / do? Toiretreat
would be failure; to advance was
yenturons. To. secure the coveted
prize / must make MYSELF worthy of
| it. So much all we'll; but bo0u?sa l
had no visible means jofo becoming
rich in money. No encouragement
there. But might not, by my exen-
tions win a wreath of intellect9 Yes!
And would not that suffice Pc Ger
tainlyit would with one SO gentle
and talented as Laura. Oh, yes, she
would welcome the substitute. What
cared she for per cent. and palacesi--
Love is not mercenarys and it is
] liberal it does not bow to the
golden cali, it worships the Intangible.
Thus argued myself into a ,scorching
thirst for education. knowledge
would bring me felicity. Glorious
thought 4 fi ,a .e5e i. isgssi. sal.,i
| l seized the neW-fedged theory
with all the ardor of fanaticism. /
welded myself to books. aud banded
thoughts with departed sages, God
only knows how / labored. | have
half forgotten it myself. Oh, how
rugged is the road over, which foot
sore ignorance plods its way to the
wellspring of understandings How
dark the night through which weary
effort watches for the sunrise FINAL '
the clouds were scattered and some
thing whispered, s'it is done.Y My
brain bridge was finished, the .chasm
of caste was spanned and l had but
to walk across aud claim my reward
felt proud that afternoon as
trudged down the valley to, visit little
Mollie. She greeted me with glad
ness and sat down at my feet, witt
! -. ..lL.s.z. -. l..,.,. IacI.;., o