The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-02-08
misrelIaIp.
A QUEER CLERK.
EY HIMSELF.

! not frCl. Neither co lGlhs CEll
q philosopher. I'm simply common clerk il
the service of Rinckiey < Co, commission ,aeI
chants have 5esa with then, fifteen years.
% nv duty, and they allow six hundred dolla;,
&. year. I have lived thir,y-five years. end
have a vile that is all the world 70 ne. We o.r
a little home, COW, some pigs. scd brood OF
poultry. and ray salary keeps Us supplied with
wholesome focS, apG comfortable clothing. These
are TIE facts. aud YOU vcrI naturally wonder
that decline ,he offer from my employers to
make me partner in the;r extensive business
Such step. or rather such 4 standing still
would surprise most men. Yet l repeat that
a1~aot crazy, nor do / lack s.Escity. That's Just
WY choose TO remain Luke Grafton, ths clerk,
and resolUtely shut Gu. from my huu.ble dwell
inc. tais g!eam Of fortunes sunshine. II you
have leisure 20 listen. I'll plead my case in par
ticuiars and YOU shall be Judge snc jury.
was an only chila, and both my parents died
within q single year. leaving iae, then boy of
fifteen. with no inheritance but poverty-no
hope but "a life Of hard labor. Standing beside
me in this shadow Of desolation was a little ten
years old girl, sweet Mollie Farnum, whom nv
dear parents had taken from a poor mel yhbor
TWO years before 10 raise" and 20 be kind of
help 20 my feeble mother. There were, two
peuui!ess orphans gazing into great sra OF sor.
TOW, aud having nc strength 10 turn from pass
over il. ielt-but pshaw this has little more
20 do with the case now in court than the story
OF Adam and Eve viewing their rakeGnesS after
the fruit breakfast Yet / must say the results
in the two instances were similar. The banished
Ede&ites sought to cover their shame with gar.
ments of fig leaves and stroye to turn my tears
backward and down my grief by grasping the
made misery with bold heart and strong
hand.
found home for little Mollie with farmer
where her labor would pay her board snd I went
20 work four miles up the valley with Ma or
Norton, Il stock grower. Major Norton had a
daughter. Laura, about my age, and, like me.
an only child. Whenever l had time to spare
We were together. She sympstbized with me
AID rejoioed with her. Tin passed Woll.to
ne brief, it was smother echo OF the edict
which made two sexes. The Invisible chord OF
juvenile love was sounded, and We sad and silly,
began TO practice the rnsgic OF eutiag moenshiae
and sleeping with eyes open
When the mind Of youth gets into this groove
It's workings are cumulative. One idea, one
feeling, leads 10 another and another. until the
accre:ion curluletes in success or disaster. The
young man who commences TO spder-web His
brain with ribbons and calico, usually ends with
catching great struggling thought Of Iaatri-
mony So l Was awakened one day from leth-
argyle waking dream Of curls and Cupids, and
-eIaphic communng with q shock of fact.
staggered, doubted for moment, and yielded.
Then nistaking instinct for acuteness, I began
70 sound the depths Of the tide upon which
was floating, and to calculate my chances of
reaching the shore Of safety.
Laura YVES rich | was poor rs trost.bitoI
potato Laura had education and elowed with
accomplishments | had merely mastered the
primary rules OF arithmetic, ard knew no more
Il ganti.ity than cat does Of chemistry. There
was pumped my heart for rrecedeat AS
well might ! have searched desert of roses.
What could dot To retreat would be fail.
are TO advance was venturcus To secure the
coveted prize must make myself worthy OF it.
SO much, all well; bat how! had no visible
means 0! becoming rich in money. No epeour.
agement there. Bat might not, by my exer.
tons, win wreath Of intellect! Yes. And
would not that suffice Certainly it would with
so gentle and talented as Laura On, yes;
sbe would welcome the substitute. What cared
she FOR per cent and palaces: Love Is no. ,ner.
oenary, it is liberal; it does not bow TO the gold.
en cait-it worships the intangible. Thus I
argued myself into scorching thirst for educa-
zion. knowledge would bring NE felicity
Glsrious thought.
seized she Iew eedged theory with all the
.rdor OF fana,icism. | welded myself 30 books,
md banded thoughts with departed sages God
only knows how labored have half forgotten
1t myself. Oh, how rugged ID the road over
which sore-foot igDprance plods it's way to the
well'spring of understanding. How hard tho
night Though which weary effort watches for
the sunrise. Finally, the clouds were scattered
aud something whispered, 1T is done" NV
bfsia-5ridge Was finished, the chasm of caste
was sp.nnud, aud had but 70 walk acra.s and
claim my rowarG.
felt proud tina, afternoon a. ,rudged down
the valley TO visit little Mollie She greeted me
with si.dness nEd sat down at my feet with her
elbow on my knee, looking l. p at me with eager.
4 la tal Ia hpr az {p-
had come TO tell her all. told her how l had
struggled and what / accom- plisbed, and thou
p!syisly asked her il I did not deserve the wife
lad 20 striven FOR
"Oh, yes my dear brother she replied. "you
ieie-Vo eVerythiug.'
Sue stopped moment, ard her voice ,ren,bied
a. ste continued
This mikes me feel 90 strangely know i,
p al right, Tor my good brother could not du
wrong. suppose | shall understand it all when
gov 70 be woman hope this fine lady is
Lot 20 pretty that you will forget your homoly
LITTLE sister. suppose any foolish girl is Just 80
ou' /; would be so hard TO hAye YOU slight me.
d. love you SO dearly"
She buried her face in her hands, and l could
hear The very throb of her pulse.
Forget you. Mollie! Oh,nO Why, intend
10 hsve you 20 live with US up at the big brick
house, and have nice clothes and DO . lady like
Laura. Oh. NO, my little darling. I've been
brother and u father to you, and now I'm going
TO give you mother and sister. You'd be u
periec, queen. Forget you' Why, I'm almost
Vsxed, for I've thought az much about you rs Of
myself
Sho raised her head quickly, and fixing h,r
eye upon the great wood fire before us, she said
Brother Luke knews what 10 best for his little
orphan sister" Then kissed her good night
and promising to return in the morniuv,I pEsssJ