Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1873-08-02
Something Of a Romance.
A story OF a Lie TIme.

ton with masculine admirer, of whose
antecedents and character it was very
difficult for her or her family to gain
any definite knowledge. She had been
introduced to him in a mixed company,
on some semi-public occasion, by an ac-
quaintance knowing him only slightly
and by name his first subsequent call
upon her at her home had been without |
formal invitation; and, indeed, his for
wardness in improving the introduction
would have been resented by the young
lady herself but for her immediate
strong liking" as the phrase is, for
the man. He was handsome and gentle
manly and, beyond this, had what she
persisted in regarding as face to be
implicitly trusted. Her parents-and
her father, particularly-refused to &C
cept this latter characteristic in lieu of
all other ordinary guarantees of social
trustworthiness and, after expostulat-
ing vAinly with her against encouraging
an acquaintance with visitor of whose
origin and avocation no one in town
seemed able to give any satisfactory in
formation, took renewed pains to ascer-
tain what manner of person their daugh-
ter's suspicious admirer really was.
Little by little came the discovery that
he lived, in covert way, by his wits.
A friend of the merchants was sure that
he had once seen him coming out of q
gaming-house another, who boarded
in the same house with him, reported
that he kept strange hours. In short,
the father gathered enough information
of this kind to feel justified in assuring
his daughter that her now devoted caller
was not respectable character, and de-
claring that he must come to the house
no more. The parental fault had been
in allowing the acquaintance to go on
even thus far under matter of such
doubt, and its penalty was shown in the
girls resolute refusal to belive anything
against her hero. He had face, she
persisted in saying, that refuted every
calumny upon his honor, and any one
who knew the first thing about physiog-
nomy would say that such frank, hon
est countenance could not belong to q
bad man. Parental authority, refusing
to be moved by this argument, and con-
tinuing its ban against the lover, the in
fatuated damsel capped the climax of
her filial disobedience at last by clan
destine marriage and elopement with
the object of her incorrigible faith.
They were traced to the parsonage where
the matrimonial knot had been tied, and
from thence had disappeared from the
city. Never having anticipated such a
result as this, the deserted parents were
overwhelmed with grief and fearful ap-
prehension, and lost all heart for the
future. The mother, who had been an
invalid for some time, died under the
shock and the father, at this accumu-
lation of misfortunes, sank into leth-
argy from which he rallied only to
find himself a bankrupt. Thus were
family and fortune both broken up in a
brief time by thankless child's disloy-
atty and willfulness. Then the ruined
merchant, too, disappeared from Port
land with what little he could save from
the wreck of his old home, and the
story travels with him to California,
whether he wandered desolately, in the
: hope of distracting his thoughts from
the past, and seeking lonely liveli-
hood. Too old and worn to contend
successfully for a new career anywhere,
his business experiences on the Pacific
side of the continent were but series
of feeble failures, until day about five
!, years ago found him the keeper of 9
small candy stand on Washington street
near the old post-ofice, in San Francis.
co. Every day since then, says the Pos,
of the latter city, which now takes ur
the tale, no matter how heavily the win
ter rain came down, or the gusty sum
mer winds swept down from Telegraph
Hill, the old man has appeared at his
S humble stand and sold cheap sweets tc
+ to passing children until the occurrence
o Of incidents now to be mentioned
Amongst his little customers there came
4 one day, about week ago, bright
e eyed, neatly dressed lad, apparently il
, his ninth or tenth year, who bough
: candy to his taste and seemed greatly
pleased at its cheapness. Well he Nigh
d have been, too, for the poor, old, shah
I by, generally grabbed vender, had seer
: that in the boyish face which impellet
a him to tempt the little fellow to com,
S again. And never doubt that the temp
d tation was successful. The boy cam,
:, day after day for his bargain in confec
K tionery, and always his face was studied
}. by the old man with strange kind o
S usefulness. At last there was conf
J dence between the two, and the eide
o asked and was told the youngster'
/ name. 81 thought knew that counte
a nancep exclaimed the white hairet
= candy-man, with curious expression o
J. face and, requesting a neighborin,
e merchant of the curb to take supervi
II sion of his stand for few moments, h
}, told the boy that he would accompan,
IS him to his mothers house. eth
it YOUTH" continued the San FRANCHISE
:, paper, surprised, perhaps, at this no
/ tifcation, but nothing loath to oblig
b his old friend, led the way to a fin
n mansion on Bryant street, where rich
IS ly dressed, handsome lady appeared a
o his cry and Immediately fell sobbin,
n upon the neck of the candy-man, calling
is him Father ," Thus, after ten years
n the ex-merchant of Portland met his un
o dutiful, runaway daughter again, hav
q ing been led to such reunion by he
q sons inheritance of his fathers face
The story to be told, with many peni
tential tears, by the lady was follows
Her husband, the owner of such a me
IT morable countenace, was really gamb
Ter when she married him, though rathe
Il through discouraging misadventure il
- preceding worthier calling than by vici
Gus natural taste. After their marriage
IS however, and flight to California, he res
olutely renowned the green table an,
Is all its surroundings and bravely apple
himself to legitimate business in a
a humble grade. Very poor and hardl