The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1877-01-05

He had never been so poor and wretch
ed before but yet he never could re-
ceive a penny he had not bravely
earned. "I am sorry, my good man.
L meant no offense. Was this doll foI
your own child?"
"No, sir; have no children"
"You do not seem very well off in the
way this world goes. Was the situa-
tion you sought for necessity"
John Austin, had he grain of sense,
would have stated that for him it was a
place at once or starvation. But he did
no such thing he simply took the prof
fered glass of wine, bowed to the master
of the house, and kept his peace. He
was about going when the gentleman
said, "You are sure you have the right
doll"
"Certain of it. My doll is done up
in coarse straw paper-yours in best
Manila" replied John, rather gruffiy.
Pray, write your address, then, on
something-here on the paper of my
doll. Thanks" and the servant showed
John Austin the door. En- route home
ward the hungry man bought his bread
and ate it with thankfulness. It was
after O'Clock when the girl got her
doll. 81 give it to you now" said John
Austin "hold it fast to your bosom all
night, or it might be changed before
morning"
Though there are no postmen of q
Christmas day in New York, John Aus.
tin received q note, however, on that
day, requesting his presence Oh Monday
morning, the 18th of December, at q
certain Office where shipping clerk was
wanted.
sit seems that you are the lucky man,
after all," said the young clerk in the
Office, looking still quite defiantly at
John Austin.
"God bless me you don't say so 7"
exclaimed John.
Yes /; the head of the house, who
never does interfere, has taken on him
self to mix things up dreadfully. Over
slaughed everybody. Now, 1 beg you
to think that have had no hand in it.
even fancy you do not imagine that
you are indebted to me for the position.
"What a rude little jackanapes you
must be, replied John Austin. "Still,
though you annoyed me on the oath, l
can't bear you much of grudgs to-day,
after Christmas, for, if you had not been
impertinent, why your chief would never
have interfered, and so made way with
my doll"
"Doll See here, my OLD party, if
you amt quite crazy, you are likely soon
to become lunatic. A precious ship
ping-clerk you will make, and the lots
of papers that will be stuck at me when
I have to hunt for your lost goods.
Here, don't bother me. Report to the
manager - that man there, biting his
nsils." And the slide was snapped to
with q spiteful jerk.
John Austin was regularly installed
as shipping-clerk. When he had held
the position for day he Glanced to
meet the head of the house. The ship
ping-clerk, las he saluted his CHIEF, politely,
might have then been inclined to gush
the least possible bit, but the master
gazed at him in vacant kind of way,
for John Austin had entirely passed out
of his mind. Perhaps the duties i'm
posed on Austin are the only ones the
man can fill now. The aggressive clerks
prophecy about packages going astray
may in time become true. When spring
sets in it is quite likely that John Aus
tin, reclining against wharf timber, his
eyes half closed, may be freighting his
fancies like argosies with all kinds of
useless and perishable goods, and will
be forwarding impossible packages to
those drifting clouds which float in the
summer skies. Strange to say, like
many mems feeble romances. which ac-
cidentally center around themselves, the
causes of which are ignored, John Aus
tin will always think he owed his place,
and relief from misery and starvation, to
his famous letter of recommendation.
As to bis Christmas doll, he entirely
ignored it.