The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1877-01-13
OTTAWA FREE TRADER: SATURDAY, JANUARY ID. 1877

But it caused his pride Il sore wrench. III
had entered the service of his present EN-
ployer at seventeen, and slowly, steadily gam
ing favor by diDt of faithfully fulfilling every
daty he had won his way 10 HE desk of heaC
clerk Not until he secured this position
and the handsome salary accompanying II
would he ask Mabel TO be his wife, furnish
ing u pretty cottage home out OF his savings
and giving her II thoroughly comfortable in
come for housekeeping expenses. He was
not extravaganza but it pleased him to sec his
wife we!l-dressed, to give her an efficient ser
want, TO have his twin girls ever presentahlc
his table well appointed. All this had been
easy upon his salary, and there had been some
thing added for three years TO the little bank
fund,
But 10 do all this upon half the present in
come, would be simply impossible. House.
rent must be met and the sum remaining
each month would need to be carefully calcu-
Ilared 10 meet all the expenses, leaving but lit.
tie margin for pleasure or eXtravaGances Of
dress.
Then what would viii say?
! viii Casllcton was Charles cousin who
had been his lifelong companion. Together
they had left the school.rOom for business
position, viii entering the grain store OF
| Harvey & Russell, at the same time Charlie
store Shoulder to shoulder the young men
had worked their way up, till this financial
crisis brought all business men into temper
airy difficulties of greater or less magnitude.
Will had expressed the warmest lndlgna.
ton at the proposal made to his cousin,
strongly advising him to throw up his sltua-
ton. and see how old Mitflin would get
along without him." and Charlie, before see
| ing Mabel, was quite ready to follow his al.
Vice
| He knew VIII would think him mean spir,
tied TO remain uDoH half salary, and yet Ma
bel was right, :" half Loaf was better than no
bread"
| And while Charlie Castleion was thus
weighing the pros aid cons of his decision,
Mr. Mifflln was listening to the counsel OF
his old friend and chum, the senior partner
of the firm when 1t had been "Gardlner "
Mifflin," and who though he had retired
some years before, was still the strong friend
and frequent adviser of his former partner,
at is n mistake, Mitllin," he SAID. =" You
had better send young Castleton about his
| business and engage an entirely new DOCK
keeper. You will find half pay will mean
half service, mark my words
"But | might search c. from end to end
and not find a clerk competent to take Char
| lie Castletons place
| "Then paw him his full salary"
| az cannot do it unless reduce the number
of salesman, and I'm shorthanded now There
| is but one way for me to keep my head above
water. You see Clarke's failure involves me
heavily, and"
And the worried man of business entered
into long explanations, OF his difficulties, not
necessary to repeat here.
II touched Charlie Castleton deeply, when
entering the counting house, to announce his
determination to remain in his old position,
to see how the face of his old employer bright.
ened He had been sitting in respondent
attitude, looking over the mails, the lines OF
care strongly marked upon his face. AS
Charley spoke, the large eyes grew brighter,
and he smiled pleasantly, as he said:
Thank you, Castleton. 1t would have
caused me serious embarrassment to lose you,
and am heartily glad you will stay. TRUST
you will not long be obliged to take small
er salary, but circumstances compel me to-
economlze."
"You have been kind employer to me
for ten years." answered Charlie, " and if
am really any value, II ore than another would
be IN my place, will not desert you"
And looking into the careworn face that
trouble was marking more deeply than age
Charlie resolved to serve Mr.. Mitfln more
faithfully IN his perplexi,ies than in his most
prosperous days.
1t was not long before the old gentleman
felt the gentle sympathy of his young clerk,
and looked to HIM as he had never done be-
fore, for advice as well as service. He ad-
mtted him to confidential relations, explain
ing the difficulties caused by the failures OF
firms, some heavily indebted to the house Of
John Mitilin, others upon whom he had de-
pended for goods obtained upon credit
Day by day, as the hard, trying winter wore
away, the two grew faster friends, and so far
from lesscniDg his work, Charlie found him
self willingly lifting some of his employers
burdens upon his own shoulders.
He gave more time to business, and was
gaining an insight into that opportunity had
never before given him.
And Mabel, at home, was bravely taking
her diminished share of the loafwth a smil. |
ing face and cheerful heart. AS far as might
be, she kept from Charlie the Knowledge OF
her domestic economies but some OF them
were apparent The woman whose compe-
tent aid demanded high wages, was dismiss
ed, and a halfgrOwn girl engaged to mind
the babies; while Mabel cooked, washed,
lroneo and scwed, meeting difficulties with
courageous heart. She had never been drone
IN the worlds hive, having been busy little
dressmaker before Charlie Castleton won her
heart, and took her TO preside over his pretty
little home. But for the three years of her
married life she had been much petted, and .
there were many pleasures to be put aside,
many dollars well weighed before they were
spent.
1t was with heart full of pardonable trl.
umph that the young couple, at the end of
the first year of reduced pay, found they were
stil out of debt and had not touched the nest
egg in the bank, though there was new wee
baby boy TO share IN the family income.
"l gu see, Charlie, we made the half loaf .
go round" said Mabel, as they went carefully I
over the years expense book.
There are no crumbs" lie said, with wry
face
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