The Red Cloud chief., 1879-06-19
MAXWELL'S IDEA.

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Boston present some curious social as
poets. Every morning the railroad
takes almost the entire male population
TO the city. At night it returns them
again. The villsge is practically a
sleeping-place for people whose every
thought is of the town. Their very
manners and customs are of the city,
and yet in reality the people are only
villagers.
= Love is q ne~ver-ending theme with all
the story-tellers, and they delight to tell
the tale in every tongue. Hear, then,
a story of love under new and peculiar
circumstances-a tale of mingled love
and social martyrdom, the highest
moral courage, and the most pitiful
Sights and insults.
The village of Weston consists of one
main street, where stand the churches,
the town-hall, Post office, and sundry
feeble-minded stores. There are no.
bic elms, q wide road, and q lew pretty
houses. The better class of dwellings
ale on the hillside beyong the railroad,
or to the north, on the meadows. By
day q sleepy place at night every house
is filled with city people sound asleep.
The people live here, but their hearts
are in the town. Every boy looks for
ward to the time when he shall join the
pilgrims 10 the city and q store. To 60
into an Office or store in Boston is the
only thing for a young man to do. He
must have business in town or lose
caste.
Tom Maxwell had the misfortune to
be born in Weston, and early imbibed
it's peculiar notions concerning life and
the thing to do. For instance, 20 young
gentlemen must work with his hands;
he must mo- 60 into a retail store; he
must dress well, be able to take part in
the Lyceum debates, and he must not
on any account stay in the village dur
irg the day. Unless he could do all
this he had better remove to New York
or Chicago, and dwell among the nen
liehtened in outer darkness.
Tom had secured q place as account
ant in q wholesale grocery house, and
was considered a lucky fellow. He had
q small property of his own, and he had
fallen love. The Object had even said
she would some day wear his name. She
wore his diamond ring already.
Suddenly Tom Maxwell appeared at
the village station at IL O'Clock in the
morning, and in an hour it was known
of all women that the wholesale grocery
concern had failed. The Object knew
it first, and straightway all knew it.
OF course the engagement would
come to an immediate end. There was
not the least fuss about it. Weston
prides itself on its digni6ed serenity I'M
der trials. 1t stopped, and that was the
end of it. The next dsy Tom had a dis
mond ring IN storage at his rooms.
Thereupon the young man sat down
to consider the situation. He was now
81, had a good general education, and
didn't know any thing very well. His
hands were soft; he knew how to dance;
he could sing tolerably and paint q lit
tie; he could not dig, neither could he
steal. He was, in fact, q fair sample of
the Weston young gentleman.
He also considered the situation from
lovers point of view. Here We have
no right to intrude, and we must learn
his thoughts from his actions.
For several days he wandered around
in the open air, casting about to see
Whist he might do, but really curing his
uS01l WOuu0 III 61CAb OOuoOA1P10lOu VI
nature. Herein was he doubly wise.
In q moment of inspiration he thought
of emigratipg to New York. Other fell
lows had gone there, and had made
money; why not hep He even investi-
gated the expense Of the journey; but
something stood in the way. he loved
the Object still.
One day he happened to pass through
the main street At high noon. There
was not q soul to be seen in all the
drowsy place. Some stray hens gath
eredround the overlooking water-trough
before the chief store, and . solitary
COW cropped the grass along the side
-wslk. He was q tride hungry, and
went up the decayed and broken steps
of the store to purchase q lunch. The
door was locked, and he peered in at
the dirty windows. Was it here the