Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-08-24

y
for his compositions and his power Of el-
ocutlon. All the rest excelled, outstriped
him, and yet he plodded on patiently.
"iGoing to the theatre to-night?" asked
a Well-dressed young man Of Tom, as they
LETT the store together. This was four
years later, and Tom was one of the clerks
in Tolman, & Tolman's great establish
ment, and so slow that the other cler.s
were always chatting him. He thought
for a moment, ratified some loose coins
that were in his pocket, and said:
'No.'
"Have you ever been?" queried the 9TH
er.
Tom looked at him in his usual delib-
crate way, and replied, "Non
'Then you dom know anything of life.''
''Then ! don't want to, Responded Tom.
by the way where are you boarding?'
asked his friend, pulling on a pair of
very tight gloves. Tom never wore gloves
AT Glen's, in Holbrook street, said
Tom.
''Oh, you're slow. Why, that's way
down town.
"That's why I board the,c,'' said Tom.
evening"
''The meanest fellow ever saw NUT
tered Dick Dalton, as he planted his
fancy cane, as heavily as its fragility
would permit, on the sidewalk.
Tom gained his clearinghouse, a tall,
rusty-looking tenement, in the fourth
story Of which was his room. It was a
very dcsolate-looking apartment, for,
save in the coolest weather, Tom never
had fire.
There were three shelves full of ex-
cellent books, and on table at the side
of the room stood something that looked
like wooden armchair. Bits of pine,
few tools, and paper filled with saw
dust kept them company.
OF course Tom got but frugal meals
in this place. A widow and her laugh-
ter kept the house, letting nearly all the
rooms to dodgers, but Toms quiet ways
and pleasant face had won an entrance
to their hearts, and they took him to
their table for a small consideration.
Tom ran up stars as soon as he reach
ed the house. He never ran up stairs in
any other place, bnt there was an attrac-
ton there which was better than the
amusements to which hia fellow-clerks
devoted themselves.
No sooner had he seated himself at the
table, and taken up a screw, than some
one knocked at the door. At his low
s'come in" his eldest brother presented
himself, dressed in the height Of fashion
handsome and even imposing in his
appearance.
''Well, Tom, so these are your lodg-
lngs, my boy" said the young man. ':Not
much style, must say"
"Not much" said Tom, cheerfully.
"Have you just come from home?'
eyes, and everything is going on about
the same. Father is mi Chilly pleased
that have got my shingle up.''
"And are you prospering?" asked Tom,
with sldelong glance at the ivory cane,
the kid gloves and the gold chain.
ooh, $3.50. Of course, it has taken a
good deal of money to furnish my Of
fee" ...sa ,@.s...... .......
II thought father advanced you five
hundred collars" said Tom.
$50 he did. The old gentleman was
very good to mortgage the property-for
[ suppose you are informed Of the fact
but things are so horribly expensive
"What things?" asked Tom, dryly.
''Everything-all things. To get bust
ness nowadays fellow must make a
show"
"And so you smoke ten-cent cigars,
| give suppers now and then, treat your
companions and FREQUENT the theater :"
said Tom.
"Oh, hang it! Your blood's water,
Tom; and, beside, your position is differ
ent from mine. Things are expected from
me: I must go into society. By-and-by
shall get case that will pay me richly
| for all these sacrifices
Sacrifices - repeated Tom, in tone
that made Charley's blood move faster.
SO that he said to himself, with an oath ::
THE same old slow-boy, with no more
! brains than an OK
"You are still at the machine see." he
said aloud, a moment after.
ooh yes, it costs next to nothing: and
| 1t it never succeeds it gives me something
to think about
"You don't say that you ever think, !"
was the sarcastic response.
well, now and them" was the slow
rejoinder.
Charley rose, sauntered back and forth
for few moments, and then stood still,
his handsome face redden1ng.
81 say, Tom, can't you lend me ten dol,
lars? I'm absolutely out Of CASH.
II never lend" said Tom.
Charley's breath grew short and quick.
Some insulting speech was on the end of
his tongue, for he felt both rage and con-
tempt; but Tom, rising quietly, went to
desk and lifted the lid.
IF five dollars viii do you any good
you are welcome to thcm," he said.
''They are all I have by me-
"Tom, you're good fellow!" gasped
Charles, his tongue yet hot with the words
he had intended to say.
Tom went once or twice to his brothers
Office, and did not like it.
"Why should the young lawyer spend
a hundred dollars in picturcs?" he asked
himself Indignantly; and why does he
keep the company Of such men as T have
met there?"
One day, Tom received a letter from
his brother Oscar:
DEAR Old TOM: l expect shall have
to leave college. Things are going wrong
at home. don't suppose any one has
told you. They seem to think you have
all you can do to take care OF yourself;
and so you have, | suppose Charley has
been an awful weight upon father, and
this year the crops have all failed, and
father is disabled from work by rheuma-
tism. I don't care much for myself; !
only studied medicine to please father,
ana should rather be almost anything
else.