The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1880-03-20
EARLY ASPIRATIONS.


Love and heroism were the twin idols
that received the worship of my ex-
treme youth as they were the fever
dreams of my later wild and reckless
boyhood. In the vast susceptibility of
my tender years was passionately and
chivalrously in love with all the girls in
the settlement where / lived. There
were two of them. One died, and the
father of the other discovering our at
tachment moved away, leaving no trace
of his whereabouts. My father also
moved to another village, and at the age
of twelve / was apprenticed to dry
goods firm, the head of which had a
very attractive daughter about my own
age, and, of course, as the most natural
thing in the world, we fell promptly in
love. My devotion to the interest of my
employers was shown principally by an
eager devouring of the contents ofevery
ten-cent novel published in the cata-
logue of dime literature, the effect of
which was to fill me with Quixotically
romantic implrses. With supreme con-
tempt for the prosaic duties of my posi-
ton, I lived and dreamed in an atmos-
phere of the silliest romantic sentiment,
while Susie, whom / called "Border
Queen" perhaps for the reason that we
lived five hundred miles away from the
frontier, was no less romantic and alb
surd, and regarded me. as a veritable
hero of no uncomfortable proportions!
We plighted our trotb, swearing by
my !" trusty right arm," and in accord
ance with the formula laid down in the
yellow-hacked literature, that would
defend and protect her until the last drop
of my true hearts blood should crimson
the green earth, all of which was ap
proved by Susie, whose vows were equal
ly emphatic, if less CORY.
expected, of course, as soon as we
became lovers, Susie's father would
come TO me Just rs fathers did in the
novels, and say "My daughter loves
you. have only her interest at heart !;
take her and make her happy. In future
the firm name will be 'Dobson & Son. ;
Bless you, my children"
say l looked for this, and in order to
give the stern parent-he must be stern
parent at tristan opportunity to breach
the subject, made it my business in
his hearing, to converse with fellow
apprentice, another victim of border
blood and thuDder enthusiasm, about
how Mr.. Archibald Tracy, or Sir Ferdi-
nand De Gonzales, or Senior Gomez had
each given his daughter and fortune in a
like manner. I.
With an industry and perseverance
that would have been more commenda-
BILE in my capacity of employee haunted
my employer, but somehow he failed to
grasp his opportunity, seemed ghastly
unconscious of 1t in fact, though | was
determined it should not be my fault II
he did not awake to realization of his
duty.
He could not hesitate to approach the
subject, for any body but an idiot could
see by my affirmatvely inquring look
that was ready to take his hand and
swear by the universe and contents,
that his daughter was the guiding star
of my destiny, and that sooner than
harm befall her-r-r! the fragments of my
anatomy waited on the first thunder
bolt, or any other destructive element,
that conspired to take advantage of my
determination to shelter her.
AIttT ndu COliiueQ NiOlcutly Will
him two or three hundred times day,
stepped on his corns, and allowed him
to fall over me as was STOPPING under
the counter to replace some shoes in q
box, and he declined to mention the
matter absorbing my mind, it gradually
began TO dawn upon me that Mr. Dob
SON uas an idiot, that he was, in fact,
an animated statue of stupidity. l felt
lonesome in my consuming contempt for
the man
Twas employed to keep the books of
the firm--off the foor--sweep out the
store, and see that fresh bucket of
water was kept in the Office. Whatever
attention these duties received was per-
sonal, as did not wish to entrust them
to careless hands; and as reward for
my efficiency in performing these ardu-
GUS labors, was discharged about three
times q week by the junior partner, but
Mr.. Dobson being under pecuniary OBJ
legations to my father, / was as often
reinstated, with instructions to the
book keeper to enter my salary on the
profit and loss account.
A whole week passed, and as l hadn't
been discharged, nor had other notice
aiken of me, felt neglected, and de-