Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-03-19
EARLY INSPIRATIONS.

EARLY ASPIRATIONS.
LOVE and heroism were the twin idols
shat 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 l 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 of every ten-cent novel
published in the catalogue of dime lit
erature, the effect of which was to fill
me with ly-romantic impulses.
With supreme contempt for the prosaic
duties of my position, 1 lived and
dreamed in an atmosphere 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 absurd, and regarded
me as a veritable hero of no inconsider-
able proportions
We plighted our troth, swearing by
my trusty right arm," and in accord
Nnit ha lniI Il To- !,
yellow-backed 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 approved by Susie, whose VOWS
were equally emphatic, if less CORY.
expected, of course, as soon as we
became lovers. Susie's father would
come to me just as fathers did in the
novels, and say "my daughter loves
you. have only her interest at heart;
take her and make her happy. In fu-
ture the firm name win be 'Dobson q
Son. Bless you, my children"
! say ] looked for this, and in order
10 give the stern parent-he must be n
stern parent at tristan opportunity to
brOach the subject, made it my busi-
ness in his hearing, TO converse with n
fellow apprentice, another victim of
border Observation-Disclosures enthusiasm,
about how Mr.. Archibald Tracy, or Sir
Ferdinand De Gonzales, or Senior
Gomez had each given his daughter and
fortune in like manner.
With an industry and perseverance
that would have been more commend
able in my capacity of omploye haunt
cd my employer, but somehow he failed
10 grasp his opportunity, seemed ghast-
ly unconscious Of it in fact, though /
was determined It should not be my
fault if he did not awake to realiza-
tiOn of his duty.
He could not hesitate to approach the
subject, for anybody but an idiot could
see by my atllrmatiyely inquiring 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 hcT-F-r! the fragments of
my anatomy waited on the first thun-
aerbOlt, or any other destructive ele-
ment, that conspired to take advantage
Of my determination to shelter her.
After | had collided violently with
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
box, and he declined to mention the
matter absorbing my mind, it gradually
began To dawn upon me that MIR. Dob
son UdS an idiot, that he was, in fact,
an animated statue Of stupidity. | felt
lonesome in my consuming contempt
for the man.
was employed to keep the books of
the iirm-oh the lloor-sweep out the
store and see that u fresh bucket of
water was kept in the office. What
ever attention these duties received
was personal, as | did not wish to in-
trust them 10 careless hands; and, rs u
reward for my efficiency in performing
these arduous labors, | was discharged
about three times week by the Junior
partner but, Mr.. Dobson being under
peouniary obligations TO my father,
was as often reinsAted, with instruc-
tons to the bOok-keeper 10 enter my
salary on the profit and loss account.
"A whole week passed, and as hadn't
been discharged, nor had other notice.
taken OF me, l felt neglected, and dee
termined TO resent the slight by re-
signing.
In making this momentous announce
ment was prepared for Mr.. Dobson to
rush forward, hang ON my neck and
weep. But he failed to rush; he also
hailed 10 hang he did not even weep.
- trust, sir, said /, initiating the
impressive manner Of the man In the
novel, "that my sudden withdrawal
viii not seriously impair the CONNER
Rial standing of the firm"
"N-no, no. he said, slowly and
Sarelessly, and felt that whatever
poouniary embarrassment might fall
upon the establishment l was by this
assurance clearly relieved from an re-
sPOnsibility. ....
My father was indifferent concerning
my withdrawal, as he intended, in an
other year. 10 place me as an attorneys
clerk, and he was willing that / should
remain idle If so desired. He was
very indulgent, and with the absence
Of restraint thought and acted in my
own affairs pretty much as pleased
Having my own way / began 10 erect
visionary plans for the future none of