The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-07-30
A ROMANCE OF LABOR.


at will makes common man of me,
ftther," he said querulously; Il shall
he as dirty as blacksmith and have
hands like coal HEAVIER"
"And if you think, Fred, that
wearing fine clothes and having white
hands make you a gentleman, let me
tell you. sir, that you are very com
mon man to begin with. a good
trade might help you to truer notions
of gentlemanhood."
Then | locked at the handsome
young fellow-for he was handsome
and thought just then Of Steve
-Gaskill. Steve had made shissfuarir
now, but many years ago heardjust
such talk between him and old
Josiah Gaskill, relative to the yodng
man learning his fathers trade of IA
wool stapler.
ITS Il dirty business, father" said
the splendid Steve, in full evening
dress, "and / hate the smell of oil
and the sight of these men in blue
linen blouses. | hope that lshall do
something better for myself than
that.n
"Very well, lad, what is it thou'd
fain be Y'
"A lawyer, father"
They're naught but lazy, quar-
relsome set, but thou shalt not say /
ever stood in the gate. Be lawyer,
lad. III speak to Denham to-mor-
row about thee"
So young Steve was articled to
Denham & DoWness to study law, eS-
pecially conveyancing. He was an
only son, but had three sisters, and
over them and his mother he eXer-
cised supreme influence.
Whatever Steve did was right,
halever he said was beyond dis
pute. Even old Josiah, with all his
sound sense, was in spite of himself,
swayed by the undisputed acknowl-
edgement of Steve's superiority. He
would not advise his son to be a
lawyer, but seeing that Steve was
not afraid to be one, he was rather
proud Of the lads pluck ana ambi-
ton.
.a141te II cost wIrs thsm e g9od u deal, steve's
naturally among a class of men who
led him into many extravagances.
There were occasionally awkward
scenes, but Steve, supported by his
mother and sisters, always cleared
every scrape, and finally satisfied the
family pride by being regularly adj
mitted upon the role of Her Maiesty's
attorneys.
In the meantime his father had
been gradually falling in health soon
after this he died. Most OF his saw
Ings had been secured for the helpless
women OF the Gaskill family, and
Steve now fonnd himself with Il pro-
ieSslOn and Il thousand pounds to
give him a fair start in it. PeopIe
said old Gaskill had acted very wise
ly, and Steve had sense enough To
acGulesce in public opinion. He
Knew, too, that as long rs his mother
or sisters had shilli ~ they would
share if wit n 1 i'm
So he hopefully opened an office in
\natiye town of Leeds, and watt
Ell ;<Or clients. Bat Yorkshire men
are proverbially cautious; young
lawyer was not their ideal. Steve
could not look crafty and wise under
any circumstances, and that first ear
he did not make enough to pay his
rent.
Nevertheless he did not in any way
curtail his expenses; and when the
summer holidays arrived he went. as
usual, to a fashionable watering-place.
1t happened that year he saw the
"So"' vi Ai 100 lIiILdDtlH bTallIlWHlUe
a great heiress and very handsome
girl. Steve was attracted by her
beauty, and her great wealth was not
drawback in his eye. In a short
time he perceived that Miss Braith-
waite favored him above all other
pretenders to her hand, and he began
to consider the advantages of rich
wife.
His profession had hitherto been
failure, his one thousand pounds was
nearly spent; his three sisters were
all on the point of marriage, a condi-
ton which might seriously modify
their sisterly instincts, and his
mothers annual income wouldn't
supporte him month-would it not
be the best plan to accept the good
iortuneso evidently within his reach
Elizabeth was handsome and iu-
cllned to favor him, and though she
had the reputation of being author-
tative in temper and economical in
money matters. he did not doubt that