The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1881-08-25

were about to be withered.
Walter, animated by the feelings he had
acquired, was inyincibe; his duty required
the sacrifice, and it should be made. I'm
doubleday it was one of the greatest he
could have made for he might have played
upon the girls credulity, and maintained
his position as lover without the remotest
prospect or intention Of becoming her
husband But with the resolution to do
right comes consideration for others,
which weakens the natural selfshness Of
the heart, and gives it the power to make
those stern sacrifices which honor so fire.
quently demand.
Now, for my mother, !" thought he, and
trembled at the interview before him; for
had the alternative been presented to him,
he would have preferred that the maiden
he had parted with should have been ac-
quainted with his error, than that his
mother, his irreproachable mother, should
have known that he had brought shame on
the name Of the parent who had been SO
honored and respected while alive.
After aprotracted conversation with his
mother, she yielded to his entreaties, and
| consented to retire to more humble dwell
ing. The removal was speedily affected,
and on the evening of the day of which they
took possession of the two apartments
which were thencAforth to be their home,
the mother bewildered by the change, in
quired from her son why he had gone so far
from the Office.
Il have left Mrs employ-he was
dissatisfied with me, replied Walter slight
" blushing at the equivocation.
Dissatisfied with you'll" exclaimed the
mother, "Oh, Walter, there Is something
IN all this don't understand, first you bid
Mary farewell. then you induce me to leave
Cloudesly street, and now you tell me YOU
have left your Office. Walter, nv dear son.
do net, do not conceal any thing from me-
Walters lip quivered and his eye avoided
his mothers steady gaze, but making a
| great effort he soon recovered himself, and
seeing that he must be cool and firm, or all
would be explained, and perhaps so shock
his mother as to do her serious injury, he
( addressed himself to her in the calm Ian
guage of reason. He explained that he had
been discharged by Mr.. , owing to his
being extremely dissatisfied with him, and
that, as he never inte nded to return to that
line OF business again, it was necessary,
until he had established himself in some
other, that his mother, deprived Of the as
slstance OF his salary, should be placed in
such position as would enable her to live
upon the slender annuity she enjoyed.
MY son, saids the mother, affected at
i this Instance of fish devotion, shut why
separate from Ma1yy??'' IS a.
Because, /" replied Walter, Il wooed her
under favorable circumstances, became
gracious in her eyes by the aid of those cir
cumstances, asd now that they have disap-
peared, my duty to her and myself demands
that should withdraw from her society.
Our position toward each other has under
gone change; she is in the same condi-
uon, while am poor, very poor; and love
and poverty rarely agree
You know little vet of woman's heart
Walter, said his mother, smiling, cor YOU
would be aware that provided man re.
talns his honor, she cares little in her youth
about the trash the world calls wealth.
This remark caused Walter to turn pale
as death, and almost to fall from his seat
fainting. His alarmed mother flew to his
assistance, and beseeched him to make
confident OF her; for she was sure, she
! said, he had something concealed from her
which caused him the most poignant dis
| uress.
With the utmost difficulty he reassure d
her, and when both were more calm. he
solemly requested her to grant him fa-
! vor.
What is it," she inquired.
Trust me-, replied he, falling on his
knees before her.
! Il will" she emphatically exclaimed,
falling on his neck: and from that day forth
the subject was never renewed between
! them.
Two resolutions triumphantly carried
out, said Walter, after his mother had re-
tired; and Tomorrow is the nativity of the
third.
Taking a large sheet of paper, he wrote
upon it, in a very large round hand, the
talismanic words, Never despair!" and
then fastened it to the curtains at the foot
of his bed, SO that he might have the SEN
tence before him to read night and morn
ing.
It was a mighty task, and no bloodstained
knight ever couched lance against foe
more CALAMITY than did our brave Walter
in this his first great moral battle,
The struggle with life was an arduous
and protracted one; but as it is not our in
tention to follow Walter in all his wander
ings, we can only relate that he found no
employment too mean for his industry, and
no occupation disgraceful, unless criminal
or dishonorable. At the end of six wears,
oy dint Of the most indefatigable labor
and hard common day labor alone-he had
accumulated from his savings sufficient to
pay his first employer the amount of the de-
falcation. together with interest to the day
of the payment. 81
Noon had just been proclaimed by the
great bell of st. Paul's when Walter pre-
sented himself at the Office of the merchant.
With some difficulty he obtained private
interview.
We'll, my MANI" said the merchant in no
very amiable manner, for Walters apparel
was not very attractive,
Six years ago this very day" said Wal
ter, modestly, but firmly, you dismissed
from your service a clerk named Walter
jackson for a defalcation in the account in
trusted to him. I am Walter jackson, and
here is the amount owing to you with in
terest at five per cent. have been unable
to pay you sooner, or should most gladly
have done SO. Now, to my great relief, /
am able. and I beg in addition that you will
accept my most grateful thanks for the for
bearance you exercised toward me on that
distressing occasion
Surprise for a time ne1d the merchant
mute, but when he recovered he stretched
forth his hand to the workman, and when
he received that of the latter, shook it
warmly. He then requested Walter to re-
late what had befallen him since their sep.