The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1882-11-23

roads and steamboats, were not hall
as numerous then as they are now
and even if they had been, l was toe
poor to avail myself of their advant-
ages. l walked, therefore, many q
weary mile, until after several davs
of travel l found myself at the out
skirts of a growing city. Here !
stopped because l thought l had
gone far enough, and for the best of
all reasons, because my money had
given out. / had to do something.
A large mansion with beautiful
grounds stood before me. Iapplied
to the owner for labor. He said he
was very much in need of a gar
dener, but did not like to employ me
without references.
After hesitating for a while. how
ever, he concluded to engage me for
a month, and if he liked me he would
then engage me permanently, he
said. l found out in a short time
that he was a lawyer of extensive
practice, immensely wealthy, and
lived at his ease. followed out
the rule | had adopted through life,
to be honest and industrious under
all circumstances, and at the end of
the month my employer, whose
name was Parker, sent for me, he
said, to pay me my months wages.
He then surprised me BY asking me
If could read and write. told
him l could, thanks to interchangeable
energy and perseverance at the little
cabin on Gen. Linton's farm, during
the long winter evenings when the
labors of the day were over, 1 had
acquired tho rudiments of a first
rate English education. My EN-
ployer then told me that during the
past month he had observed me
closely, and that he believed me to
be an honest man. 81 will tell YOU
something MORE" said he, chat
have discovered: You are a young
man of extraordinary intelligence.
Gardening is not your proper avoca-
ton. | am doing an extensive
practice of the law, and / need some
one to stay in my office, l know of
no one who it better suited than
you. With your application and
industry, within one year from now
you may be admitted to the bar.
You must consent to become my
student"
l didn't know exactly how it was,
but suddenly Judge Parker and the
table seemed to become inverted,
and the room went whirling around
and around, and then we all seemed
flying off through the air, like
castle, and the next thing
l knew L was sobbing with my head
upon the table. He didn't say any
thing until l had regained my COM
posture, and then 1 told him ALL
What a hard time had had through
life, and how this had been the only
light that had ever shown on my
dark pathway. Tears sprang into
the old mans eyes as l told him,
but he said l must never despair,
and he was certain l would come
put victorious.
l went into Judge Parker's Office,
and / studied hard, and at the end
Of the year, as he predicted, L OBJ
5ained my license to practice law.
He then asked me what 1 intended
loing. L told him that l intended
10 go off to some rising place and
grow with it, "and if 1 ever do any
thing" said j, remember that you
are the man who made me"
He said that l should do no such
thing. He was getting old, he said,
and was unable to attend properly
4 great deal of his business, and he
wanted me to stay and assist him.
you must be my partner" said he
with a share of the profits. "
Again the room seemed turning
around and around, but this time L
to retain my feelings and
only said:
MAY heaven thank you, for l
can't"
Well, it wasn't long before the
people seemed to take an interest in
me and they elected me to the state
legislature, and then, after awhile,
to congress; and l always continued
in the same honest, industrious
course until they had made me their
governor.
l had heard but very little in all
that time from Linton hall. l had
heard that Gen. Linton had died
and Arthur st. John and Helen had
and that the old place had
been sold, and that was all.
AS for my part, 1 was still a
bachelor. Many a time, amid the
thunders of applause that had sur
rounded me, fair hands had thrown
me beautiful flowers, and ruby lips
had smiled, and bright eyes had
glistened when / was near; but l
thought of cold, cruel, naughty Ellen
Linton, and had judged them all
alike and had turned away.
One winter evening, shortly after
| had been elected governor, when
the wind was bowling outside and |
was enjoying the comforts of my
room within and wondering if any
houseless wretch was out in that
storm, to my great establishment the
servant ushered in a lady. 1t was
unusual; but spoke to
her as politely as L could, and offered
her a seat, when the light fell upon
her features, and, Notwithstanding
the sunken eye and hollow checks,
to my CONSERVATION / recognized
the face of Helen Linton.
To ny relief, however, / found
that she had failed to recognize me.
No, she would as soon have looked
for form from the tomb as TO have
looked for me at that place.
She had come, she said, on pain
full business. Her father had been
a very wealthy man, and had left her
large property, but her husband had
been very dissipated, and, having
run through with it all, and finding
the family in want, in an unlucky
moment had committed a forgery,
for which he had been tried and
found guilty, and she had come to
me for his pardon. She told me all
this amid sobs and tears, and finally
by prostrating herself at
my feet.
Great Godi This woman who
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