The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1882-10-05

stood watching them as they rode down
from the Wild Glen, bathed in the
golden halo that the gorgeous fires OF
sunset threw upon the scene, while the
summer zephyr, loaded with perfume OF
wild flowers, blew back her massive
hair from her queenly brow. until the
scene seemed to me celestial, and she an
inhabitant of celestial regions. just
then she caught sight of me, as looked
at her almost entranced, and spoke
something in a low tone to her COM
panion. What it was never knew, but
they both looked at me an instant, and
then heard him say something. about
presumption and impudence, and l
guessed what it was. 1t was hard to be
thus tortured simply for no other reason
than because I had a heart and could
not control it's impulses. and when l
look back on that time it seems to me
like some terrible dream.
Misfortunes, they say, never come
singly, and they always come, too, when
we least expect them. My mother sud
denly sickened and died, and was thus
left alone wretcbed outcast on the
earth. As l stood over her grave it
seemed to me that ] had buried every
hope. I determined to leave that spot
where / had seen so much misery, l
cared very little where l went. Any
where far away from there. General Lin
ton paid me what little he owed me, and
I struck out for the far West. Railroads
and steamboats, were not half so numer-
GUS then as they are now, and even If
they had been l was too poor to avail
myself of their advantages. I walked,
therefore many weary mile, until after
several days of travel / found myself at
the outskirts of growing city. Here I
stopped because / thought had gone
far enough, and for the best of all reasons
because my money had given out. I had
to do something. A large mansion with
beautiful grounds stood before me.
applied to the owner for labor. He said
he was very much in need of gardener,
but did not like to employ me without
references.
After hesitating for a while, however,
he concluded to engage me for month,
and if he likel me he would then engage
me permanently, he said. ] found out
in short time that he was lawyer of
extensive practice, immensely wealthy,
and lived at his ease. followed out the
rule I had adopted through life to be
honest and industrious under all circum-
stances, 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
I could, thanks to the indefatieable
energy and perseverance at the little
cabin on General Unions farm, during
the long winter evenings when the labors
of the day we're over. I had acquired
the rudiments of first-rate English edu
cation. My employer 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 some
thing MORE" said ne, ''that I have dis
covered. You are young man of extra
ordinary intelligence. Gardening is not
your proper avocation. am doing an
extensive practice of the law, and I need
some one to stay in my Office. Iknow of
no one who is BETTE 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
I 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 Aladdin castle, and the next
thing l knew / was sobbing, with my
heal upon the table.
He di,.n't say anything until I had re-
gained my composure. and then l told
him all. What q hard time l had had
through life, and how this had been the
only light that had ever shone on my
dark pathway. Tears sprang into the
old mans eyes as I told him, but he
said must never despair, and he was
certain would come ,ut victorious.
went into Judge Parker's Office, and
I studied hard. and at the end of the
year, as he predicted, obtained my
license to practice law. He then asked
me what intended doing. / told him
that intended to go off to some rising
place and grow up with it, "and
if ever do anything" said /, ''remem-
Der that you are the man that made me. :"
He said that l should do no such
thing. He was getting old, he said. and
was unable to attend properly to great
deal of his business. and he wanted me
to stay and assist him. "You must be
my partner" said he, with . share of
the profits.
Again the room seemed turning around
and around, but this time managed to
retain my feelings, and only said:
MAY heaven thank you. for can't. "
Well, it wasn't long before the people
seemed TO take an interest in me. and
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