Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1883-08-04

heart, we both laughed a little and resumed
our walk up the turnpike road. We spoke
never arother word until the top Of the hill
was cached, and the school houte frovned
upon us Then ] drew back, and reaching
out nv hand, Said
Good bye. Mary"
| ment o be very cal n, very self poss
-sssd; tears we're for womb, ! t"o7gh'.
fof'ily, and repression for men,; and |
looked down at her trembling little e ure.
a1uely outlined against the T. d background
OF the school house wall, then | looked down
he road-ths road we might never walk
again and thought Of all that hal been
and might be, and my heart seemed 10 leap
ul in my throat and almost choke me; and
men | broke down entirely, and we we're
crvlng in col cert and. we'll, | wa but Elk
teen. and she was younger.
The school-hous- bell clauged ominously.
and rang an unconcious knell to our friend
ship; the moment Of parting had come.
Goodbye, Bob" she sale, softly. kiss
me, Bob
| bent and kissed her. 4 presume if Mr..
Nlckelby Glasgow was looking, his sense
Of prudence and rropriety was outraged /;
aowever | kissed her not once but twice and
thrice, aud then
Good bye, Bob
Coed bye, Mary
We had parted.
That was ten years ago., ten years of trial.
privation, and final reward. At the outset
| knew the world was against me, and that
was against the world. But | was r%esolute,
perseveripg, and above all, hopeful. There
vas many a struggle, a long, long series OF
iisappointmeuts-moments when hope a
Ill but vauqu,shed and despair supreme.
3u, | struggled on, determined to conquer,
not be conquered and what is impossible
O youth, blessed with health. and an am
uition TO succeed
| cannot bring myself to believe that q
etail of struggles. temptation and hnai
achievement. however glowing. told by ones
self is interesting to others therefore l
hall no, lengtben mine. Simply suffice it
o say that from the position OF Office boy to
. legal f,m l advanced to clerk, then to
,,udent, and finally to junior partnership
MI this was, of course, not accomplished as
-asi!y as written. There was many q lapse
,o- .Ln -oo1 ~ o~bor INV q nniof
,eart.ache, many a moment of complete
encouragement. But nothing. however
reat, beyond my energy. From BOB |
,ose to the dignity of Robert, from that to
he high estate of young Halleck,' aud
italy TO the pre-eminence of Robert
ID lleck, Esq y, and ten years had gone by
lnce the May afternoon when in the shadow
It The school.house wall | had said farewell
. Mary 1norne.
Nh t of her, you ask Well to 20 back
gam to the outset OF my Career, | was then
20 miserably poor to indulge in the luxur,
regular meals, to say nothing OF q COR
respondence. But finally | did write a long
rtter, telling OF my battles and begging h
-ply. A month passed, but none came f;
nen | wrote, again and again, but each
4rter met With q similar fate. Finally, i.
heer despair, wrote to Mr.. NlcAelb
itas.low, assuring him in an apologet,c
ort OF way that | knew be was anxious t,
ear OF my welfare. AID finally COM udin.
Nth a pos,script much longer than ths
tier itself, in which | inquir. d the where
bouts and fate of little Mary Thorne.
Then | waited impatiently enough for his
eply, which came at last, encased in a
yellow envelope, ad dressed in large
scholarly hleroglyphics. and was altogether
lust such al epistle as Mr.. Nickelby Glas-
low aud Mr.. Nickelby Glasgow alone
could indite. He was glad to hear Of my
health and prosperity hoped l read N,
Biole regularly on rising and retiring thu
former ceremony be trusted occurred no
ater than o'clock A. NJ, aud the latte
not later than eight o'clock P. u. 81,
cared | was wrong in leaving my nstiv'
community, and he assured me | was great,
missed. Then he went on to say the schc O
had rather d~eteriorated OF late the scholar
we're few, and the pay irregular and small
He limited modestly that the scholars, younj
nd old-a deep line under the last claus
we're to make him a substantial presen
at the close OF the term, and then referee
to rhe many years he had labored in ',eba
Of childhood, and the arduous labor that
was. The letter ran on to q consideraol
length he told me the village butcher wa
dead, the apothecary bankrupt, the littl
widow who kept the millinery shop at tb
corner REMARKED. and then-just as N
patience had reached the limit of enduranc
my eye caught the name Of Mar
Thorne.
Il am very much gr.eved.' be wrote. :,
inform you that the Thornes have gone
know not whittier, the cause thereof beir