Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1884-01-10

posed tears were for women,
thought, loftily and repression for
men and looked down on her
trembling little figure, vaguely outlined
against the red background of the
school house wall, then looked down
the road-the road we might never
walk again-and thought of all that
had been, and might be, and my heart
seemed to leap full in my throat and
almost choked me and then ! broke
down entirely, and we were crying in
concert and, well, l was but sixteen,
and she Was younger.
The school house bell changed omin-
ously, and rang an unconscious knell
to our friendship the moment of part
ing had cone.
"Good-by, Bob," she said, softly.
kiss me, Bob"
bent and kissed her. presume if
Mr., Nickelby Glasgow was looking,
his sense of prudence and propriety
was outraged however, L kissed her
not once but twice and thrice and
| then
"Good-bY, Bob"
"Good-by, Mary"
We had parted.
That was ten years ago, ten years of
trial, privation, and final reward. At
the outset / knew the world was a.
gainst me, and that was against the
world. But 1 was resolute, preseVer-
ing and, above all, hopeful. There was
many a struggle, long, long series of
isappointments-mo when hope
was all but vanquished and despair su-
preme. But l struggled on, determin-
ed to conquer, not be conquered and
what is impossible to youth, blessed
with health, hope and ambition to sue
ceed ?
cannot bring myself to believe that
a recital of struggles, temptation and f.
nal achievement, however glowing,
told by ones self is interesting to 9TH
ers; therefore I shall not lengtnen mine.
Simply suffice it to say that from the
position of an office boy to legal firm
I advanced to clerk, then to student,
and finally to junior partnership. All
this was, os course, not accomplished
as easily as written. There was many
lapse from the gaol of ambition, man
y a quiet heart-ache, many moment
of complete encouragement. But
nothing, however paltry, was beneath
my notice, nothing, however great, be-
yond my energy. From "Bob" l rose
totne dignity OF "Robert," from thatto
the high estate of "youug Halleck," "
and finally to the -eminence of
Robert Halleck, Esq. )" and ten years
had gone by since the May afternoon
when in the shadow of the school
house wall had said farewell to Mary
Throne.
What of her, you ask ? Well, to so
back again too the outset of my career,
I was then to mis9rably poor to indulge
in the luxury of regular meals, to say
nothing of correspondence. But fl
nalIy 1 did write long letter, telling of
my battles and begging reply. A
month passed. but none came ; then l
wrote again, again and again, but each
letter met with the similar fate. Fin
ally, in sheer despair, | wrote to Mr..
Nickelby Glasgow, assuring him in an
apologetic sort of way that l knew he
was anxious to hear Of my welfare, and
finally concluding with a postscript
much longer than the letter itself, in
which l inquired the whereabouts and
fate of little Mary Throne.
Then I waited patiently enough for
his reply, which came at last, encased
in yellow envelope, addressed in large
scholarly hiroglyphics, and was alto
gether just such an epistle as Mr.. Nick
elby Glasgow and Mr.. Nickelby Glas-
Cow alone could indite. He was glad
to hear of my health and prosperity ;
hoped read my Bible regularly on ris-
log and retiring the former ceremony
he trusted occurred not later than 81 x
O'Clock A. NJ, and the latter not later
than eight o'clock p. M. He feared I
was wron & in leaving my native COM
nunity, and he assured me [ was
| greatly missed. Then he went on to
say the school had rather deteriorAte d
of late, the scholars were few, and the
pay irregular and small. He limited
modestly that the scholars, young and
old-a deep line under the last clause -
were to make him substantial present
at the close of the term, and then referr
ed vaguely to the years he had labored
in behalf Of childhood, and the arduoas
labor that it was. The letter ran to &
considerable length; told me the village
butcher was dead, the apothecary bank
rupt, the little widow who kept The
millinery shop at the corner remarked
and then-just as my patience haC
reached the limit of endurance-my
eve caught the name or Mary Throne.