Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1885-08-20
soMERBY's SUCCESS.

Youths Companion.
--s -e---
SOMERBY'S SUCCESS.
/ never lag behind in nv pursuit of
the nimble and exclusive dollar but /
think of Silas Somerby, and straight
way push on refreshed. In the hope
that it may encourage some fellow
toiler, / will briefly set down the story
OF his great success.
lie began his business life in the en-
ploy OF his father, in whose establish
ment he still remains, universally
looked up to and honored by all whose
position in the house is inferior to his
own. 1t was arranged in the begin
ming that he was to live at home, and
that he was to receive salary of $40
week, half of which was to be deducted
in payment Of his board. His father
designed thus not only to give mis- only
son good start. but to inculcate at the
very outset sound principles of econ
omy, and to accustom his offspring to
the now almost obsolete practice of lay
ing aside certain fixed percentage of
his income to meet living expenses.
The son repaid the fathers kindness
with earnest effort, and at the end of
six months he was one day summoned
into his progenitors's private office,
and thus addressed:
''Silas, | have observed with great
pleasure your diligent attention to
business, and have decided to raise
your salary in practical recognition of
your increased value. After to-day YOU
VIII draw SO week. instead of $40,
as heretofore. And by the way" the
father added, rs Silas turned to 20, "a.
your living will now be, naturally, up
on an increased scale of expenditure
more in keeping with your augmented
income. l shall hereafter deduct $40 a
week. instead of So, for your board"
Filled with gratitude too deep for
expression, Sias left the paternal
presence resolved to deserve his kind
ness or perish. He redoubled his effort,
and in six short months more he again
stood one day, by particular request,
before his father, who said, with
broad smile of satisfaction draped
about his benevolent countenance:
My boy. You are exceeding my
f0ndest anticipalons. Such endeayor
as yours Shall not 60 unrewarded.
have decided to raise your salary for
the second time. Twenty-Five dollars
is the figure of the future, and may
God bless you"
Here the old man paused; and in
voice trembling with genuine emotion
Silas stammered forth his thanks. As
he was leaving the room his father
added, without raising his head from
some papers over which he was busted:
ooh, Silas, one more thing. was
about to add that this change in Your
circumstances viii make great differ
cnce in your mode of life. You will eat
more, drink more, in fact, lead a
broader and fuller life in every respect.
| shall, therefore. charge you $50 a
week for board after this dat. Good
morning"
In the next six months Silas sur
passed himself, and doomed things to
a perfectly phenomenal extent. He
was not, consequently, wholly taken
by surprise when he found on his desk
one morning n note in his fathers
familiar hand. Hastily tearing open
the envelope with hands trembling
with pleasurable anticipation, he read
as follows:
My DEAR SoN-I can not express to YOU
my de p satisfaction in your wonderful
progress, nor shall try. Words are cheap.
Dut cash Is, III such cases, the most ac-
com plished cOnyersatiOnaist. Continue
yutr eff ITS AT double your pr sent salary.
] closed please find ok. Tor this week
\ our affectluHate FATHER
The Enclosure bore in the lower right
hand corner the flowing signature of
the senior Somerby, and in the upper
left the Sy mbol :, followed by the TO-
IRE .. In an ecstasy of gratitude Silas
pressed the letter to his lips AS he
did so he observed the legend Turn
over obscurcly placed in the i0wer
corner, and following instructions he
read as follows:
+. S.-EHur pecuniary cir umstances are
now Gci that you VIII no longer feel the
Crd % tcpuOm Zing. a variety of mild
eX;r YI-a ces, hitherto ma &c inaccessible
BY .mitaiunS OF income are now within
your grasp. You will feel ike branching
out ia man dire lions. Men in your cir
Gums anceS smoke l1-cent cigars and drink
WING -HT6itpcclslOliS. Their board some
times costs them as high rs S45~ a week.
Yours Will cost you precisely that amount
Stimulated by these practical proofs
of parental pride, Slas fairly bumped
himself, so to speak, during the next
year, and, despite the distracting in
tluence OF large income, attended
more strictly to business. One day to-
ward the end of the year he received a
summons from his father, whom he
found standing before tho fire in his
private office. Judge of his surprise
when the good old man, laying his.
hand allectionately upon his sons
shoulder, said
'Silas, my boy, you have been doing
nobly. | have long intended to more
substantially reward your efforts than
by mere words of praise, and | have
decided to let that reward come in the
form of raise of salary. | am aware
that salary Of 800 a week will place
you in society to which your poor old
father can hardly aspire. 1t will be
your proud privilege to give suppers to
the ballet and to assist in booming the
hack and liquor interests of this great
metropolis. |. alas! on account of de-
iiciencies of early training and educa-
ton, and lack of funds, can not tread
these ilowery paths with you; but the
father is content to live again in the
son, and to enjoy his triumphs in
back seat. can scarcely hope he
continued, his voice trembling slightly,
and big tear running down his cheek,
"to keep you at home with us any lon
ger Your new life VIII be at variance
with our simple ways You will, no
doubt, feel like going to one of the
principal hotels, and. perhaps, pay as
much rs sos week for board. We
can not compete ut homo with the
crockeryware and silver they will give
you there to eat, nor with the manifold
discomforts of the place; but, my boy.
we can give you good, wholesome food,
plainly served, and hearty welcome,
at the same price, and, by heavens we
willr'
And they did And Somerby still
has place at their iireside. despite his
altered circumstances, Happy in their
sons success, the old folks never muir
muir, but put up with his late hours
and altered way of life with self
denying patience that is rare indeed
Puck.