St. Landry democrat., 1886-10-16


| looses all.
When he first came to the city Edward
was disposed to keep Sunday in quietness
| reading little and going occasionally tc
| bear a sermon. Now Sunday is Il day OF
| carousal. He is so full of intoxicants by
| eleven O'Clock in the day he staggers into
one of the licensed rum holes of the city.
Some morning Edward, his breath
stenchful with rum, takes his place in the
store. He is not fit to be there. He is
listless. or silly, or impertinent, or in some
way incompetent, and messenger
| comes to him and says:
1.-THE firm desires to see you in their
private Office"
The gentleman in the private Office
says:
Edward, we will not need you any
more. We owe you a little money for
services since we paid you last, and here
it ISL
"What is the matter?" says the young
man. II can not understand this. Have
done anything?"
The reply is: eve do not wish any
| words with you. Our engagement with
each other is ended"
'Out of employment" What does that
mean to a good young man? 1t means OPP
portunty to get another and perhaps bet
ter place, 1t means opportunity for men,
tai Improvement and preparation for
higher work
y
1t is now only five years since Edward
came to town. He used to write HON J
once a week at the longest. He has not
written home for three months. what
can be the matter?" say the old people
at home. One Saturday morning the
father put on the best apparel of his ward.
robe and goes to the city to find out.
sob, he has not been here for a long
while," say the gentlemen of the firm.
your son, am sorry to say, is on the
wrong track"
The old father goes hunting him from
place to place, and comes suddenly upon
him that night In place of abandonment.
The father says:
''My son, come with me. Your mother
has sent me to bring you home.
hear you are out of money and good
clothes, and you know as long as we live
you can have a home. Come right away"
he says, putting his hand on the young
mans shoulder. In an angry tone Ed
ward replies:
"Take your hands off mel You mind
your own business! I will do as please!
Take your hands off me or | will strike
you down! You go your way and will
go mine!"
That Saturday night. or rather Sunday
F1, = j. 49, ~,
in the norning-the father goes to the city
home of his son Nicholas, and rings the
bell, and rings again and again, and it
seems as if no answer would be given;
Tut, after awhile, window is hoisted and
a voice C, les:
"Who's there?"
at is me-" says the old man.
"Why, father, is hat ycu?"
In minute the door is opened and the
son says: "What in the world brought
you to the city at this hour of the night?"
"Oh! Edward has brought me here. l
feared your mother would 90 stark crazy
not hearing from him. and 1 find out that
it is worse with him than expected"
"Yes," said Nicholas, 81 had not the
heart to write you any thing about it. l
have tried my best with him and all in
vain. But it is after two o'clock" saws
Nicholas to his father, "and l will take
you to a bed" .....
On comfortable couch in that house the
old father lies down coaxing sleep for
few hours, but no sleep comes. Whose
house is it? That of his son Nicholas. The
fact is that Nicholas. soon after coming
Ill
the commercial establishment where
he was placed. He knew what few
persons know, that in all depart
ments of business, and mechanism and
art there is surplus of people of ordinary
application and ordinary diligence; there
is great scarcity, and always has been
a great scarcity, of people who excel.
Plenty of people to do things poorly or
tolerably well, but very few clerks, or
business men or mechanics who can. do
splendidly well. Approaching this, Mich
olas had resolved to do so grandly that
the business firm could not do without
him. Always at his place little after
every body had gone. As extremely po-
lite to those who decline purchasing as to
those who made large purchases. He
drank no wine, for he saw it was the en-
poisonment of multitudes, and when any
one asked him to take something, he said
''No" with the peculiar information that
meant no. His conversation was always
as pure as If his sisters had been listening. |
He went to no place of amusement where |
be would be ashamed to die. He never |
bet or gambled, even at church fair!
When he was at the boarding house, after |
he had got all the artistic development he |
could possibly receive from the chrome |
IN the wall, he began to study that which |
would help him to promotion-study pen
study biographies of successful
men; or went forth to places of innocent |
and to Young Mems Chris
ian Associations, and was not ashamed |