The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1890-01-04
And how has our hero been otherwise

affected by the fight of years.
After leaving school, he tried the
drug business and failed ANONYMOUSLY.
After that he was apprenticed to car.
penter, with no better success. Sam de-
sired to be painter, but his father
persisted stubbornly in refusing to al
low the boy to follow the bent of his
natural talent.
Two other unsuccessful trials were
made, from each of which Sam re-
turned in like disgrace with his en-
ployers.
When his father had about given up
In despair of ever making any thing of
his son, an eminent portrait painter from
the city chanced-luckily for Sam-to
| come into the neighborhood to spend a
few weeks in rusticating. say luckily
| for Sam, for it is so CHANGED that one of
our hero's rough sketches fell under the
notice OF this gentleman. He was
struck by the remarkable power which
it exhibited, and lost no time in wait
ing upon his parents and calling their
| attention to it. .-
On3Mr. Hunter he produced no effect.
I'VE lost all hope of making any
thing of the boy" he said, gloomily.
1--we given him four trials, and he's
disgraced himself in all?'
"But did you ever consult his own
taste in any Of the employments you put
him TOP"
Consult his taste!" said Mr.. Hunter.
opening his eyes. ''To be sure not. I
choose what I thought best, and it was
his duty to exert himself to fulfill nv
reasonable expectations
The artist said no more, perceiving
that it would do no good to run counter
to MT. Hunters firmly-grounded preiu-
dlces. One thing he did, however, and
TINS was, to offer to take the boy as a
pupil, and instruct him in his own pro-
fession.
Il shan't interfere in any way" said
Mr.. Hunter; IF you want him he can 90
with you" 49,.
The next morning Sam went back to
the city with his newly-found teacher.
Now for the first time he found him.
self in his element. The artist could
have found no more enthusiastic or
promising pupil.
Mr.. Hunter was considerably sur
pr1sed not to find the boy returned on
his hands, and to learn only good &C
counts OF him. Still, his opinion of
himshad not materially changed.
But at the time above mentioned,
when Sam had reached the age of twen-
ty-tour, on one of his occasional visits
home, he perceived that his father was
more than usually gloomy. He asked
the cause.
ut is nothing in which you can help
me-" said his father.
''Perhaps l can. Won't you at least
tell ne?"
Finally Mr.. Hunter admitted that a
mortgage of fifteen hundred dollars on
the old homestead, which he had sup
posed he could pay when he chose, had
passed into the hands of a party who
had resolved to foreclose. There was no
chance of raising the money in time,
and the place where he had lived ever
since his birth must go out of his hands.
'Father," said Sam, ''you must allow
me to advance you the sum required"
''You!' repeated his father. sTt is
not possible that you have gained so
much by your business"
IL can satisfy you on that point" said
Sam.
He displayed a handbook which
showed deposit of two thousand dol
lars to his credit.
Mr.. Hunter was at first too surprised
to be thankful for this unexpected re-
lief. Finally he accepted the offer, and
the homestead was saved. From that
time he began to entertain greater
respect for his sons ability, and to feel
that he had not done wisely in thwart-
ing his early taste.
When Sam Hunter became a distin.
guished artist, his old teacher, Nicode-
mus Benton, now a prosperous lawyer,
sat him for the portrait, for the second
time. This time Sam did not have the
modification of having his performance
stigmatized as a ''frightful caricature."
-Horatio Alger, Jr., in Yankee Blade,