The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-02-23

Charlie ParkhurSt was boy round
the store when be came here at the age
of IA or 49," said he, with beaming face,
as he leaned against a counter piled high
with ealicoes, took the eyeglasses of the
bridge of his nose, and played with them
as he gave himself up to recalling the
past.
81 didn't notice him much at first, ex-
cept that he was bright and ambitious.
He came here as any boy goes into a
country store to do errands and small
sales. But he attracted my attention
because he was persistent and full of
will. | always had absolute confidence
in him. He took the place of Il boz
whom I had discharged for suspected
theft. Charley was only fair salesman.
[ never thought he meant to make it
business; he just let up little in his
schooling to come into the store for a
while, but he stayed two years. He
must have studied evenings while he
was here, for used to notice him carry
ing Latin book, though we never al
lowed reading or studying in the store,
and the hours were long. We didn't
close till 8 O'Clock except two evenings
in the week. 1 think his mother helped
him in his studies all that time. She
was superior, high minded woman.
Charlie was always bright and alert in
the store and listened eagerly to any
thing in the way of witty conversation
that was going on. 81 have taken a
great interest in the stir he has made, as
he was a clerk of mine--most distinguished
one ] ever had, though good many of
my young men have gone TO the cities
and become directors of corporation, for
we raise good quality of human stock
round here. But it's good while since
young Parkhurst was with me before
the war when [ first went into business
for myself and before was 80. Let me
see, Pve got an old day book in the cup
board that will show just when it was"
Mr.. Greeley returned with look CT sat
isfaction on his face as he exhi bited
little old account book with board covers
and leather back. He opened it reyer-
entity, and turned the yellow pages, which
almost split under the touch. At length
page was turned that showed a bold
boyish hand and liberal supply of ink.
"That's it," said Mr.. Greeley, putting
his finger upon it, that's Parkhurst's
own entry, about the first one he made
in the day book. That's Oct. 5th, 1858. y
The entry read:
"To William Eaton, 1-2 yards delaine,
a." with the figures in the debit col
umn. Then the old merchant closed the
book as carefully as a Bible.
The people of Clinton tell with relish
stories of Parkhurst as a young minister
when he had just returned from theo-
logical course in Germany. He preached
in the church where his father had been
deacon for II years. Full of European
| learning, he confounded the plain viii
lage folk by preaching over their heads.
| His utterance was continuous flow of
theological polysyllables, Latin quota
| tons and complex sentences. The good
old people who had known him from a
boy could not understand him at all.
When the sermon was over and the peo-
pie were going out, there was an oninous
silence about the sermon, but plenty of
shaking of sage old heads. 1t is said
! that as the Parkhursts were walking
| home the mother took her son to task
and said: "Charles, Il never want to
hear you preach that way again."
| Parkhurst. preached frequently after
that, but his mothers admonition
seemed to have but little effect, for he
| still used his high flown language. 1t
became a saying in the village that if
| Parkhurst was going to preach, they
church instead of their Bibles. The
people for the most part took his airs
good naturally not i'll pleased to see that
one of their own boys had gone to Europe
and acquired such vast knowledge. The
more philosophical reflected that be
doubtless wanted to increase his vocabu-
larry and took these occasions fol prae-
tice. 1t was thought that be kept list
of large and impressive words on hand
for reference before any special occasion.
| In later years when he has come home
on summer vacations and preached from
the oldspulpit he has used language SO
simple and direct that child could
understand, and he grew to have a great
hold upon the people. Still they did not
turn out in great numbers to bear him
even when his New York fame was de.
veloping. In any other town in Massa
chusetts he would have drawn better. II
is the old story of the prophet in his owr
land.