A California Romance

Every day for five years, no matter how heavily the winter rain carne down or the gusty summer winds Bwept from the hilltops, au old man took up his position near the old postoffice in San Francisco, and sat until dusk behind his tray of assorted candies. Children on their way to mail or deruand letters, patronized the old candy merchant. He appeared to shun acquaintanceships with his professional brethren, and no matter what novelties they introduced in their business, he kept aloof from competition, and adhered strictly to the legitímate sweet stuffs. Among bis customers carne one day a bright-eyed, neatly-dressed urchin, who put down his five cents' and boldly demanded his equivalent in molasses candy. While the old man wrapped it up in the scanty piece of brown paper, he looked wistfully into the urchin's eyes. The boy took his candy and went off with his mouth full. Next day the little chap turned up, again, and again purchased his five cents' worth of candy. One morning the candy merchant, while wrapping up his young customer's purchase, asked the name of his young patrón. The little fellow gave it. The candy man immediately removed his tray to the care of a fellow merchant, and told the boy he would accompany him to his mother's house. The boy conducted him to a pleasant residence on Bryant street. His mother opened the door, and the moment her eyes feil on the candy merchant she threw her arms round him, and sobbing violently, called him "father!" It appears that at one time the candy man was a well-to-do merchant in Portland Me. His eldest daughter eloped with a gamlber, who had a very hard reputation in that town. On coming to California, however, he gave up his regular encounters with the " tiger," and devoted himself to speculating in mininsr stocks. He was fortúnate, grew woalthy, bought real estáte, and won the name of beiug an honorable and generous man. His wife wrote back to Portland, but her letters were returned, for her father had failed in business, her mother was dead, and the other members of the family had aettled in New York. The old man then carne to California, not knowing of his daughtor's whereabouts, and after many unsuccessful efforts, finally went into selling candy. Something in the littlo boy's face reminded him of his daughter, and when he heard the name he remembered the handsome gamblur, against whom he had so often warned his willful child. The reunión was a very happy one, and tha candy profession has lost one of its members. - San Francisco Post. There is great grief among numerous Collectors of Customs owing 'to the proposed abolition of a lot of sinecures along the Atlantic coast. It is sad, and there are no eleotiona in immediate prospect either.