Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1852-05-06
Reminiscemce of Robert Hoe.
BY LAURIE TODD.

fever times. He was moving from Cedar
street, along Nassau, having his face set
toward Maiden Lane. He walked in the
middle of the street, and was reading the
sign boards on the right and left. He
paused in front Of my open door, and
mine was the only store open in the block
AS he stepped in, he said, I" Mr. Thor
burn"
"Where did you learn my name ?" l
enquired. s-'--
saw it over the door, he said. Il
have come on shore from the ship Draper
from Liverpool. ! am carpenter by
trade my name is Robert Hoe; | am
now in my eighteenth years
/. Says I, Robert, was your indenture
fulfilled before you left England! :!
Says he, Il never was bound, learned
my trade with my father; l can't find
work, have no money can you recon-
mend me to house in healthy part of
the city, where l may board till l get
employment, when | will pay them hon
estly?
l knew the heart of a stranger, having
been a stranger myself, and there was SO
much of honest simplicity in his speech
and department, my heart warmed toward
him; / gave him chair and ran up
stairs says l, Guide wife, a stranger
standeth at our door; shall We take him
in!' If thee pleases,' she replied, If
he takes the fever, will you help me nurse
him p 4 WILL she answered Thank
you, dear for this; God will bless YOU
'Now,' says [, come and look on his bon
est Enlish face The impression was
favorable Says l, Robert, this neigh
borhood is accounted the most healthful
in the city; you will lodge here if You
take the fever, my wife and | will nurse
you-you sban't go to the strangers hos
pital.' His eyes spoke thanks more elo-
quent than words. As he had no business
abroad, | advised him to stay at home.
The fever seized him, however, in less
than week. procured an eminent
physician; my wife and I nursed him
In seventeen summers that I've nursed
among the sick, do not think that ev-
er saw case so violent but it terminated
in death, his only excepted. On the
fourth day, generally the crisis, the burn
ing fever was courSing through the veins,
and drinking. up his English blood. His
skin burning dry and yellow, heart-sick,
all bound sick and his spirits sunk down
to his heels. | sat at his bedside he
fastened his restless eyes on mine 80,
Mr.. T., Mr. T., l shall die, shall die
I never can stand this" and he threw
his brawny arms across the bed, as if
going to grapple with death. Die"
said |, "Robert to be sure, we must all
die but you are not going to die this
week" In this | spoke unadvisedly with
my lips, but | thought of Pope Plus and
his bull, to wit that the end would sane
tify the means. He was under the infu-
ence of powerful medicine at the moment.
/ knew there would be lull, as the sal
lor says, soon and | meant to take ad-
vantage of the circumstance to persuade
him to live if possible Fancy kills ana
fancy eatres left him for fifteen min
utes On returning, felt his pulse
said |, " Robert, you are fifty per cent.
better already hope to see you walk
from the bed and sit by the window to-
morrow. ] sat by his bed conversing,
to cheer his spirits. | continued, "Death
is nigh at hand at all times and in all
places but my impression is that you
will not die with this attack. l hope to
see YOU master builder, married to one
of our bonny Yankee lassies, and to hold
your grandchild in my arms"
Z From this hour the fever left him. -
Shortly after this, the fever disappeared
from the city. He became a master
builder, and died in l643 aged 55. But
his name will never die while types are
set and printers breathe. Hoes Printing
Press is probably the most useful discov-
ry that has blessed the world, since the
first sheet was struck from the press
Formerly we paid one hundred and fifty
cents for bible now we buy one as good
for twenty-five cents. 1t may be said OF
his sons, Ga rare occurrence in his teoun-
j try,) that they are better men than their
father, inasmuch as they have added
many improvements to their fathers
plans. Mr. Hoe dwelt in New York
thirty eight years. After his recovery
from the faver in 1865, we met times
without number; his neyer-failing saluta-
tian, was, "Grant US the instrument under
God. | have to thank you for my recov-
cry from that fever" have received
many tokens of kindness from his worthy
family, sons and daughters. And moth
ing in my past life affords such pleasing
reflections as this act of duty and human
ity tqs a stranger When his aching
head lay On my breast, as | held the cold
draught to his parched lips, Iqlittle
throught that in his head lay the germ OF
a machine destined to reyolutionize the
world ofliterature, and shed light on the
dark places of the earth, whose habita-