Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1856-09-24
conntrymen, and this meeting gives me
true deIight.n

true delight
: am an Englishnans ! said
: And | a Scotchnlan. Ia Britaik it
makes us countrymen; in d strange land
makes US brothers."
/ Struck by the blind mans manner, /
loaded, prairie fashion, couple Of corn
cob pipes with some excellent leaf tobac-
co, and handing him one, seated myself
quietly by his side. Closing his eyes from
habit, as ii to read the past, he was silent
for few moments.
Ny name is Campbell" he said at
length, without further preface, and by
trade am a cabinet maker. 10 begin
at the beginning. When | was twenty.
and that is not SO long ago as you may
think, received an offer to 90 to New
York. was engaged to be married to
sweet cousin of mine. Poor Ellen I
could not go without her, and she was
they said too young TO marry. Still the
offer was good and rather than should
lose the opportunity Of advancing myself,
they all consented it should be wedding.
The day after our happy union We sailed
for the far west.
We reached New York in safety; I
entered upon my employment with q firm
and settled determ: nation to secure, if not
a fortune, at least a competence. Wa
ges were in those days very high. | was
a good workman; my master had conf
dence in me, and besides my wages as
ljourneyman, paid me a salary as his fore
man and clerk. As determined to lose no
opportunity of advancement. keep all
his books after my regular days work is
! done. | saved more than half nv earn
ings, and was as happy, | believe as an
industrious honest man can be; and if he
sir cannot be happy, know not who
/ can"
You are right" said I; an honest
sober, industrious working man., with am
pie employment, respected by hih master,
with little family around him, should
be the happiest OF created beings. His
wants are all supplied, without the cares
and troubles of wealth."
/ I" So twas with me; was very happy.
At the end of ten years l had saved a
large sum, and then, and only then, my
wife had presented me with my first and
only child.
i With the consent and by the advice
even Of my employers, who had my true
! interest at heart, | determined to start
business for myself, but not in New York
New Orleans was money making, busy
i place, and thither [ removed. NV sue
cess was Unexpectedly great; my own
workmanship was eargerly bought up and
employed many men at the enor
nous wages of the south. Two mis-
| fortunes however now clouded my felicity
both attributable, | fear. to my desire for
! independence. The south did not agree
with my wife, and ere could restore her
to o genial climate, she died. Sir, my
sorfaw was the sorrow. / hope, of man
and a Christians, but FELT it sorely. He
only who has seen wife or child removed
from him by death, can estimate my feel
ings. Existence for time was blank.
worked mechanically, but no more did
her cheerful voice encourage my abors.
ate, drunk, all sir it was then MISS
ed her, at the morning meal, at dinner.
over the tea board. AS my eyes rested
on the empty chair on the opposite side OF
my little table, could see in it the ac-
custotned form; and then my heart seem
ed to turn cold and the very blood ceas-
ed to flow. He whoshas not lost wife,
or child, knows not real sorrow in this
world. It is the severest trial man is ev-
er put to. Well sir, she died, and / was
left alone with little image of my Ellen
A gayer, happier being never lived al
ways smiling, always singing. In time
she brought back some glimps of JOY to
my soul.
| One morning aweke with peculiar
sensation at my hearth had caught the
yellow fever. will not detan the his
tory of this illness. Suffice to say that it
was three months ere | was restored to
my health: and then by some extraordin-
airy accident it proved that was blind
while my business had gone from me. |
knew not what to do. You know sir the
usual course of ruined men in New Or
leans; they sell off secretly, shut their
shutters, write G. T. 7. (gone to Texas,)
on the door, and are no more heard Of.
But | sir, could not do this. | was how
ever, no longer fit for business; quiet
retreat in the woods was my best course
of proceeding. Besides my health was
shattered and | should not have lived in
New Orleans. Accordingly I eontrived
to raise thousand dollars when / wound
up my accounts, and with this and ne
| gro slave, and my child started for Tex
as. Blind | was not fit to cope with men
and my object therefore was to retire,
as far as was consistent with safety, into
the woods.
Eight years ago, journeyed up this
river, and reached this very spot. Fran
cisco my negro, was faithful and devo-
ted fellow, and worked hard, because ]
was a good master to him. We erected
a hut on yonder shore, it was laborious
operation: butit was at length compile
1 ted. have said / was cabinet maker;
SO was my negro; we therefore furnished
the place elegantly for backwoods
i dwelling.