The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1857-05-21

THE cars ratified on, What a mind was
there, what giant intellect, sleeping buried
away from light and usefulness by a rubbish
Of prejudice, habit anG custom, doing but half
work, FOR want. of culture.
"a mute, inglorious Milton,o orIrather Web
ster, going about the world, struggling with
his own soul, yet bound by chains OF ignorance
which precluded. his doing, but n,iety of
good it lay in hls power to do. All the way
through the long tedious journey he had ever
been on the watch to do good. He. gave up
his seat by the fire to an Irish woman and her
child, and took one. farther bac k; soon young
girl seated herself by his side. As the night
hours wore on and she nodded wearily,.. he
rose, spread his leopard skin, with its soft,
rich lining on the seat, made "a pillow of his
carpet bag, and insisted that she should lie
down and sleep.
"What will you do?" said she naively.
"Never mind mel can stand up and sleep,
just like buffalo; am well used to it,
THAr's sop
A little boy pulled up from sound map to
give place to incomers, was pacified and made
happy by handful of chestnuts and glowing
bit of candy pulled out of the big mans poe X
et.
When he left the cars for refreshments he
brought bat k his h ndful Of pies, and distrib-
uted them among weary and wayworn look
ing group. A mother and seven little children
the eldest not twelve years old, whose husband
and father left the cars at every stopping place
and returned more..stupid and beastIy each oc-
cason, scolding the little tired restless ones
with thick tongne, and glaring his furious red
eyes upon the poor grieved victim gof wife,
like tiger.upon.its prey, because "she did
not keep HER young ones still; they would
disturb everybody" No bite of refreshmen.,
no exhilerating draught, Eo rest from that fat,
cross baby, came.to her all. the long night.
save when the big man stretched out his
great hands, and took her boy for an hour, and
let him play with his splendid hunting watch
to keep him quiet.
'Fli give yer a thousand d'dollar. for him.
said he as he handed him back to his mothers
arms.
You may have the whole lot for that,n
answered the drunken father, with swine
like grunt.
ITS bargains" said The big man, 'sprovid.
ing the mothers willing.
"ihdeed, sir, it is not one of them can be
mad for money!" was tie quiet yet determined
response OF the mothei's heart.
How kindly he helped her off the cars when,
az the break of day, they came to their iour.
ney's end.
Thus all night he had been attracting the
attention OF the waking ones ia the cars. But
his kindness and rough 2oliten,s IS would soon
have been forgotten by the passengers had he
hh stamped 1t upon our memories BY a supply
cf his gold.
Il wonder who he is," and 'swhere did he
get on" "What an interesting character
He's nobody's fool-knows more than he let's
on" Education would spoil him. "What
rich furs.". e. Did you notice what splen-
ded watch he carries.n '.He is some rich man
incog.n
Such were few of the.queries that passed
frem lip 10 lip. But there came no answer:
for be who alone could have answered, sat
crouche in his fur coat, seeming unconscious
of all but his own deep thoughts.
''Chicago," shouted the brakeman, and in
an instant all was confusion, and our hero was
lost in the crowd. The next we saw of him
was at the baggage stand, looking up band
box for sweet looking country girl, who was
going to learn the millener's trade in the city.
As we passed to our carriage, we discovered
Lin again holding an old man by one hand,
while ne grasped the shoulder Of the conduct
or OF another train with the other, getting for
thesdeaf, grey-haired sire, the right informa-
ton as to the route he sAould take to get to
"hls darter," who lived near Muscatine, To-
wa.
"GoD bless him fors his good deeds!n was
our earnest aspiration, as we whirled round
the corner. May his shadow never grow
less, or the gold in his pocket diminish, for in
his unnumbered charities and mercies dropped
so unostentaciously here and there, he is per-
haps, doing more good in his day and genera
ton, than he who donates his thousands to
build charitable institution to give honor to
his name.
sch, how much the world needs great
hearts that are able to comprehend little things,
and vet how OTTER it happens that the learn
ed, the wlse, and the rich, ou:grow the every
day wants of humanity, and feeling within
themselves the power to move mightily-pass
by the humble duties that would make thou.
sand hearts leap for joy, and push on, looking
for some great wrong to right, some great sor-
row to be soothed, some giant work to be ac-
complished; and failing to find the great work
Ii and die, incarcerated in their own SELFISH
ness and do nothing at all.
This rough mans nature seemed the nature
OF little child. His quick eve saw at glance
his great heart warmed, and his great hand
expected his little works OF charty--so small
that one would have expected to see them slip
through his giant fingers unaccomplished-yet
they were done. The "angel over the right
shoulder" will have longer column to set
Gown to his account of the good deeds well
done than to all the rest of the passengers Of
that crowded car, on that long, tedious, stormy
night, in January 1857.
n nv Z . m.