Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1857-12-16

the Quaker, as he entered the office. Il 6
called on thee yesterday but thou vast abb I
sent"
"Take seat Sir" said Kstche'n, "what a
can dc for gaa this n1.E.ll, RnE
"ls thee in want Of anything
: "That is very strange question, stran- t
ger" -c
as thee in need Of money to carry on 6
thy business 2"
"You astonish me, STRIP {
"Or if thee needs any help as clerk | !
would like to serve thee. was thinking
] might be of some service to thee"
'In what way 2"
'sIn settling thy difficulties"
"You are either fool or an enigma"
"Nay, am Friend
"Have you any further business with me,
sir?"
Il would like to be thy clerk
81 don't want you"
"WelI, | want thee"
"For what?
"To 90 and see Ella Livingston !"
"Who !" exclaimed Ketchem turning
deadly pale.
ella Livingston" replied the quaker
calmly "thou needst not pretend igno-
rance in that matter thou knowest all
about her, as we'll as do. The very men
ton of her name, see brings pallor to
thy cheek; yea, thy countenance betrays
the workings of thy inner man. am not
ignorant of thy present embarrassed condi-
tion, neither am | ignorant of the relation
thou sustains to poor, neglected and mis-
treated orphan, and sincere desire to be
useful to her, to thee and to all my fellow
creatures constraineth me to oappear in thy
presence this morning and offer my servi
ces to thee as clerk at moderate COM
pensation. Perhaps | would prove myself
able to assist thee out Of thy embarrass
ment."
"You perplex me, sir you seem to know
too much-I will have nothing to do with
thee"
"Well, / shall be compelled under a
sense of justice, to have something to do
with thee"
"By what authority? are youlord Mayar2n
"Nay, verify; but by this auTnoritB,
holding before Ketchem a manuscript pa
per, old with years.
"In what way did you become possessed
of that paper, man g" said Ketchem grow
ing excited.
'The ways of Divine Providence, my
friend, are very mysterious, and beyond the
comprehension of poor, feeble man"
), "Will gold seal your lips 2"
/ "Nay, verify, perishable gold can no
buy justice to the oppressed from my hands
it would be sin unto me to purchase pros
, perity, while the poor goes unpitied an'
without friend"
"What would you have me do?"
"Canst thou pay over to whom it justl
belongs the sum ofseventy thousand dollars!
e mo !!
+ The quaker holdst the paper before Ketct
r "Once thee could"
k "But | cannot now; the pressure in th
r money market utterly excludes the idea I
5, any man having command Of SO much"
If "Perhaps l can help thee in thy trouble
o "How g.
is "By becoming clerk in thy establish
ment"
N "On what terms 2"
IL "On condition that thee pay me fl
Y hundred year, and Immediately pay tV
5h hundred dollars to furnish her with clot
I'd ing and the comforts Of life; sheis sadly
Id need"
''I will think about it." ....
ne ''The case does not require a secol
ic thought; good deeds should not be t
result of over-much dehberation; for
ed are commanded that whatsoever our han
rs fndeth to do to do it with all our mig
IN So | must insist on thee giving draft pa
lis able to Ella at once for the amount 81
IL cifed else | shall be tempted to procla
ed thy want of integrity to the world
ill ''You are unreasonable; you pretend
Id be actuated by desire to do good to yo
Die 'fellow-creatures, and vet you would fol
his me to acts that must necessarily prove {
astrous to me and mlne.'
he ''Not by any means, my friend; let
len explain Thou must know that | am
to possession of some of the secrets of thy p
a life, though stranger to thee. The $
TVS ferings of an innocent one whom, in d
no bygone, thou didst wrong has come UNI
ual my observation, and am impelled by
as inward sense of duty to be her friend
the seeing that partial, if not entire, restitut
"'"' Is Illdue unto Her. IIdt lHOu IStSb WIZ
on-l ed Ella, friend Ketchem, thou canst
was deny; for here is the will of her fail
loseh giving unto her his estate of seventy th
lied sand dollars, which thou didst believe
or long since destroyed. Now, thou wilt
prl- say that, as the agent of that estate, t
ta- ever paid the orphan one cent, for ther
an no legal record to hold thee blameles
Now, all demand, at present, is that |
pay to her two hundred dollars for her
mediate comfort, and that thee takes
'e lne as clerk, and | will do what can tt
.tlng sist thee in the calamity that is threat,
hls thee"
"You are a strange man. I am in
power. If | agree to your terms will
keep your lips closed 2"
"That is more than | dare promise
ester-A might be impelled by sense of du
speak my mind, and if so, gold nor al
pcrishable things of earth could not
me to hold my peace
"Do as you please with me then, t