Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1860-07-17

tenance, drew long breath, after listening to
my recital. and left the room to attend to her
domestic duties at the moment, without one
word Of comment. However, high as had al
ways stood in the opinion of my sensible wife, I
went up notch higher that day.
CHAPTER III
Just about three years after the particular
morning in which this brief history opens, land
it is true one-a thousand such can be studied
any day in the present time OF fluctuations and
revulsions in trade and sDmmerce) was sitting
in my Office quietly attending to my duties in q
new field Of operations, q have migrated to the
busy world OF Gotham) when visitor was an
nonnced whom I at FIRST did not recognize. I
had quit the bark mill business and the fast city
OF Trumpetville, in disgust; tape and needles
did not pay, and Jenkins, Of 40 Buckram Lane,
was of the things Of the past The visitor was
dirty looking, threadbare and ragged; yet rather
gentlemanly in bearing, and face, which, after
q momenr, | recognized as an old and familiar
one, told no symptoms of dissipation, but the
recognition staggered me. 1t was Smith He
had always been the perfection of neatness as
well as fashion, and dressed in excellent taste,
and the most scrupulons regard to the purity of
his linen; clean shirt and collar every day was
one of his peculisrities. But this individual, as
Huith, I could hardly accept; from his hat to
his boots Was dirt and rents; bis frock coat "a
black one once) was buttoned up to his chin,
though the weather was smelling hot and albeit
he had on bright clean dickey, the color of his
shirt, which glanced at under his rusty satin
scarf, was that OF brown paper. 1t was the
most abiect picture of poverty in q respectable
man had ever seen, and as the appearance of
nv neghbor Smith, OF Chesnut Place, Trumpet
Vile, and his el.gant style of life came up be-
fore me in contrast to the, evident position in
the world of this individual, was shocked the
thoughts of his wife, too, stole upon me; was
she alive9 if so, where? For two years had
heard nothing of Smith, After his failure he
had sold elegant furniture, pictures, books, arti-
cles of virtu, &c, and realized q handsome sum
tor them, though not over halt what they cost,
and had left Trumpetville with his beautiful and
lady-like wife, and taking but little interest in
them, had neglected to learn where they had
gone to. and in my change of locality had about
forgotten them altogether. looked at Smith no
doubt with surprised air, and unconsciously
NV ewes wandered over his costume. He must
have observed it, for with an embarrassed look
and rather nervous tone he desired to speak q
word to me in private. The pnrport OF bis visit
was the loan OF five dollars, and ty history
of the loss of situations, one and another for the
past two years n this great city, from failures, he
said. of two or three concerns he had been clerk
for. and at last he had run through with every
dollar, could get no place, was without cent,
could not pay his room rent, nor In fact buy
meal; he was reduced, in fact, to the last ex-
tremity. What rapid tunbling down the grade
of responsibility was this and the smart, dash
ing Smith. uoo-the Smith who used to cut us at
C6esnut PIace-the prond Smith-to present
himself to the unpretending Jenkins, and beg the
loan of five dollar bill to keep him from almost
starvation! Yet such was the fact. What q
story would have for Mrs. Jenkins at tea time !!
7 yentured to ask him where his wife was.
"She is here with me" said he.
"What! in New Yorka"
..Yes in this great city, in small room con-
tanning all we have in the world, the little rem
nant of our furniture, and here she lives without
a sonl to speak to her, except myself, and the
landlords agent, who calls weekly tor the rent
| he cannot get; she is broken-hearted, (omlth's
voice was shaky at this point OF the story, and
his ewes were filled with tears) in consequence
of nv misfortunes, and cries all day long. /
would have sent her home to her fathers, but
have been hoping and hoping TO gee something
| to do; she is without a garment fit to go into
the street with, and to confess the truth, so am
~ Che glanced at his seedy and dirty costume)
land, Mr.. Jenkins, many day in the past thirty
days we have not tasted particle OF food"
aYou have no chiIdren?" ventured to cay.
"None, thank God, none," said he; II am
spared that suffering in my present condition"
"What picture, and bis lsdy-like wife too,
literally starving to death in this great, cold,
selfish city! resolved to put my Inundated
neighbor on his legs again, if possible, ana onr
interview was about being closed by my hand
ing him the five dollar bill, to keep soul and
body together till something should turn up,
when, as I stepped near him, caught smell OF
his breath. A terrible suspicion flashed upon
me-he drank. There could be no mistake IN
lit-that the peculiar smell was only Observable
in the class called soakers; it was the horrld
stencil of a completely burnt up stomach, the
stencil carried about only by the methodlcai
daily tippler. l made up my mind in one mo
ment what to do. ! charged Smith with drinK-
ing his countenaDce was one OF those tnat new
or show dissipation, and he family denied the
imputation. l, however, pushed the charge
upon him, and he owned to me that trouble had
driven him to it. never do things by halves,
and determined to save Smith if possible. lie
was made to listen to repfoof and advice, i'm
parted with that kindness and regard Tor his
feelings which brother would have shown he
felt it, was completely subdued, promised with
the sOlemnity of an oath never to touch another
drop | spoke of his duty to his wife, his poor,
suffering wife; of his duty to himself; OF his
only and last resource by which to bold on to a
respectable footing 10 the world, his character; !;
begged him, as he valued his welfare, to never
touch the poison cup again, and would strive
to get him, rags and dirt as he was, into re-
spectacle clerkship. accomplished it; friend
to whom l appealed, as an act of Kindness to me,
to put Smith into position, did so; and once
more saw him and cautioned him as to the fatal
curse which threatened to blight him. He re-
oawad his nromise to me with fervOr and sol
emnity which believed would save him, and
felt the proud consciousness of doing good act;
restoring the happiness Of an almost broken
hearted woman, and inducing weak and tempt
ed fellow being to turn from the errors of his
ways, and become true man once more. had
told the story to my kind hearted wife, and she
had wept tears of wolnanly sympathy over the
fallen fortunes of the beautiful woman whose
fate was linked with poor Smith, but thanked