Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-06-21

AroEB n WoRlp.-A friend yesterday
related to US the substance Of q conversa-
ton he bad with an aged man whom be
chAneed to meet while strolling along the
line Of the railroad track, on the lake shore.
a few days since. Tho old man had put
lived The period allotted 70 poor humanity,
as he had also those who had made happy
his life-journsy, and for whom the best
efforts of his life had been spent and he
was aloas in the world-caring nothing for
Il, and finding nothing in Il but vanity,
vicissitude and misery. The attention Of
our friend was attracted TO him from the
strange place IN which he was sitting, being
seated at the extreme snd of one of the
heavy timbers that run out over the water,
ten or a dozen feet from the tracks. He
was looking steadily at the water beneath,
and seemed TO be wrapped in deep thought
completely lost to all that was passing
about him, even the shrill whistle and jar
ring noise Of the locomotives, as they thuh-
dered by, failing TO arouse him. Going to
him, our friend laid his hand upon his
shoulder, and speaking to him, got from him
8 recognition. He sat down by hin, and
sought a conversation. The old man showed
but little disposition to talk, but our friend
commenced a course Of interrogations which
finally drew out answers, and which grew
more interesting 10 our friend as il advanced.
He learned that the old man was "a years
old, and had in his better days been the
possessor of handsome property.
An Englishman by birth, he had come
to America when a young man-5O years
ago-bringing with him a fair bride. He
commenced a business, and for time pros
pered. In a few years his wife died, leaving
him two children-a girl and a boy. He
watched them grow up to the estate of man
and woman, lavishing on them all that a
fathers love and the remembrance Of their
dead mother could suggest. At an early age
the daughter was married, and removed to
the then Far West-0hio. Her husband, a
promising yourg man when she married
him, met with many reverses, and flying to
strong drink, was early carried to the grave.
His death preyed on her constantly, and
soon she followed him, and this blow was
almost as severe to the old man as the loss
Of his wife. But his consolation was that
his son still lived, and was in the prime of
life, and This sustained him. He still had
his business, but he seemed 10 be the idol of
misfortune, and the panic of 1887 coming
on, he was made bankrupt. Leaving Alba
ny, for it was here he had resided since his
arrival in the United States, he wentto New
Orleans with a view to getting 4 cotton
agency, but in this he failed, Thence he
went 10 Havana, Cuba, where after a time
he found employment purchasing and ship
ping tobacco to a Now York house. In this
he was engaged for several years, and with
good profit to himself. In the mean time
his son, whom he had left in the State of
New York, was establishing a practice in his
PROFESSIONALISM of a physician. But the
hopes he had offuture distinction for his son
were soon to be blasted, and in the year Is45
he received the announcement of his death.
Resigning his position, he returned to
New York, and reached the town where his
son had resided in time only to see his new
made grave. Thoroughly heartbroken, he
knew not what 10 do, nor cared. He would
not return to his native land, for he could
not bear the thought of leaving behind the
graves of his wife and children; he would
not let his friends there know Of his be-
reavements, for he had left there against
their will, and did not want to present him
self as a supplisnt for their favors. He
therefore determined to hide his time, and
entering a store in a capacity where little
was required of him, he managed to live in
a quiet way, holding no communion
with the world. About three months since,
he received an invitation from an old school
mate, now residing in Illinois, to make his
home with him for the rest of his days. He
accordingly about a week since left the
town in which he was employed for the pur-
pose of accepting the invitation. Arriving
in Cleveland, a curiosity induced him to
stop over one day, he having visited the
city some IS years since, when it was COM
paratively in its infancy. He is probably
by this time snug in the home of his kind
hearted friend, where it is to be hoped he
will live out his earthly life in comfort and
50 much happiness az his bereaved spirit is
susceptible Of.