The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1862-07-29

But surely, said |. 'his children ar,
not without natural affection. You de-
not mean to say that theirs is only the
semblance of sorrow 2
1t is my opinion, sir, that they are
glad in their hearts. Why not? HI
stood hard and unyielding as iron be
tween them and the wealth they desired
to possess. He was cold, sour-tempered
and repulsive. crushing out by his man
ner and conduct all natural affection
They had too much policy to quarrel
with him of late, though the time was
when hot words were said to pass be-
tween them
There are no CLEANS of light in your
picture said I.
1 copy from nature, and can only
give what See, he answered. There
are deep valleys where the sunlight ne vel
comes, as well as gold-tinted land
scapes.'
| see another funeral said I, look
ing towards distant part of the cemete-
ry. There are but two carriages, vet
see long line of mourners on foot. Do
you know who they are burying 2
Yes
Not rich man .
NO
There is no need Of asking what he
has left. Ii is the burial al poor man.
Yes, of a man poor in this worlds
goods but so far as his means went he
was princely in his munificence. His
death, sir, is public loss.' The mans
face frightened as he spoke.
You know him .
Yes, sir, knew him well. He was
aropemaker, working his ten hours every
day, and earning just nine dollars week
But those nine dollars seemed an mex
haustible fund for good. He had no
wife or children of Lis own. They went.
years ago TO that blessed land, where
he is now following them. So, afteI
supplying his own humble needs, the
ropemaker had five dollars every week
left over his investment. He did not
put it in the Savings Bank, nor buy
tumble down houses for the poor to live
in, at rate of five per cent on their
cost, nor take up barren lots to hold fol
advance in price, consequent on neigh
boring improvements. No. his invest
ments were made in different spirit, as
you shall see.'
First he paid regularly, every week to
a poor woman in his neighborhood, who
had two children to support, and who
could not leave them TO go out TO work
in families, the sum of three dollars, as
teacher Of little boys and girls, whose
parents were unable to send them TO
school. Two hours in the morning and
two in the afternoon, these poor children
received instructions. He was their
benefactor, and hers also for it was one
of bis sayings. that we must make the
right hand help the left hand. His
means OF doing good were small. and SO
he made them go as far as possible
He was noble fellow = said |, in ad-
of this poor ropemaker.
Tom Peters Yes; there was fine
stuff in his composition, if his hands
were dark and bony, and il his clothes
did smell Of pitch and rosin.'
He has left tender and fragrant memo
ries.'
lie has, sir. That long line Of fun
eral attendants are all true mourners.
There is no sham there 7
What elss did he do with his money o
| asked, growing interested in the rope
maker. He had two dollars week still
lof ulspeusaHon.
yes let me see. For one thing. he
paid boy half dollar week to read
two hours every evening TO poor blind
woman and in order that this reading
might not be given TO single pair Of
ears alone, he took care TO have the fact
known, that as many as chose might
come and listen. The consequence was
that more than dozen persons met
every evening in the blind woman's room
to hear what was read. This suggested
to Tom the way in which another half
dollar might be usefully invested. The
men in the rope walk were mostly in the
habit OF spending their evenings in tho
taverns. Tom found another lad who
was tolerably good reader. and paid
him half dollar weekly to read aloud
two hours each evening for such OF hi-
fellow workmen as he could induce to