Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1863-11-11
CALEB GRAY MARSH.

Old Caleb Graym3rSh dWet IN the New
England village of n, hard by his own
stone-walled black chimneyed factory, which
belched forth fire and smoke all day, and
shone like some ogre's palace half the night
with the fires and lights which glimmered
through the windows, and shed a crimson
CLEAN over the waste and barren land about
the building. For 1t was a stirring place, this
factory, and the work people we're there
among the whrling machinery night and day
strong, stalwart fellows, with begrimed
hands and faces-old men who could Just tot
ter up the stairs-women, tidy and trim, and
some OF them very pretty, and the little chill
dren, who, had they been born of wealthy pa
rents would only have been permitted to
leave the nursery under the guardianship Of
a maid
There was occupation for all NJ at the
great factory, and III the eyes OF employers,
Caleb Graymarsh a man of mighty wealth
and power Fabulous tales were told OF his
possessions In real estate, and the women
folks had a legend among them that the tea
service. which some of them had seen gilt
tering on the factory table, was made of solid
dollars, melted down for the express purpose,
and the house throughout was covered with
silk velvet. 1t pity, they said, that
poor Mrs. Graymarsh could not have lived to
see all this, tut had died when Caleb was
young man, struggling for the fortune which
now his. few years before there had
been simple white slab in the grave yard
bearing the words kitty Gravmagsh, aged
20" But of late a splendid marble mOnu-
ment had arisen there, With Gowcry IN
scription on is face, and the figure Of
eel bending over IT, 4 SNOWY thing, with
nothing artistic about it; Yet though the
dead girl, who would have been an elderly
woman by this time had she lived, slept no
more peacefully under the costly structure
than she had beneath the simple slab, there
was something in the sight when one thought
that by its erection the old man had sought
to make his lost wife participate in the only
possible way in the wealth which he val
ued
1t i hard TO think Of most old business men
as Young Iovers-strangc to believe that
smiles or frowns from the women were once
Of greater moment 20 them than the rise and
fall Of stocks has now become And the grim
old factor whose brow was puckered into
continual trowu, and whose mouth had be
come straight, stern line, with grooves like
wrinkles on either side of it, scarce looked
'.the hero Of a love tale" Yet Caleb Gray
marsh had been Young once, and had loved
his little Kitty with strong, manly earnest
ness She was the sole love of his life, the
only who had ever made his heart
beat When he won her, simple country
girl though she was, no monarch was tondcr
of his queen, although all bat ms wife be
lieved him cold hearted and wondered what
charm Young buc-eyed Kitty had found in
his stern face. Only Caleb Graymarsh him
self knew how well he loved his wife, and
when the sod was piled above her breast, ne
knelt above il fearless and Specchless, and
PRAYED silently that God would let hsm die
also.
We talk Of wishing for death very often,
but only those who have drained the cup OF
suffering to the very drc@s ever pray for il
-f.r Il
tremhle 4 their sinful prayers were answered
and the bolt from heaven were seen descend
ing. One ct chose rare and terrible moments
came to Caleb Gray marsh rs he kneit above
his young wfc's grave, but none who knew
him ever guessed il. They saw, few mo-
ments afterwards, plain, homeiy, working
man, with n Grape about his hat, rise To his
feet and plod slowly homeward, and, seeing
10 tears in his eyes and hearing no complaint
from his lips thought hc did not feel much,
and 50 left him. But Caleb Graymarsh. having
no living kindred, and not being "a, that time
rich enough To have made friends, took the
waiting baby from the woman Who had cared
for it, while he had followed its mother to
the grave and nursed ii all night, feeling "a
strange comfort it the soft cheek he held
against his own, and in the unconscious
trihiug of those tiny fingers about his face.
lie had thought very little of the baby
while his wife lived, save as a pet and play
thing II was we'll enough for him To have but
now he experienced a new feeling towards IT,
1t would grow perhaps To have her lbrm and
features. lie wished il were a girl instead OF
boy and yet even now he felt hp was not
quite desolate, since God had left him thus
And 80 when the morning dawned. and the
golden sUubeams crept through the bedroom
window they fell on Calico Gravmarsh fast
asleep, with his baby en- his bosom.
He put the child to nurse the next day and
Went about his work a. usual. Whatever
were his feelings he never spoke OF them to
any one, and young a. he was. he had grim
unsocial way with him which encouraged
none 10 seek his confidence On Sundays,
instead OF going With most of the other men
TO drink and trohc, joining the few more
sober minded 1t church, Caleb Gravm3rsh
went to the country place where his baby was
AT nurse, and kept it with him under the
green trees all the day long And the child,
unconscious rs il really must have been, was
So strangely happy and youtented that one
might easily have imagined that its little ewes
could see and read tile tender secret of that
rough working mans soul.
! ear and year passed bv. and I,led,iinfr care
and industry helped Caleb C1ravnqrsh 10 climb
the ladder Of forum, 1t irst. some Jrfr
handIwork brought hmm higher WAGES rhan
he became foreman, and at last ii partner in
the very establishment which bc had first en-
tered treudless boz, ordered and srfe5
about by any one who chose 20 take the
trouble The steps were short and easy after
this and twenty years from the dav on viii, h
he had knelt beside his Young wife's grave.
the black ohimneys of his own factory arose
above the roofs of the trim New EnrIand
town. and people spoke Of Caleb Gravmarsb
a. person OF wealth aud Influence.
In his life this man had married two srrono
passions-the love for his dead wife and the
greed Of wealth not a miser's love of hoard
ing but the pride OF possession. Caleb GRAY
marsh liked to see envious eyes turned up6n
him, and was fond Of boasting and display.
Very little sympathy had he, either for a
poor man. What he had done be believed
that others might DO also. Those who worked
for him knew this and expected no kindness