The mountain Democrat., 1864-09-03


Wm. Moore experienced the great morti
6cation of losing the case.
That fnal decision in favor of the rich
plaintiff was received with general disfa
vor; but to Mr.. and Mrs. Faunce il came
like hopeless knell to all their future
prospects, so far a. happiness or life com.
forts we're concerned. With heavy hearts
the aged couple-indeed, may say with
perfect propriety the sorrow stricken pair,
inasmuch as they had outlived their off
spring-began to mentally and practically
prepare themselves for that bitter trial ol
being turned out upon the cold, eharitless
world, in q homeless condition, and that,
too, in the evening of their livesl
While that venerable pair were thus
suffering almost unbearable mental ter.
rors, in connection with their gloomy
prospects, their much esteemed attorney
and friend, Mr.. William Moore, Jr., paid
them q visit.
After exchanging the compliments oi
the day, and briefly referring to their late
crushing disappointments, Mr.. Moore
said:
Friend Faunce, were you not captain
of the Orion, running between the ports
of Pittsburg and St Louis, in the spring
of 1902
4 was,' replied Mr.. Faunce.
Then you doubtless remember having
generously furnished a destitute woman
and her two children with a free passage
on your boat from st. Louis to Pittsburg
and you must also recollect the accident
at Cincinnati, which placed that hopeless
family under still greater and more lasting
obligations to you; inasmuch as your dis.
interested kindness and true liberalitV
never tagged while mother and children
were slowly recovering from the effects of
that terrible catastrophe
True, friend Moore, | remember all
those circumstances with peculiar vivid
ness; not, however, as . consequence OF
having performed my duty on that occa.
! sion-simple acts of kindness, which
have always aimed to render unto others
on all proper occasions-but owing to the
fact that my business friends were very
loud in their complaints, or at least their
cautiously framed chidings, as regarded
my toe great liberality in that connection,
| have refunded every farthing which pas
sengers and freighters were supposed to
have lost in that connection
Know you, then, Captain Faunce, that
the widow lady so deeply indebted to you
for so many acts of true benevolence on
that particular occasion, was no other
than my mother!'
Can that be possible I? was Faunce's
quick reply while the most pleasing as
tonishment animated every lineament Of
his face.
Mr.. Moore then addressed the venera.
ble Captain Faunce as follows:
MY dear mother ever reverted to you
with unfeiPned delight, while your many
acts Of diSinterested Kindness, to herself
and children during that season OF great
distress, were ever remembered with the
deepest emotions # true thankfulness -
Those feelings Of true gratitude were ever
I,esert in h,r heat, until that organ OF
. deep scu>ihility Was chilled by the cold
hand Of death Therefore, when you ap
Fllvd to me for legal advice in connection
with the suit, the unfavorahe termination
of which is now filling the hearts of your,
self and cstinahIe wifi with so much real
>olrow- the name struck me as being ia,
rniliar And when, on inquiry. | leaned
that you and the Captain Faunce, to whom
my and her children were so deeply in.
drhted, were evidently one and the same,
at once quickly resolved on practically
repaying that long standing obligation,
should circumstances favor such design.
I left no honorable efforts untricd in hopes
Of winning suit so unjustly trumpcd up
by far gone dcvotee Of positive avari.
ciousncsS. We have failed in obtaining a
favorable verdict, and now | cannot brook
the idea Of seeing ' Ou and your estimable
life companion deprived of this old home
and its hall0wed associations, just at an
epoch in your lives when to launch. out
anew and struggle with an unSympathi.
zing world would indeed be sad trial. -
1t would subject you to an endless variety
Of heart wearing Affections, all of which
are wholly unmeritcJ. You will, there
fore, please accept this deed as slight
token Of true gratitude, so eminently due
you for the many acts of kindness be-
slowed upon a widow and her orphan
children during their day of dark-in-
deed, Of almost rayless adversely
Your generously profTered reward for
the past, Mr.. Moore, is too great. No
thing on my part has merited such mu
nificence. Would you, then, place US
under obligations so momentous in their
character as to utterly forbid even frac-
tional repayment during the few brief
years now remaining of our earthly miss
ion9'
7 am fully conscious of having only
performed a simple duty; therefore you
will confer lasting favor by not deeming
yourselves under the slightest obligations
to Inc. No, my highly esteemed friends,
this simple act amounts to nothing more
than a sacredly binding duty, cnjoined
upon all those desirous Of fulfilling the
Divine command, Do unto others as you
would have others do unto you'.'
Then, we accept your generous gift In
that genuine spirit Of kindly emotions
and unalloyed thankfulness, which should
ever mark the conduct of those who are
remembered in the hour Of their deepest
Affections, by the noble and pure-hearted.
And while frankly acknowledging that
positive inability must ever prevent all
hopes of repayment on our part, we shall
at all times earnestly and believingly pray
the Great All Father to bestow upon your
head blessings everyway adequate to your
noble deeds
Thus, True Gratitude prompted a
Christian hearted man to the performance
of acts, which will bring to his dying
moments hallowed remembrances so truly
typical of Heaven and its ineffable felici-
ties, that the angel Of Death will be well
coined as two,fold messenger of glad ii.
dings and beautifying peace, rather than
as an enemy or happiness destroying
scOurge.