Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1868-10-31
The Last Ring.
~ A RETIRED ATTORNEY.

"irs, Madam" +"
IL was an elderly woman uI,o
whose brow care had iurrOwe
many wrinkle. She was dressel
in homely garments, aud the slrug
gle hrlwcon pcnury and nealnrs
which they ovinced wnuli hay
been an interesting study for
philosopher, Her cycs woro rod a
though she had been weeping; as,
when she seated herself by my desk
the pent up current OF her grle
burst forth aifesh.
What is the matter. my goot
wsmang You seem Ia be ia decI
distress" ! remarked IN tho mos
encouraging tone | could command
~ nm, sir, They say the Lord Il
near 10 them that aro in suffering
aud ! am sure he ought TO be near
me,
II dare say he is, maam, But
You know that aillictions are scnt to
nS for our own good, aud We ought
never rcpino at the discipline Of life,
however severe IL may sometimes
seem to us.
had heard an excellent sermon
the day bcihrc, for il was Monday,
on TribulaIion, aud wns Just IN
the frame OF mind for giving others
most excellent advice, which, pcr.
haps, shoul have been very un.
willing 10 follow il the dark waves
Of trouble had rolled over me.
81 try to bear il us we'll Us | can"
she replied, wiping away her tears
with the corner of her apron
II don't know as ! an acquainted
with you, ma'am," suggested, for
the purpose Of changing the topic
and bringing her TO business.
u don't know rs you are" she
replied; and she proceeded to give
me II very long and very succinct
account Of her previous history,
beginning back some forty years,
when she was born among the
White Mountains of New lamp.
shire.
| tried 10 check her, but IL was
no use. was MS patient rs the case
would admit, and mindful of the
duty we owe to the weak, the infirm
and the ignorant; but my patience
was sorcly tried. | will not punish
the reader with the long, fine spun
story she told me, for II few lines
will suffice to inform him of the ma
terial facts.
She was n widow, her name was
March. She had an only son, Philip,
who was employed in an insurance
office, and received three dollars n
week for his services. lie was a
good boy and loved his mother, as
!. son should. Upon their united
they lived very comtorla-
bly, in an obscure street, whore they |
hired two rooms. Mrs. March's
catalogue Of her son's virtues was
certainly very edifying. lie never
'pent II cent upon himself, never
ventout nights and attended church
orenoon and afternoon.
An evil day had come. On the
saturday three weeks preceding,
lr, Carmen, the President of the
Insurance company, as he declared,
ad sont Philip with valuable
iamond ring to the jewelers. to have
he stone reset. On inquiry the
ing was found not to have reached
IS destination. The jewcler had
ever seen it TO make the case
,orc complicated, the boy denied
aving received The ring. Mr.. Car
len had never sent him on any such
rrand.
The boy had been arrested on
large Of stealing the ring, and was
ow confined in Jail. Mr.. Carmen
as ready to swear he delivered
le valuable article into the hands .
the boy, with explicit directions
"a ubo., bo sLo,,d oo,, - orJ
hat ,n,,Id ho dona With I, -
49, r, % ~ ~ "' :" ' -,
~ looNeu llNe Il oau case Inc c
'or woman was ia deepest ulstre9s' |
'e was sure t"at nef uarllhS oo,y S
us inhoc'h,' one kne" ne s
ou'uh ! steal Pl'led ner ana d
'om'sea 10 40 what could lof her
"a. a
When she had gone called upon v
+. carmen. fouhd ne was one a
those still dogmauc o!d fellows, d
no are nevcr'ln the wrong, who
I'd IL lmpossibly to err, even by r
sign or TO make mistake, a
led 10 argue mo Polht WIN hlm' a
y nc Wou'u not say hucn' He II
III me t"e s.'ry ""S sure NC senC p
. ring ny inc o"y ana py hoDouy u
20. u
l venturcd to suggest that he n
ght be mistaken; that he had