The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1869-07-16
I have been its opponent"
"Name what YOU wish. ~

as would wish, shonld conclude TO no
proposed ~ q candidate fof membership
in your noble f,nlrrniiy. He says he
was shipwrccicd SIX wrclla ago on tho
coast Of Mainc."
"'rhia can be proved, Then. by refer
enco TO Topliii's tiies,'
"No; Yet ii would be well enough 10
look for such u shipwreck in the report
er's list, lie said the name OF his ship
was the Trident But this Is not my
objection alone. ii hc was wrecked six
weeks ago in Maine aud 10 man OF re-
specialize connection in Baltimore, Why
did he moi write from the iirst town for
means, and there wait til he had hoard.
Ton days would have brought him re-
ply and money, If his tale be truo one.
Instead of tlnt he waudcrs from town
TO town; and Is six weeks reaching
this city. l must confess this looks very
suspicious"
"But he rotuInoi tho coat and hat +,
brother-thly was tfst enough Of his
honesty in his narrative" s,,id Catla-
,ne, who had n moment before catered
fine room, and WAS iistcniag with deep
intercat to their con versaiion.
'lt was his policy To do so--htsidcs
hehad no further need Of them, tNng
well suppliei with clothe, and money.
THIS goes for nothing with me, will
wait until he fu'iiis his promise in wri.
ting from Baltimore. Ii i,o writas,ovcn,
1 will advance no further objections,
aud siiuii 10 ready most cheerfuiiy to
enjoy myself in a GOciety which is dis.
tinguisi,pa hy bonevolenc0 SO noble,
and by colo OF principles 50 pure"
That very day James took Lewis
with him to TopiIil's, and after turning
over q file Of papers for sovcra; weeks
back, saw under date Of December 29,
an extract of a letter dated Ca3tinG, Mo.
which read as follows:
"We hada o southeast gale blowing
hard for the last foY;y-c;Dht hours. and
last night the ship Trident bound from
Copenhagen TO Baltimore, was driven
ashore three leagues from - light.
Out Of a crew OF twonty-one, seven have
been lost, iucluding the Capta;n and
Mate. Those who wcro saved came
ashore With The loss Of everything. The
ship is fast going % piece, and will
probably, with her cargo,5c %; u loss.
No insurance. Among those saved are
the supercargo and second mate, and
| one passenger, q Swette.
Tho younG men on reading this para.
graph silently exchanged looks. Lewis
saw The expression OF triumph on
Jamcs' face, and said, Us If he wcre no.
disposed altogether TO give it up;
"This IA all very well but he nigh,
have known of the wreck of this ship
and so told his tale"
"YOu are incorrigible, Lewis, sex
plainly"said James laughing."I SEQ yor
have little faith, after allin our Order
"Ycs have ia il. Ibelieve II now t.
be all you have said but AMI confess
suspicious of the person who has solici
ted lis charity. 1t secms so strange thu
perfect stranger 10 goa should hav'
bcen so handsomely received and sur
fered to depart. Suroly,your open hand
cd bonevolcGcc, which admits no suspi
cion, must leave you exposed 10 dccop
ton"
"Seldom-iQr npne apply who are not
of our Order"
."And you contend that all of il arc in
ialliDlc in morals ?'''
"lSl far a. The gacro'f, character of Ou
ORDERS charity i concerned, there arr
| few who would make IL the instrumcn
| offrau.l or vice."
'"If you get letter from Mr.. Drum
ond, am si!cnccd lavc In praise" sai'
LowIs, as they parted, each to go 10 hi
place Of business.
James Layton was n Junior partner In
an cxientivc Jewellers establishment
in Washington street. to which ta'leht
had regularly served IN honest appren
ticcship. His ia.c employer had few
months before taken him intp partner
ship. Tie lived In gcntcel style in ;
pleasant part of The city, and was pros
porous In his affairs; wlilche was to bt
cnvicd rs We have witnessed, IN the
happiness aud comfort nf his domcsti,
arrangements. Lew - Foster, whose sis
ter he had married, was also junior
| partner IN respectable dry goods store
| He w.ts II young gcntloman Of strict mo
rails and oi considerable Intelligence
| The wariusrt friendship had long cXis
ted between the Two young men, ant
nothing hn'l over occurred to interrup
the harmony or their fratcral inter
course,
A wcok--len days--il fortnight passed
and no letter had beCn lccCi gCd t,on
Baltimore. LOWS was about 10 declare
hinisclf the victor in his opinion OF th(
shipwrccked stranger, and james
hopes in his integrity 10 mlsgivc linn
whcn n letter mailed ut Baltimore was
brought from the pDst.oilicc, Without
opening it James LETT his store and wen
to Lewis, and exhibiting the ouisid,
broke the seal. a; no unfJlded il hur
riodly, II bank nolc fell from it, and fiut
tered to the ilOor. Lewis cJusht it ant
exclaimed:
"a hundred dollar note, as live !
Read the letter - ho cried eagerly,
James read rs follows
BALTIMORE, March 10, iS3--.
My Dear Friend and brother IL an
happy to inform you OF my safe arrlva
hero yesterday, having been detained
in Now York by Illness. am now quit
well again, and hasion TO return you m!
Acknowledgements for y0ur kind assist
ance, and that of your Lodge. Th
amount of money generously advances
me, and the bill fr my wardrobe, j
something under the amount enclose
which / bay you viii do me the !avo
to return to the Snciety, for the relief
others of the Order who, like me, ma.
be thrown by Providoncein q condition