Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1869-05-28

the cars for refreshments, he brought his
hands full OF pies, and distributed them
among the weary group. A mother and
seven little children, the eldest not over
twelve years, whose husband and father
left the cars at every stopping place. and
returned more stupid and beastly each
time, scolding the little tired, restless
ones. with thick tongue, and glaring his
furious eyes upon the poor grieved vic
tim of wife, like tiger upon his prey.
because she did not keep her children
still. no bite Of refreshmcnt. no exhiler-
ating draft, no rest from that fat cross
baby, came to her all the long night, save
when the big man stretched out bis great
hands and took the baby for an hour, and
let him play with his splendid watch to
keep him quiet.
"rll give you thousand for him." said
he. rs he handed him back to her arms.
you may have the whole lot for that"
answered the father with swine. like
look.
ats bargain"said the big man, ''pro-
vidin' the mothers willin'."
"Tndade, sir. its not one Of them could
be bought with money" was the quiet
determined response Of the mothers
heart.
How kindly he helped her of the cars
when at break Of day they came to their
journeys end.
Thus all night he had been attracting
the attention OF the waking ones in the
cars. But his kindness and rough polite
ness would soon have been forgotten by
the mass Of the passengers, had he not
stamped it upon our memories with his
gold.
"I wonder who he is," and where did
he get il? What an interesting charac-
ter"
Education would spoil him." "What
rich fursm "Did you notice what a splen-
did watch he carries p ''IIe Is some great
incog."
Such werc few queries that passed
from lip to lip. But there came no an.
swer: for he who alone could have an
swered, sat crouchcd in his fur coat.
seeming unconscious Of all but his own
deep thoughts.
Chicago !" shouted the brakeman. ana
in An instant all was confusion, and our
hero was lost in the crowd. The next
we saw Of him was at the baggage stand,
looking up bandbox for a sweet-look-
ing country girl, who was going to learn
the milliner's trade in the city. AS we
passed TO our carriage, we discovered
him again holding an old man by the
hand while he grasped the shoulder oil
the conductor Of another train with the
other, getting for the grey haired sire
the information as to the route he would
take to 'his quarters" who lived near
Muscatine. Iowa.
"God bless him for his deeds" was our
earnest aspiration. rs he whirled around
the corner. May his shadow never grow
less. or the gold in his pockets diminish !
for in his unnumbered charities and mcr.
cies, dropped so unostentatiously here
and there, he is perhaps doing moro good
in his day and generation than he who do
mates his thousands to build charitable in-
stitutes to give honor to his own name.
"Oh, how much the world needs greal
hearts that are able TO comprehend little
things-and yet how often it happens
that the learned, the wise and the rich.
outgrow the wants of humanity, and feel
ing within themselves the power to move
mightily-pass by the humble duties that
would make thousand hearts leap for
ioy-and push on; looking for some
wrong to right, some great sorrow to be
soothed. some great work to be accom-
plshed and failing 10 find the great work,
live and die incarceratcd in their own sell
fishness and do nothing at all
This rough mans nature seemed the
nature of the little child. His quick eye
saw at glance his great heart warmed
and his hand executed his little work OF
charity-so small that one would expect
to see them slip between his giant fingers
unaccomplished-yet they were done.
The "angel over the right shoulder"
will have longer column to his account
of deeds well done, than all the rest oi
the passengers Of that crowded car on
that long, tedious. stormy night in jan
uary, 1866 lAppleton's Guide.
Il Strange Dream and a Wed"'"0.
| Ona of tha hanniest men that ever