Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1870-01-28
MISCELLANEOUS.
( NOVEMBER AFTERNOON.
~ 7RRsaAccA nAnp,So DAVIS 97Eq3

30 ny nssaAaocA nIap,sa M DAv1s ss7Eq5l4
tTHE wind off the Delaware was keen.
1t reddened the noses of, the pretty young
girls hurrying home up Chestnut street,
and frightened ctheir eyes; their plaid
cloaks and scarlet plumes futtered; the red
sunset glittercd on the windows; people
called gayly to each other as they passed
out of every area window came savory
whiffs of dinner. The world to Sam
Bender had never seemed more insulting
ly good -humored. a 20 fa
a 'How dye like this blow, Sam? Smells
winterish, eh?"
How goes it, Bender?"
"What' S. the good news, Sam?"
Bender turned at this. 1t was little
Joe Houston, one of his fellow clerks,
who had clapped him on the back.
Good news no good news" turning
gruilly away. Yet he wished the fantastic
little fellow would stay with him. He felt
terribly alone-as he had never done be-
fore in all his liGe--things had reached
such narrow strait with him to-day.
"Tut, tut, Bender You're morbid
since you've been sick Do you think
you're the first man that's had typhoid ~
I've lost more than health. find to-
day Stouch stopped my salary after the
first week"
"Whewl But, after ALL what's money,
boy? Can sordid dust make the 'bosoms
lord sit lighter on his throne?" tapping
his gaudy little waistcoat thcatrically
"Anyhow, don't believe Stouch knew
ANYTHING about it. It's that cursed old
Norris"
"What does that matter? It's gone. /
have been saving for years to pay off the
mortgage on our house. I'll have to take
the money to clear off the debts of the
lastthree months, and the mortgage falls
due to morrow"
aI"tIhat's bad luck, indeed Z, Such q
snug little house, tool How long have
you lived there, Sam?"
az was born in it. It's the Bender home
stead I've been saving ever since l was
married, to pay off that mortgage. But
now" ~
"Mary's done her share of saving, too"
Bender was silent a moment. al have
n9lfarlt to find fad with any mnyIwife'@ he said
"No chance of renewal"
"None. He is glad of the chance to
"Too bad, too badt" He was chewing
his sandy nustaehc. Joe was always
fidgetty and in motion. "There's Kitty
Stouch coming now. She's brick of a
girl! Know her II would be worth iel-
lows while to, cut in there, hey? If you've
nothing more to say, I'll join her, Sam, y
his eager face growing as red as his hair as
the young lady came near.
"Tve nothing moreto say
s"'Bye, then!" touching his cap and
skipping off to the side of the large, calm
eyed blonde who was abreast of them
Her heavy, lustrous silk brushed against
Sam as she(brushed by. When Houston
Joined her he spoke eagerly motioninG
back to Sam; then they both laughed
What had induced Bender to make con
fidant of the man? He cursed his OWL
folly, looking after him as he went skip
ping along, light as q grass-hopper. Ye
he used to think Joe was soft-hearted a.
a woman. But what did it matter to any
man that he stood there ruined to-day
the patient toll of years swept away IL
one blow? What did the world care? o.
God ?-if there were a God. He lookec
for few minutes stolidly over the head
of the gay, moving crowd into the cloud,
lOniy q wear agolSaln had been a rigi,
church member, teaching class of boy
in the Sunday school He tried to teacl
them to trrist in living Christ, to tr1us
in each other; constantly growing strong
er himself from the teaching. Now
that Mary should have turned from hin
HewalkedT down tho street. with hi
head on his breast. Then he came slowl
back to. the door of Saul's ware-rooms.
a few minutes he could know the wors
and he would notshi it. IT
Hedid not remember ever to have NJ
ticed this place particularly before.
was a seven -storied, white marble buildin
the ware-roOms above, and the groun
floor occupied as sale department. TIL
manufacture was exclusively that of g
fixtures. -
The windows, beside one of which /
stood, were filed with costly bronzes I'll
lofty ceiling of the room within glittere
with chandeliers and lusters. Two {
three of these great gewgaws would hay
paid for his home, he thought, bitterl
1t was strange that, at that moment, wht
herWaswatting TO know ii his wife we
true or false to him the loss of the hon
should have required to him. But it hi
become, through long years Of waiting,
penny saving and selfdenial, a mania wi
Bender.
sY6aub ,crompton & Saul r-he read Il
name Of the irm over and over. Tl
Sauls were merchant princes-Hicksi
Friends. He knew their stately hous
out on Locust street. 1t was Crompt'
whom Morris, the Overseer, had told hh
with so meanings a smile, was gay fello
'snot to be trusted with 80 pretty wi
as yours, Bender"
1t was only this morning that Nor
had told him this, when he had crept doy
to the office for the firsL time after
three months Illness. He felt, when
opened the Office door, as if 1t were
ghost of Sam Bender who was gong
the strength was so drained out of
body Then he had, for long tin
n@icsdt he cmmgo in Mary--how pre-,
eupied She was silent, going about
house with her thoughts far off. He
not failed to. note her long absences, eV
when no was still i'll, and needed,
thought he needed, her constant care
This thing had worked a deep char
in him. Sam, Bender was not the man
ask questions or chatter over his jealol
or Wanndedlote He only put his v
coldly from hin, little space, and vi
ed. At the most he fancied that she
grown. .MeGried OF the sick.room and s
man. But when she was put away fr
him, the soul seemed to grow weak in
weak bQdy,o They had been q peculla
loving husband and wife.
That morning, Morris had told him
Of thschtoppage OF his salary. "V
Ftaf - sr-aN - -ret