Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1871-05-10
Cur saturday Night.


Cur saturday Night,
VuAr ONE WoNAN plp.
Came mi"
Thus were we invited TO enter room in
one Of the better class Of tenement houses so
easily to be found in this great city, tonight,
perhaps three hours since For a few weeks
we have been trying TO find time to spend an
evening with an old lriend-a chum Of bye
gone days, but tin this evening We could not
be spared from labor, writing, study or that
rest for mind and body one must have whose
entire life is hut a warp and woof of thought
aud action.
The writing Of tbe week is finished. Our
newspaper. have been looked over and read
till the eye. are tired Of following lines and
dcvouring words Numerous letters have
been read aud answered or consigned to the
waste basket, as Of too trivial importance to
consume time belonging to the public and to
our readers Documents books pamphlets,
account, and statements from clerks, book
keepers aud others have been looked at, and
passed upon-every penny due those in our
employ or assistance has been paid-our even
ing visit has been pad-we have talked two
hours with an old friend, and now, if you
please we will tell you littlehistory. Our
friend viii not care If we tell.
Come iu f'
Thus answered some one to our knocking.
We entered to fnd seated in a room beside a
cradle, a man almost forty years Of age. As
we entered he arose, extended an honest hand
aud bade us welcome.
"Alono to night, Harry p
"No by no means. AloRe with such a
bright, loving boy as that asleep in that era
dle2 Not bit of it. And two more little
ones, tired from too much playing, asleep in
their little bed Indeed, none of us are
alone"
"Quite right-but the good wife you SC
dearly oye-and you reading all to yourself2'
"Nettie is upstairs in Mrs. IS room
Her old mother is quite IN and Nette has gone
up to fix some things, aud to let Mrs. -
60 aud do some shopping. She will not be
through under an hour or two. When little
Charlie was sick Mrs. -'s was very kline
and good to us--so We help one another"
"Yes IN tell you all about it, Glad t.
have a chance to- if only to show you that {
man, who is a man seldom forgets kindness
Let me see2 The last time we met before
we came here was in Chicago. | remembe
very well our talk as we sat in the depot
waiting for the train to start on which yol
we're leaving for the East Aud all you tol,
me, and an l promised | have kept m
word. That eight years ago? How tim
flies
You know | was what was called a har
young man. No one cared much for ms
, My father was a good mau but the best
himself He never guarded his tongue {
restrained his appetite so his example nevt
was good to me. I always thought if
could drink, and use profane language, an
spend his money away from home, that it WI
the right way. So ! grew up in his foo
steps
never thought much of home. WhC
the old gentleman came in there was l
peace in the house till he had gone. He wi
= always more or less under the influence Of
quor-always cross, nervous and given
' finding fault until at last it sort Of got
that none Of us cared whether he was please
:. or not When boy grows up, you know,
: home, not blessed with kindness, someho
q he don't have any great respect for home, al
looks upon it only as sort OF convenience
4 place to start from more than 90 to VIII
out
Is | was no worse than other young fellow
u But | never cared much for myself-nobo
ever encouraged mel sort of got alor
4. here little and there a little; earning
f; day to spend at night, and so worked |
! way along with no definite object other tn
,s to be a good fellow with the boys.
- never knew when | formed the habit
,r using profane language, or of using liqr
L and tobacco so steadily First | knew | b
to have these things and was miserable if
did not, and that all my earnings went
II crafty my artificial appetite
m So it went till | met Nettie. | had b,
III very sick, and one day she came in to see
II. she and her mother. While she sat by
bedside told her had nothing to live fol
Ia no one to love-no one to love me, and
ed il made no difference what became of
Then she said | was sick--that had mi
5. to live for, and must get well and live for
id After she went away | thought myself
er sleep, and when | woke thought of all
)" had told me again.
Mt When | got well l told Nettie had b
thinking Of all she had told me, and if
is. would think something Of me-sort OF st
a by me and tell me once in whilewhen |
nd doing well--I would try and be somebody
MS | don't know how it was but my he
+ came clear up in my throat when she loo
% at me so long and tenderly, and said
NO Harry, | have wished for years
would be what you can be y
mt Nettie had always known me. We Ii
not near each othAr before VIC went to Chica
to But don't want to tell you all of that.
go | tried all around Chicago for work,
those who knew me did not want me-
nd those who did not know me wanted be
MT recommends than | could give. Then
ON know how got the situation | now have.
len was hard work to get it, but we did,
L. have kept along, doing better and be
he each year, till next year | am to have, be
Iay my wages an interest in the business, (ps
nal hanging)
Nettie and | were married soon after
our situation. We didn't have much to b
the with, so we put up with little, and love
ute the rest. tell you she has been helT
salvation 10 me,