Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1871-04-12
Sfenhen GIrard,s dream.

I III EAl1tenCe.
4O~~
stephen GlrArd's Dream.
stephen Girard was one Of the most
remarkable men who ever lived, :
Philadelphia, the city where he
amassed his fortune in business, was
the recipient Of his munificent bOuu-
! ty at his death, and his name and
memory are well preserved in the
Girard College, Girard Row, Girard
Avenue, Girard Bank, Girard Iusur-
anee Company, Girard House, etc
At dfrard College, where the support
and education Of some five hundred
orphan and half-orphan boys are pro-
vided for, there b q marble statue OF
Mr.. Girard. which represents him
with exact fidelity 10 his appearance
in life. He was Of short stature, q
benevolent smile, aud a shrewd face.
I He wore large peculiar eoat, and his
hair was tied up In q queque. His
whole life was marked BY the eecen-
/ tficities which in no particular were
4 more observable than in his OCCASION
/ al acts Of benevOlence.
] In his Office was a young man, as
i clerk, who attended to his duties
very intelligently and faithfully
This had attracted the attention OF
| Mr.. Girard, for nothing escaped him
One morning he came into the once,
and, calling the clerk, remarked, =
L young man, 1 dreamed about you
( last night"
Dreamed Of me :" returned the
! clerk, in surprise.
''Yes; I saw q form and heard q
voice. The form was your own, and
I the voice said,-
I "'This man is your best clerk, but
| he should be q cooper. Mechants
fail eoopefs are always sure Of liv-
ing by their trade.
$50 you Inu leave me, and learn
/ to be a first class cooper. ] never 20
/ contrary to my dreams. I trust in
I them as Ido r2y own Judgment and
I obey them conseientiOusly. Go
and get a place, and learn the trade
Of a cooper; and when you get so you
can make a barrel, come and see me
again"
The clerk was, of course, greatly
astonished. But he had no fear OF
toll. and he knew that he would lose
nothing, in any event, by falling in
with the direction Of Mr.. Girard.-
Accordingly he settled up his affairs
In the Office, and in q few days en-
gagged with Mr.. Girard's cooper 70
learn the trade. During long period
he kept steadily at work, and made
excellent progress.
MEANWHILE, Mr.. Girard had not
forgotten him. he had often seen
( the young man in his overells on the
Wharves st work, and he always
spoke eneOpragingly to him. He
had not made up his mind as TO what
he would do for him, but he was
greatly pleased at the successful car
rying out OF bis dream. On one oeca-
sion, as he came from the wharf, he
muttered,-
my young cooper is doing WE'LL
He is a man every inch Of him. /
must give him helping hand"
a few nights subsequently, the
good old man was sleeping calmly In
his humble looking apartment. His
real wealth did not show itself in
anything about him. The furniture
was Old-fashioned, and the surround
-ings were strictly amer the plain taste
OF the owner. AS he slumbered, his
.cbuntenanee was without the trace OF
= single care. At times, q smile fitted
over his face, and he seemed 10 be in a
pleasant dream. His slumbers con-
tinued for q considerable time, when
he suddenly awoke. he rubbed his
eyes and then spoke.
f"Ah, ah z" he said, "I've mad a
dream again about my young cooper.
/ thought I'd hear something about
him again. There Is a good spirit I
looking after his welfare, surely
When he finishes his Apprenticeship, l
and Is q good cooper, III give him 1
twenty Thousand dollars tO,start him 4
in business, whispered the voice in 4
my ear. OF course will. BE Is I
worthy Of encouragement. The /
money will go into good hands. Of
course I will give It to him, but IN /
my ewn way. Ha, ha. I've plan 4
for that" -.
Soon the old man dropped into I
slumber again. He had the same /
calm countenance and the same I
serene smile. His life was devoid of
all evil, and his dreams were full OF (
good deeds in store for the future.
Time passed on. One day the 4
Office. He wss In the garb OF a me-
sinewy from manual labor.
Good day, Mr.. Glrard," he said as
the old gentleman turned TO him with
warm greeting; II have served my
entire time.h
"Can you make a good baTrel?"
''As good as any cooper in Phila-
delphia."
Make me twenty, and bring them
here yourself
The young man went OF, and in an
hour was hard at work at the barrels.
He was really superior workman,
and when the twenty barrels were
completed they were the admiration
Of all the shop. When they had been
placed in Mr.. Girard's store he looked
at the slaves, the hoops, and the
heads, the shape, the cutting and the
driving, and in the end remarked to
the young cooper, who was anxious
ly waiting for the verdict
"They are good barrels. l never
saw better. You have learned your
trade, and done your part well. Come
into the counting-rOOm, and III d"
mine"
The couple went into the office;
the old mans face beaming with
pleasure and satisfaction, and the
young man pale and flushed by turns,
from the peculiar circumstances Of
the moment. Mr.. Girard took down
his eheck-bOOk and wrote a check.
This he cut out, and then turning 70
the young man, he said,-
MY young friend listen TO me.
Your fidelity, prOmptness and energy
early attracted my attention. Then
/ had the dream about you 1 men
toned to you long ago. You acted
with alacrity upon the suggestion
made In consequence Of that dream,
and to-day you stand beskilled IN q
trade. have dreamed of you in the
A good spirit whispered
in my ear to give you twenty thOs-
and dollars. You have made for
me twenty superior barrels, for which
/ will now pay you one thousand
dollars each, making twenty thOus-
and dollars In all.
Mr. Girard, at this juneture, placed
in the hands Of the agitated young
man the check he had prepared.
Now" he continued, you have 8
capital 70 commence business AS a
merchant II you see At. Should mis-
fortune overtake you, go to your trade
again"
The young man broke forth in a
torrent OF thanks, but Girard abrupt
" stOpDed him, saving