Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1872-02-29
"NOBODY'S ENEMY But HISOwN."

lar Workmen, could sing good song,
, could tell a good tale, was always up for
a spree, and ready either to stand treat or
to be treated, as the case might be- No
: wonder, then, that he was greater favor
lite among their mates than his cousin
Joe, who worked in the same shop with
him; for Joe was man of few words,
cold and stiff in his manner, and inclined
to be close-fisted No wonder, too. that
when they both fell in love with Margaret
Brown, she preferred merry, light hearted
Dick to his severe and silent cousin
Poor Joe land his rejection much to heart
far more so than anybody could have
4 expected. Though silent and reserved.
he was man of strong feelings, and he
loved pretty Margaret Brown with all
his heart He was too proud to speak
about it; but,he became morose and sullen
and shortly after the marriage he left the
works, and got place in another part of
the town was then manager at Murby
and Peefs, and was very sorry to lose
him, for though not a remarkably clever
hand, he was so steady and trustworthy
that never felt anxiety about any job he
had in hand; and while many of his
mates could beat him far away while
they were at work, yet, by dint of keep
ing at it, Joe earned more mony in the
year than any one else about the place.
For a while Dick and his wife got on
very well together He took home most
of his wages on Saturday night, and she
kept comfortable home for him 1t was
but seldom that had to complain of him
for being off work, and hoped that he
had turned over new leaf. But by de-
grees he began to slip back into his old
habits. He never came to his bench on
| Monday and often it was Tuesday or
Wednesday before he did days work.
His score at the ''Blue Lion" took nearly
all his weeks wages to wipe out His
wife struggled hard to keep things decent,
but at last she gave up in despair, and 10
came slattern Poor thing she was
weak and delicate; she lost her good looks
and her pleasant cheerful ways, and the
home became very wretched This drove
Dick to the public house more frequently
than ever At last | was compelled to
give him notice to leave. Work was
slack, and he tried in vain to get another
place. He picked up an odd job now
and then, but all he earned he spent in
drink. His wife and children were starry
| ing and in rags, and he sank down to a
low drunken BLACKBOARD.
had seen nothing of the cousins for
some time, when one day, passing the
savings bank, ] met Joe-or as he now
began to be called Mr.. JohnsS-iust go
ing in. | stopped and spoke to him. He
told me that he was doing very well, and
had started in small way for himself. A
job which he had taken on contract need
ed more money than he had in hand, and
he was just going to draw out $50 or $50
to complete it. While we were talking,
I H. &C ,rt, ell 4 ii -
came poor Dick. stupid with drink and
thin, pale, ragged girl clinging to his arm.
She had been sent to try and get him home.
Mother" she said "was very i'll, and
wanted to speak to him" He refused to
leave. but seeing his cousin at the door,
came out with glass of spirit and water
in his hand, and with tipsy generosity in
sisted on Joe drinking with him to the
memory OF old times. II was a painful
sight Pity for the wretchcd child, indig-
nation at the drunken maudlin sot, and
tender remembrance Of the poor girl
whom he had loved so well struggled in
+ his mind. / yaw 7 sOTTcned look pass over
his face, and tears come into his eyes. But
when Dick laid his hand upon his cousins
shoulder, put his bloated face against
him, and in thick, hccuping voice, be
can to say, cole fellow, let's he friends
he shook him off roughly, saying, Hands
of, you tipsy Backyard. and, holding
up his bank book, with contemptuous
and somewhat selfrighteous look, as
though to show the difference between
them, turned away without word
Dick never got home. He fell down in
a fit shortly after leaving the public
house. was carried to the hospital, and,
after lying insensible for some days, died,
and was buried by the parish in pau
per's grave.
There seemed nothing. now for the poor
widow and her children but the work
house She was too i'll to do anything
indeed she was confined TO her bed. The
| eldest boy who had been brought up to
his fathers trade just earned enough TO
keep himself 1t was as much as little
Maggie, the child whom had seen cling
ing TO her fathers arm, could do TO keep
the garrett tidy in which they lived and
wait upon her mother and the baby he
other children had died one after another
chiefly from want Of proper food, for il
was true Of Dick, rs most people like
him. that instead Of being nobody's
enemy but his own" he had been every
body's enemy who had To do with him,
and this not because he meant 10 be cruel
anU UnklNN, DuL lIO8Il cbtti StittSttbia7
and elf.indulgence.
One evening, few days after the flu
neral, johnson called upon me, evidently
under deep feeling. He said that he bit
terly reprOached himself for having
parted from his cousin in anger when last
lhev met adding, that perhaps if he had
done his duty by him in former years, he
might have kept him from going to the
bad altogether Now said he, the
tears trickling down his cheeks as he
smoke. 81 cannot bear that poor Mar
garet should have 10 90 10 the workhonse.
Ihave never married, for could never
feel for any one else what felt fer her.
| have been TO see her, but she would not
take money from me; will you be so kind
as to see that she wants for nothing, and
| viii pay you again." OF course,
gladly consented, and my wife, in whose
district she lived, at once set oil with a
basket of provisions.
1t was not for long that Joe's help was
needed. In about month after her hus-
bands death she and her baby we're
buried in the same grave. |: was plain,
inexpensive funeral; the mourners were
Johnson and the two children. OF course