Rapides gazette. (Alexandria, La.) 1869-187?, 1873-08-16

an extra good workman. WELL L said
III get extra good pay, and then III
write and say that deeds are better coli
than words to pay ones debts in, and tina
I've got some of this good tender to show
, how grateful am OF course l had tc
begin low, and work up. And felt my
ignorance, and got books, and studied
every night and Sundays. That was much
the toughest job OF the two, the book
learning. But Mr.. Bradbury watched me
Tor your sake, and when Mr.. John was al
home In vacations he used to come down
and talk to me, and when he found that
was trying to improve myself. he offered
TO help me, and after that | got on ia.
mously. Presently | saw that it all de.
pended or me how soon l should be made
foreman, and worked like all possessed
meaning to write to you as soon as GOT
the place. Having no expenses to speak
OF, L began to lay up money from the
first, and a perfect greed of getting and
saving took hold of me. for l wanted
to astonish my astonishing godfather
with the amount Of it. But Mr.. Brad
bury was buying land here and there in
the suburbs where he knew the horse
railroads were going to put it up, and he
said to me, John, If you choose to risk
your money in land, I'll buy for you as |
buy for myself, and L think we shall
make good thing
Well, of course 1 did choose. And,
what isn't of course, we did make money
hand over hand. And it seemed as if I
was foreman In no time. And then 1
thought, No, l won't write Just vet,
for the signs are that 1 shall be mama
ger. Sure enough, that wasn't far
off either. For the young gentleman
didn't like the business, nd the old gen.
tleman was wrapped up in it, and couldn't
bear to think that it would go all to pieces
when he should die. So he pushed me,
and pushed myself, and every wind that
blew seemed to fill my sails. My money
just rolled over like great SNOWFALL.
And the harder | studied the clearer my
head grew and the easier it seemed, though
L found out, like Mr.. Boffin, that there
were lots of 'scarers' in print.
swell, hadn't more than turned round,
it seemed to me, after l was manager, be
fore Mr.. Bradbury sent for me again, and
told me that was so well up in the busi-
ness, financial and mechanical, that he was
prepared to offer me a junior partnership
If liked. don't suppose the Emperor Of
Roosha thinks half so well of himself as
did then, Mr.. Blythe. But after all it
wasn't the success itself that cared about,
but just the bringing of it back to you,
and saying, IT'S all yours, Sir /; the credit
of it, and the money, and the man you
made out of vagabond with your heaven
ly Kindness
$50 then 1 sat down and wrote you
letter, and told you all of this long story.
But when it was done, a great light fell
on me, as it did on Paul. And l saw that,
aIter al, l was going to make you mis-
cradle return. For had just ssttlod right
down, and grubbed for money and grub
bed for learning, just to make myself a
little worthier to be your friend, and
little more important in your eyes, and
to be able to spend it for you. And had
not made the world really any better off
for my being In it. thought how differ
ent my narrow notion of virtue was from
yours, that helps everybody, for Mr..
Bradbury had told me all about you, Sir.
And Ifelt that l wasn't worth shucks.
So tore up the letter, and began to live
different life. knew well enough that
my work lay among the prisoners, and for
a year I've done what could for them.
But that's not the point now. Still didn't
feel fit to come back and beg you to live
with me, and that was the dream of my life.
| was possessed to do some tremendous
thing, like saving family from burning
house, or from wreck, maybe at the
risk of my life. And was in that mood
when the news of this awful cholera came
over, and saw my chance. knew that
you would be in the worst of it, and in
my thought l saw you meeting me, and
being so pleased and astonished. Well, /
came; and | saw you the first day, and
you didn't know me. Ihad never thought
of that chance. And it was kind of blow
to me, for it seemed as if you had never
been out of my thoughts, sleeping or
waking, and / felt clean forgotten. So /
made up my mind not to speak till you
knew me, unless you should get the
sickness, or should. But just to see you
every day has been new life to me. And
that's all, p" he said, laughing like boy at
his own tears.
John Blythe never knew what he said in
answer. He talked almost as long as his
namesake had done. He planned little
holiday that they should have togethe{.
when their nursing was over. And when
they rose from the table he said, with
quaint reverence, "John, henceforth
there is new sacrament for me. Itis the,
Lords breakfast, for shall always be-
heve that the risen Lord has twice salt
with US at meat"
%AOos AOihc WOuil tuiuh A1C VI iOcb I1ict
way" said the other, ''to sit down In a.
cellar and eat with convict, where there
was no table-cloths nor silver forks but
guess, Mr.. Blythe, He'd go most any
where you go, because you're just one of
His kind. Pm on duty at eleven o'clock,
and must put out. But few hours of
parting don't matter to man who's had
so many years of it. And we can have
dinner together, can't wcr'
"All dinners and all breakfasts, dear
son of my love-" cried Blythe. "We
shall live together now, and help one an
other. / shall come down to you as soon
as have had my Sleep"
But when he ran up the hospital stairs
that afternoon, thrilled with his new Joy
and strong with its strength, he found the
house surgeon waiting for him. "Mr.
Blythe" said he, "we've had. our worst
stroke of luck this morning. That capt.
tai nurse-by-the-bye, queerly enough,
his name is Blythe too, find-is down
with the disease, and it will 20 hard with
him. He has had some great excitement
to-day. / saw IL the instant he came IN
eyes all afiame, face perfectly transfgured,
lie