Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1873-07-09

that the bleared eyes or thick tongue
would give an intelligent answer. The
porters passing by would push him aside,
but not roughly. The time had been when
he had been jolly, generous young fell
low, and a favorite in the office. young
Rodgers" some one would give you his
history in five minutes: "Taken to rum
no chance-poor devil. Stokesn (the pro-
prietor) "could not turn him out to starve
SO still gave him nominal salary and suf
fered him to hang about the house. lest he
should take to worse courses than drink
ing" There were hints, too, of a widow
ed mother, away off in the country, who
had been dependent on him, and a sweet
heart, pretty, clinging little girl, both of
whom long ago he had abandoned. But
there was nothing to be done. The end
through the usual horrors of delirium
tremens, was apparently not far off.
One day, as Rodgers was creepinp to
the nearest bar for his morning bitters. a
man, whom he barely knew by SIGHT took
him by the elbow and walked with him
into quieter street. ''They tell me YOU
are Richard Rodgers son." he said. "Dick
Rodgers was the only friend I had for
years, and for his sake I'd like to save his
boy. Are you willing for me to try?n
ooh, you can try" muttered the lad with
an imbecile laugh. The nameless friend,
nothing daunted, took him to chamber in
his own house and put him to bed. There
he and his sons kept watch and guarded
his poor wretch for months, like a pris-
oner, keeping liquor from him, and trying
to supply it by medical treatment. A phy-
s1clan he employed, but he was not able
to pay for nurse. Any one who has had
to deal with victim of maaSaa- potu can
guess how difficult and loathsome a task
he had set himself. Ungrateful enough it
was at first, for Rodgers struggled against
his tormentors with the ferocity of-just
what he was-a starving animal AS rea-
son began to return and his unnatural
strength to vanish, he would beg them in
his intervals of reason not to fail him, but
to work out the experiment either to sue
cess Or death. cit is my last chance" he
would cry; "for Gods sake be patient"
This friend, with his son, did work it
out through all the foul unmention-
able details, and the end was not
death, but success. "How soon,': asked
a friend of Rodgers afterwards, ''were
you trusted alone?" "Not for two
years." he answered, laughing II was
out of Jail, but in Jail bounds. Do you re-
member that large, muscular young fellow
WHO udu d uoSk UoSlu0 LIE Ill Juo OuICC!
He took it with the condition that he
could leave it to dog me night and day, to
my meals and to my bed. That was the
son of the man who saved me. He, was
taken from lucrative situation in order
that he might become my jailer. God
bless him! How | used to curse him |!
Can't you trust my honor?' 1 would cry,
I'm not convinced that your honor has
not the consumption, the Scotch-Irish-
man would say. Well put no burdens
on it until it has regained it's health"
Your friend was a wealthy man, no
doubt, and so able to give both time and
money to your case?" con the contrary,
he is but the owner Of small hat store,
and supports his family out of that. He
is rich or noble only in the deed and spirit
Of friendship" All this was years ago
Rodgers is now an industrious, honorable
man, married to his old love, with his
gray haired mother by his hearth, bring
ing to it the perpetual benediction Of
benignant old age. His friend sells hats
makes no speeches nor bruit of any sort
in the world Nobody has recognized in
him hero. Yet, who for the sake of a
dead or living friend would go and do
likewise ?-NeD York Tribune. 77aH aaE