The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1873-10-01
MISCELLANY.
TIE pocToR,s sToRY.


Thackeray says that there are no new sto-
ries-all are old. But they are turned in
that Kaleidoscope we callethne, andnthough
it NV be thesaps6P kcs VIZ see anoth her color
through it. What was at one turn a deep
green, at another becomes rose color soft
and beautiful So my story may be old, but in
the turning, Q new legitimacy come through an
old bit of glass, which, Shall not 1iave grown
dim by the shadows of time. | was sitting
late one night in my office, before CRATE fire
Or one that bad been greqt a. few, hours before,
With my feet onjtlie fable before me. / l had
forgotten to replenish the fire; had no idea
what timejt was, for my thoughts had been
busy in studying out the case of n patient !
had that day been to see. had had many
years of practice, but this case was something
new to me, was puzzled over it, my books of
reference lay, scattered about on thstabe and
chsirskand Twas just Beginning tossee where
the difficulty lay, when l heard a shot, the
my door. 1t was opened hastily by big
stout fellow, a mechanic by the name of Ross,
man had known for some time. He spoke
out short and quick
"Doctor there's man down on the side
walk-dead, Iguess, Wish on'd come down
and see." / shatciicd my hat and followed
Ross down stairs and there lay the man al
most before the door. l examined him and
found that life was, gone.., He was beyond all
hunian did. / inquired Of Ross II he kncw
anything about him. He said he believed he
boarded at the Revere House, and roomed
with man named Dougal, but knew nothing
farther. We took Helpoor man between us,
and carried him to his room, and getting Dou-
gal up | asked him what he knew of the young
man. He was very much affected at first, and
said he was q, odgfriend Of his that they
had roomed together for more than year,
that his name was King-Johnson King that
he worked in the machine-shops, and every
body liked lims He was great hearted
fellow. The only difficulty was that he
would drink sometimes, and he supposed that
was what he had been at tonight. His home
wasin Canada he had father and mother,
and some sisters he believed mother any
way, for he had talked about her Sunday
nights sometimes. As | looked at young King,
lying where we had put hinaon his own bed,
with his white, sboyishs FADE, and the dark
curls that lay damp on his low, broad fore
head, l thought of my own boy that had
left me only few short years before, to help
hold our flag high above all outrages and SLAM
der, that had been shot, and .Mllen in the
midst Of Smoke and fire, and some one had
found him, and buried him as a soldier should
be buried, with his own flag about him, and
always felt that it was debt owed, and be-
y,lieved there would como time when ] might
repay it and this was the first chance had
and resolved that johnson King should have
from me all that son could have.
told the young man would attend to the
funeral staid at the hotel that night, or
what there was left of it, and the next morn
ing found out the particulars of the trouble
johnson King had gone info one1of Fthe sa-
looms, had taken glass of ale, and was pass
ing out, when some man whom he knew slight
ly offered him something stronger got him
under the influence of it, and then began to
banter and annoy him, until he was beside
himself when he gave the man sound knock,
which sent him into one corner of the room.
He got up as mad as natural depiAyi ty and
drink can make man. lie took out pistol
from his pocket, which King discovered, and
ran, but the man followed him, and fired af-
tergoing but littleTway eSomehow could
not blame young King. His frank open face
had touched my heart. thought of his
/ nome and bfc
was something hidden that we might not
knoY IN this life, but that would be made
clearly and by 1t sesnsdl the saadest ching
had ever known. We buried him that day.
The mechanics from the shops attended the
funeral, and all seemed to feel sad and troubl
led, and | heard them saying one to another :
1--WE shall miss poor King--he always kept
things lively and many time when I've
been blue he has had a CHEEKY word for me,
and setmsalh night again. ssSapaeSay he all