American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1874-02-21
" WHAT A WOMAN DID FOR ME-"

and faced the group in the parlOr, II am
| fast growing out of patience with the
teXt-'a woman at the bottom of it, 1t
| would be strange in this world-made up,
| so far as we are aware, of nothing but the
| two sexes-if a woman would not occa-
sional.y be found at the bottom of any
| thing good. 1t is the injustice of the
thing that makes me angry. Now, there
are hundreds of us poor fellows who owe
all we are, all we have, and all we can
hope to become, in this world or the next,
to the unselfish love of woman"
The gentleman's face was flushed, and
he spoke warmly and feelingly, so much
so that his wife, rocking her baby to
sleep in the farther corner of the room,
| inquired:
"But why should you care, John? 1t
has always been so, and always will be
so. We don't think much about it now,
because We have been taught to expect
it."
But you should care! and you should
fight for each other more than you do.
There is one chapter in my life's history
that have always kept locked in my
heart, but tonight feel as if it were my
duty to open it for your inspection; and
do 1t for the love of one woman who
made me what l am worthy to be, the
husband of good woman"
"Why, JohnI" said Mrs. Haviland,
softly approaching-babys still held tight
TO her bosom-"you absolutely frighten
me-"
Lets have the story" said the rest of
the group, certain that something good
might be anticipated; and John COM
menced, at first little timid but gaining
confidence as he proceeded.
"When first came to New Y Ork, at the
age OF twelve years, to seek my fortune,
could call myself precOcious chap, with
out danger of being accused of an unu-
sual degree of interpretation. l was
quick to learn everything, the bad as well
as the good. Ny employer used profane
language. l picked up the oaths; he
dropped with q naturalness that surprised
even myself. The boys in the office all
chewed tobacco. This was little the
hardest job l ever attempted, but after
two weeks nausea and indie
scribable stomach retchings, l came
off victorious, and could get away with
my paper day with the best of them.
True, every word of it," continued the
speaker.
zone afternoon I was sent with a note
from my employer to a house in the up
read, but I had plenty of tobacco, and
with that 1 proposed to entertain myself
during the two or three hours l must
spend in the passage.
For some distance 1 did not no.
tice who were beside me, and by and-by
lady said very softly and pleasantly:
"'Would you please, little boy, be more
careful. 1 am going to party this at
ternoon, and should hate to have my dress
spoiled 9
~ looked into her face 1t was the.
sweetest face 1 ever saw. Pale, earnest
and loving to my boyish heart, it was the
COuntenanCe of an angelo
what in the world did you say 81 in
terrupted Mrs. Haviland, her bright eyes
filling with tears as she saw how the
memory of this beautiful woman affected
her hus oand.
''Say! There was little more 1 could
say. l think all did for some time was
to look. managed to dispose of the to-
very carefully, all of which felt certain p
she saw and mentally commented upon.
" Have you a mother, little boy ?' she
asked in the same low tone.
NO, ma'am,' l answered, and l fetl
my throat filling mp, and knew | must
swallow mighty fast to keep from Sob
bing. -.-.---
she kept on.
No, ma'am, no father
"'Brothers and sisters?'
Neither. ma'am.'
"'Then the little boy is all alone in the
world?'
"sAIl alone, ma'am.' &C.
"'How long has his mother been deadT
and the dear woman looked away from
my face, and waited till L could speak.
t'TwO years. answered.
"And you loved hers' came next.
Dearly was all could say.
"'And what do you think your dear
mother would say-how do you think she
would feel-to know that her little boy
was guilty of such a disgusting habit as
this?' pointing to my cheek where the
Iell-tale quid had vainly tried to stand its
ground.
81 must leave now,' she continued,
but here is my card, and if you come to
me most any evening, l shall be glad to
see you, and perhaps We Can be of SER
vice to each other
"She gave me her little gloved hand,
and to my dying day l shall never forget
he sensation of that moment. l cOuldnOt
bear to part with her; without her l telt
that l could do nothing with her
could grow to a mans estate-a man in
The truest sense of the word. From that
tobacco never passed my lips.
"As soon as l could summon courage 1
called upon that lady. Well do l remem-
Der how my heart beat as | waited in the
elegant parlOr for her to come down; and
how awkward l felt as l followed my
guide to her private sitting room. Here
she got at every point of my life, and be
'ore babe her goOd-by it was arranged
hat should spend two evenings of each
week at her house, and study on these &C.
,asions just what she thought. best. {.
mo lover ever looked forward to meet
ng with the mistress of his heart any
more ardently than did l to these meet
ngs with my friend.
II grew careful of my personal appear
lnce, careful of my conversation, and
trove in every way to be worthy of this
noble friendship. Two years passed in
his delightful manner-two years that
made me- My friend not only attended
o nv studies, striving also all the while
O sow the right kind of spiritual seed,
ut she procured me business situation
yirh a particular friend of hers where l
emain to this day. Nobody, but God,
Knows what | owe this woman. During
he last three months of those two wears
noticed that she grew constantly pale
md tlin; she never was betrayed into
peaking of herself. Sometimes, when
would ask her if she felt worse than
sual, she would reply:
"Oh, no! l am only little tired-that
8 ALL -
Zone evening she kept me by her sofa
nuch longer than was her custom, while
he arranged lessons and laid out work
nOugh it seemed to me for months.
"'Why so much to-nIght?' l inquired,
onscious that my heart ached, and vague
v suspecting the cause.
because dear she answered, Il do
ot want you TO come for the next week,
nd am anxious that you should have
efficient work to anticipate as we'll as to