The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1875-03-20
The Dying Mans Story.
By REV. JOHN THEo. ErTERs.

You have often asked ne for my
history, doctor, and now that 1 am SO
near my end, you shall have 1t. Now,
don't stop me, my dear friend; know
what you would say--l must not ex-
cite myself or talk much. You see, I
am almost as good doctor as you are,
but I feel that / cannot last another
dav, and as o few hours cannot make
much difference, ! prefer dying my
own way. 1 may as well keep my
mind employed as not; SO sit down and
listen to what no one has heard but
yourself. ..l. .;f,N .yr.t
Six and twenty years ago I was q
clerk in a merchants office. / can't
say liked the business, but stuck to
It and got on; for / loved my masters
daughter, and hoped by hard work to
one day be able to make har mine. II
was an orphan, with neither kith or
kin to look after me, but the love bore
Milly kept me quiet and industrious.
rose step by step in the office, and
Mr.. Bruce, the merchant, was never
tired of sounding my praise.
All went on happily until he dis
covered that loved his daughter, and
then his passion knew no bounds. I
need not enter into the particulars. I
was turned from his house, but not
/ alone, for Milly and had been Sc
cretly married three months before.
We took quiet little lodging in the
! suburbs, and l went every day into the
city in the hopes Of getting another
T, situation. had little money which
! had saved, on which we lived--lived.
d; oh so happily that even at this dis
g, tance it seems heavenly dream too
bright for earth. Mllly was always
trustful that her father would relent,
and I always believed that I should
soon obtain another appointment, but
we were both deceived. ues.l.
Time rolled on; our little capital was
nearly gone, our hopes almost exhaust
; e6, but our love bloomed as fresh as
eyer. / tried literature, and made q
few dollars; but my manuscripts but
too often came back without being
read. Still struggled on, and wrote
several songs, which had a certain
amount Of success; and once more hope
seemed to beam upon us.
Milly-Heaven bless her--fancied
that should soon become famous, that
the whole country would ring with my
name, and then her father would be
glad to forgive us. What might have
happened had / not met with such mis-.
fortunes, Heaven alone knows--I can
not say; but In the midst Of this bright
happiness my wife was taken Ill. II
was consumption. worked day and
, night to procure the necessary medi
cines and food for her; / wrote to hel
father, but received no reply; wen
from publisher to publisher hawking
my songs about, selling them almos
a for anything to buy bread. Oh, hov
they ground me down Men who hst
I had successful songs from me, nov
{ that they saw me in poverty. cut dowr
y the prices until starvation was clos,
Upon me. .--r., ,.,., e. d.
One afternOon-I shall never forge
It'll left poor Miliy in bed--she ooul,
not rise-and went TO seek for work
: / called at her fathers, but was turne'
y away from the door. wandered abou
}. from one place to another, but al m
efforts were iruitless. l could nc
earn cent. Heart-broken and weary
D I turned homeward. i had not none
:, to buy even loaf of bread. Sever,
times I paused as a well-dressed ma
approached me, and determined to beg
but the words choked me, and the
passed on without noticing my distress
When they passed I was ashamed q
having thought OF begging, aud u
Is Is angry within myself that ] had nc
to done 80. .s..-,-
was standing at the corner Of
6, street, thinking what ! should do-7tt
= / could not go home to Mllly-my poo
y 10 hungry, sick wife, empty-handsd. whe
e. received a hearty slap on the shou
der, and turning round saw Giddel
d, the music publisher, a.i f.ai. .a
~ "well, Burden" he cried, Eye
don't seem happy. You lcok as plea
ant as though you had lost dollar al
o. found cent" 1ss rgw 11 .t
= "Happy /" i exclaimed; ''happ,
r r with wife dying of consumption al
' --and-starVation H.
- "Dear me that's very sad WI
II don't you work ?''