The star. (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1874-1875, 1875-03-15
Were the first that saw him.
RALPH CANON.

There used to be man of about sixty
years OF age, who came every day to the
Battery, when the weather was pie as
ent, and seating himself, would gaze
earnestly, for hours together, at the ship
ping arriving and departing from the
harbor.
His face was pale, and his hair was
perfectly white, and though his figure
was slight, he seemed to enjoy goot
health. There was a pensiveness abou
him that at times amounted to sadness
and often thought, as gazed upon hit
countenance, that his history must con
tain something very mournful. The mar
was foreigner, but l never could de
termine his nationality until made hil
acquaintance. He always dressed IL
black, but his clothes were never shabby
Some thing told me that if ever made
the strangers acquaintance, it would be
done in an abrupt way. With this con-
viction strong upon me, approached
him in On easy and natural manner. We
had met daily in our walks, but had
never exchanged a salutation. One
morning l sauntered in the direction Of
his seat, and raising my hat, seated my
self near him. He returned my polite
| ness by bow accompanied by q faint
| smile.
"a very lovely morning, sir" ! re-
marked; "y0u and myself appear to be
regular 'frequenters Of this spot, and
doubt not we have some sentiment In
common" ..l..-..
The stranger replied slowly and dis
tinctly:
"Perhaps it may be as you conjecture
sir; my nature is sort of dreamy one,
and in this practical age one finds little
time to sympathize with thoughts that
are rs light as the tleecy clouds"
Twas trying to detect by his speech
the country that gave him birth; but
when he ceased speaking l found my
self unable to place him among the ma
tions of the earth. His English was
good, as much so as my own, and yet
there was popularity in his pronun-
citation that made it certain he was not
my countryman. We talked that day
upon various subjects, and discovered
that he was exceedingly we'll informed
and we'll bred. There was methodical
peliteness about him tnat struck me as
very singular. Every thing he said, and
every gesture he used, appeared to be
regulated by rule. When went home,
l mentally resolved that my acquaint-
ance with the stranger should ripen into
intimacy, or it should be no fault of
mine,
The following day we met as usual.
This time the stranger saluted me first,
in his usual methodical. manner. We
sat down side by side, and entered into
"By-the-by," 1 said pulling out my
card case, and presenting my paste
board, "we ought to know each others
name."
He took my card graciously, and as
the faint smile came to his lips, he re-
piled: ...
81 rarely use card, sir; but my name
Is Ralph Canon. l am a native Of the
Isle OF Guernsey"
AS l had visited his home In my wan
derings l at once began 10 talk of his
country.
81 have been abroad many years." he
said, "and now that am becoming old,
/ suppose / shall never return. My only
child, a daughter, is married and settled
here, make MY home with her,"
Before we parted he gave me his ad-
dress, and invited me to see him. l, in
turn, gave him my own, and returned
the compliment.
Ere many weeks had passed we were
on visiting terms. He got to coming reg
ularly to my bachelor quarters, and as
had q fine library, and he was a steady
reader, he used to spend hours among
my books.
My aim was accomplished. Ralph Ga.
non and l became mutually interested
in each other, and sometimes we ex-
changed condolences. In all his inter-
course with me, I never saw him lose
.Aat sadness. or bemblanee Of sadness;
that sat upon his face:
One day caffie home and found him
sitting at my table reading newspap er.
fHere is something very melancholy.
he said, pointing to a paragraph which
he showed me.
/ read it through. 1t was the account
of young man who had been arrested
for embezzlement of the funds of his en-
ployer. Having become very poor, be
was driven to theft to save his wife and
children from suffering. The unfortu-
nate man was sent to prison.
0There are a hundred such cases Oc-
curing all over the country every day."
l observed.
WTis very melancholy, I admit"
"Though poverty should steep a man
to his very lips" he remarked, ''and
stimulate him to mischief, let him be-
ware OF committing one fault, lest an
other and worse succeed it," r.
/ looked at him steadfastly, for there
was solemnity about his speech that
KhNt lis WOiub q pVDAtlNO 81 0ANSuls NC
next sentence he uttered fairly made me
reel.
81 am, my dear, sir, fatal ins tance OF
one departure from probity-and some
times shudtier when look back at a
certain event in my life."
Could 1t be possible this man was 60.
ing TO trust me with the secret Of his un-
happinessi If 90, what motive prompt
ed him to do itp Did be fear that l
might become tempted, and his interest
in my welfare induce me to discover
his life to me, that might be warned ere
l became familiar with evil.
"You will no doubt think 1t strange"
he continued, 'that / shall expose my
sh ame, put l have my reasons for speak
ing confidentially to you. You are
young and apparently prosperous. l
was once so myself, and yet in the
midst Of my prosperity suddenly found
myself Exceedingly unfortunate and poor.
1 married at an early age. l was count
ed rich then, and / never thought l
should want for money. With this idea
In my mind, departed from the strict
line of conduct / should have followed,
and plunging into wild habits, found my
self Involved in debts beyond my ability
II trled to borrow from my friends,
but1 was only partially successful, so /
gaze Up " despair. The ulue money !
n ~, --~, ~