The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1877-03-30
A Remarkable Case of COntentment
in Adversely.

in Adversely.
One man, an American, living in little
quaint attic at No. 16 POtters street, was
marvel of philosophy. He could give
sp'ints" to Dickens Mark Tapley. de
was discovered by Officer Smith. The
room was not high enough to stand up,
right in, and had but one window-a lit
tie one. In one corner was mess OF
wretched straw on the bare floor; no bed
no chair; no anything, except little
stove, with dull fire of cinders picked
up out of waste ash-heaps. On the only
shelf, rude one, were three plates, two
cups, and saucer, with little poor mo-
lasses in it, and bottle partly filled with
kerosene. A tin pan lay near, useful
article, it seems.
"Holloa, here" said the officer, "you
are in a room too low between joints to
live in!"
"But Providence orders it all for the
best; am short man, you see."
us this room all the place you haveg''
eyes, and it's enough for me and the
old woman"
"You have wife, then2"
eyes; she's out with the bag.-but
she'll be back by and BY"
ais that all you have, on that shelf!'
eyes; all but those two tin pals out
there. We cook in those"
'In those rusty old tin pals? Where
did you get em?"
ooh, 1 found 'em on the ash-heaps.
The Lord provides for all of u.s." 49,
"What do you do with that tin panT'
"That the old woman washes clothes
in, and we use it for other things"
81 suppose you wash your feet in its"
so yes, it's real handy for all sorts Of
things. We can bake in it, if we get
any -four, which we seldom do"
Every thing looked neat, thong utterly
forlorn and poverty-stricken. There was
even an attempt at feminine ornamental
ton, a little "scolloped'' paper on the
shelf, etc. Most of the room was rough,
bare walls, not even lathed and plastered.
"And you two sleep on that strawe"
10 yes. We get along when we can
get anything to eat. The old woman
generally gets bone or two; she calls at
houses who knows she really needs it,"
"What do you do9"
~ 60 out picking up paper and sell it.
One day last week sold ten cents worth.
That was good day. That was the way
l got this stove; picked up waste paper
in the street and made five, six and some
times ten cents day, till l got two dol
lars and fifty cents, and bought this little
stove. It's capital stove."
"You have no bed-have you no can
die or light at night2"
"Well, that's kerosene in that bottle
but l haven't any lamp. But we get on
very we'll, the old woman and l, when we
get anything to eat"
The only chair was piece of scantling
nailed across two barrel heads.
twill you tell me who you are7-your
name and history9"
"My name is Lewis -. I was the
first man who ever did piece of scroll
saw work here in Hartford, for the late
Colonel Sam Colt. l worked for him as
fancy joiner and scroll-sswycr, and did
we'll After that We thought we'd buy a
farm, and there / lost two of my chill
dren. They were sick long, and my wife
got rheumatic from watching and expo
sure, and all drawn up; and after the Sec
ond child died the doctors bills took all
my money. We had to sell our place and
come back to town-let our three re-
naming children 60 out to families
there"
"Are they there now9"
eyes, all three"
"And you have never made your condi-
ton known2 Never asked for help9"
"Only at the houses l speak of, for a
chance bone or potato. 1t is enough. We
enjoy life"
Officer Smith promptly induced Mr.
Sluyter to furnish the couple with bed
blankets and some chairs; also a dish to
cook on and some decent food. While
Mrs. S. was there the "old woman" came
in. She was wrapped up about the hands
and chest with some old flannel, to guard
against more rheumatism-a disorder
which had SO affected her throat as t.
greatly impair the clearness of her speech
But she proved to be quite as jolly rs her
husband, and as accomplishing. There
are men worth their millions--and not
far away-who are scarcely so happy as
this man and his 'sold woman" living
in that f;rlorn little attic.-Hartford
Comm Times.
THERE seems to be probability tina,
those who