The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1878-05-02
Bread Upon the Waters.

The Brooklyn Eagle publishes the
following incident in the life of the late
VIM. Orion, President of the Western
Union Telegraph Company: Years ago,
a Young school-teacher in one of the
Eastern States had for salary nominal
sum per month and the not at all du-
bious privilege of boarding. round. He
had the temerity to get a fever which
brought him to deaths door, and not
having contracted to run hospital as
well as q school, the trustees considered
their engagement with him cancelled.
He was stricken down in the house of
an old farmer, whose wife proved to be
a devoted, self-sacrificing nurse to the
young man, doing more than doctors or
medicines to bring the patient back to
health. A friendship was formed be-
tween the young man and his benefac-
tors, which was cemented by an affection
on both sides, equal to the delicate and
noble service rendered to him. That the
venerable couple would not hear the re-
Enumeration of their kindness of months
was as important asitwas touching fact
to the young man, for he was entirely
without means, and, when he came up
out of the very valley of the shadow of
death, without the strength or prospects
to command them by labor. After a
further and long period of GONZALES
cence, spent in the home of his bene-
factors, he got a chance again to labor
as teacher Eventually he entered on
business, and the old gentleman and
lady died in a green old age. Years af-
forwards, as man of affairs and for
tune, the former schoOlmaster visited
the village where so much sickness and
so much kindness had made graphic
/ chapter in his personal life He quietly
learned that an adopted daughter of his
| friends, to whom, in lieu of having no
offspring of their own, they had devised
the homestead, had married an excellent
merchant of the village, but that bust
ness embarrassments and a resolution
TO be fully honorable in their settlement
had made the sacrifice of the homestead
imminent. The gentleman with much
delicaey and firmness insisted on coming
into the case, by right of an obligation
and desire to interfere on behalf of
the successors of those who had ran
somed him from death. He bought the
place and gently compelled the young
lady and her husband to keep on living
there, nor would he let them pay any
thing to him for the privilege. His aid
enabled them to start again even with
the world. They soon began to pros
per, and, with a self-respect that was
most creditablc and characteristic, they
would not allow the gentleman of whom
Z 70 bn Of ha
homestead made out in their names. A
short time afterward, they insisted on
beginning to repay to the gentleman in
installments the several thousand dollars
he had, without any embarrassment to
himself, advanced to them in their
emergency. He protested, but to no
purpose, and in the course of time they
repaid him every cent OF it. There was
u yeritable battle of wills between them
and him; they insisting that he had dis
charged, in loan to be paid back, all
obligations he felt toward their foster
parents for their kindness to him, he
insisting that they should regard it as
very inadequate part payment of an in
valuable service; but their view of the
case won, and all the concession they
would make to the gentleman's sensi-
bilities was to comply with his really
indignant demand that interest should
not be returned on the sum he was
made to take back against his wish.
To-day that self-respecting couple are
thriving in plenty and honor on the old
family farm. To-day their benefactor
lies dead across the river, and the great
est corporations in the land, all society
and the Government of the nation mourn
him as one whose integrity was spot
less, whose administrative genius was
of the first order, whose name came to
eminence and honor round the world,
and whose patriotism, courage, eXecu-
tive ability and magnificent energy,
purity and fidelity made his life fragrant
and make his memory royal and redo
lent with example and inspiration
among men. Those whom he benefited
in this one instance of many similar in
stances of effective and unheralded be-
nevolence, shall be nameless. But he by
whom they were benefited and over
whom the metropolis and the country
bend with blessings on his career and in
love for his character was named VIII
liam Orion.