Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1878-02-15
ANECDOTES OF sam BoWLEs.
CORRESPONDENCE Bosron Glnhe-

Correspondence Boston Globe.
81 particularly remember a few
words he once said to me when we
unexpectedly met on the street in
Springfield. | was in a mode of
thorough weariness and discourage
ment, into which soon felt he had
dlved with the keen look of his kind,
but piercing eyes. We spoke of
bright topics only, mis- manner all the
while emanating the silent sympathy
which helps so much because it re-
Sp0ets so much. Just at parting he
took my hand. 1T does me good to
see you-it always does me good, he
said. Then, very impressively, See
here, my friend, it is little matter to
us what happens outside of our own
action; if that IS true and firm, all the
rest of the bother is bearable, isn't it?
You are fresh and good and sweet;
your bow and smile from across the
street is like bouquet to me. You
have the best right, to be happy, be-
cause you diffuse happiness His
words might be merely kindly com
pliment, and were certainly a friends
partiality, but in a spiritual sense
they warmed and fed and clothed me;
for what makes US so eager to deserve
high and generous regard, as to find
that we have it? One hot day, late
in July of 1873, I met him on School
street in Boston. He had just come
from a convention or public gather
ing of some sort; noticing that he
looked very weary, l enquired into
the cause. well, said he, Pm al
ways tired, and to-day'-with a hu-
merous sparkle of the eYe-T have
been especially tired. You know /
am an invalid who can't eat ANYTHING
and at any time, as other folks can.
Well, Pve been sitting for hours
among distinguished people, listen
ing to excellent dicourses; but I had
a cracker in my coat pocket which |
wanted to eat and didn't dare. And
/ couldn't get my mind off that crack
err Two or three times I put nv
band in my pocket and touched that
cracker, pretending to myself that
would take it out and eat it. But
didn't hadn't the courage. Pict-
ure to yourself a paragraph in the
next days 'Personals:' 'Mr. Bowles,
sitting by some curious accident
among the distinguished guests on the
platform-nibbling crackerr But
with laughable rueful smile, it
would have saved me bad headache. |
What towards we all are! How
straight and carefully we stand with
in the tines of limitation drawn SO
tyranically around us by public opin-
ion and custom. But tben-the re-
straint is upon the otherwise unde
velopsd and ungoVerned social ele-
ments! 1t is a general blessing, well |
worthy the sacrifice of much indi-
Yidual comfort
"Calling on him one day within a
year, in his editorial nook in the
Springfield Republican Office, I found |
him alone, and looking weary and
i'll. He showed back his papers and |
drawing a chair for me near his own,
said will. heavy sigh and unusually
quick utterance:
"'Sit down; sit down. I am glad
you came in, for Pm tired. Books,
papers and letteFS-lstters, papers
and booksI It's as bad as stitch,
stitch, stitch-seam, gusset and band.
Pm not very well, and Pm very
cross! Not that any one ventures to
tell me SO, his features lighted sud
denly with his cordial smile-'but
then 1 know it myself
eAfter a little conversation he
seemed and said he was rested. He
shook off his eyeglasses and brushed
back his hair with nervous wave of
the hand, and began to speak with
more than usual amin alton concern
ing his own affairs and other matters.
After saying Good by he followed
me out, still talking, and, at the head
of the dark stairway, frequenters of
his office will remember, he clasped
my hand and said God bless YOU
very heartily, which would have
moved me more deeply had l known
that | should never touch his hand
or hear his friendly voice again.
"When riding with him one day
about Springfield, whose beauties
and notable features he had been
pointing out with running comment
full of information and interest, he
checked his horse on the summit of
Crescent Hill, that he might take a
longer look at the scene-ciUy, river
and woody undulations beyond the
Agawam, all mapped In the warm
glow of IA rosy sunset.
"What beautiful world it isp
said he, 'and why should men mur-
muir at the some time bitter when
the sweet is so Loyalty bestowed
"Then, after pause, 'What need
have We, after all, of the creeds men
SO laboriously construct and so fanat.
ically maintain? Is there any verbal
creed which teaches us so much or
inspires so sure faith as the smooth
running of that river, the foliage of
those woods, aud glory of that sky?'
"As we rode down into the city he
suddenly broke silence with these
words, showing rather sequence
than a disconnection of thought:
"Tm getting old, my friend, and
weather-beaten, but the children are
growing up well; they will turn out
fairly, ! think, and that is q great