The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1879-03-01

pOS1LlOQ B6Ca16 CUSeIiul anu uIlSht, oho
by the time the ship had reached the
souEhern cape or Kfrica the crew had al
Learned TO love him. 49,
Through storm and sunshine, Through
tempest and calm, Through dark hours
and bright, the young supercargo made
his voyage. In one year from the day
ON which he LETT his native land he placed
his foot upon the soil of his home.
But he did not stop. The same ship,
with the same officers, was going upon
the same cruise again, and he meant to
90 in her. He saw Grace Melburne and
she would wait. He saw DIR. Weston,
and the kind old gentleman praised him
for his manly Independence.
Again Arthur Morton was upon the
sea, and again he assumed the duties Of
his office, and even more. He even stood
watch when there was no need of it, and
during seasons of storm he claimed q post
ON deck.
AT he end of another year the young
man returned to his home again. He
was now eight and twenty, and few who
knew him two years before could lecog-
nize him now. His face was bronzed by
exposure, his form was filled out to per-
lection, and he was greeted with great eff.
fusion by old DIR. Weston, who would
insist on his staying with him during his
leave on shore. One dsy after Arthur's
arrival he suddenly burst inte the room
and said abruptly:
"Well, Arthur, MIR. Crosby is here.
Will you see him3"
'sEee him? See Matthew Crosby OF
course will. He owes me an explana-
tion, and hope he'can give me q salts
factory one"
The door Yves opened and Mr.. Crosby
entered.
He was an elderly man, but hale and
hearty.
The old man and the young one sheok
hands, and then inquired after each
others health.
"You received note from me some
two years ago." and Crosby, Sin which
/ stated that one in whom trusted had
got your money, and mine with it, and
that j could not pay you"
Eyes sir" answered enr hero, not
knowing what was TO come next.
well" resumed Crosby, cdr. Weston
was the man. He had yonr money"
"How9 what9" gsaped Arthur, gaz-
ing from one to the other in blank as
constituent.
"Hold on, my boy" said the Doctor,
while aithousand emotions seemed to
work within his bosom. '"Iwas the vii.
lain. Itwas i who got your money. 4
worked your ruin and / will tell you
why. Isaw that you were dying. Your
father died of the same disease. A con-
nmption was upon him-not the regular
pulmonary affection, but wasting away
of the system for want of vitality. The
mind was wearing out the body. The
soul was slowly hut surely eating its
way from the cords that bound it to the
earth. j knew that you could be cured,
and ] knew, too, that the only thing in
the world which could cure you was to
throw you on yonr own physical re-
sources for a livelihood. There was o
morbid willingness of the spirit to pass
away. Yeu would have died ere you
would have made an exertion, from the
very fact that you looked upon exertion
asworse than death. 1t was a strange
state of both mind and body. Your for
tune rendered work unnecessary, so there
wasno hope while thatfortune remained.
HadSit been q wholly bodily malady, j
could have argued you into necessary
work for cure. And, on the other
hand, had it been wholly mental dis
ease, i might have driven your body to
help your mind. But both were weak,
and j knew that you must either work
or die.
''And now, my boy, I'll tell you where
my hope lay. I knewthatyou possessed
such true pride of Independence that
youwsnld work. 4 saw Crosby and told
him my plans. i assured him that if we
could coutrive to get you TO sea, and
MAKE you start out into active life for the
sake ofa livelihood, you could be saved
lie Joined me at .once. i took your