The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1879-02-27

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asking himself the question, When the
news began to spread that q pestilence
had appeared among the laborers, and
was Staying them by thousands. Going
forth to look about him, he soon found
this to be true. The dying and the dead
were mingled in the close and tainted
houses among which his life was passed
New poison was distilled into the always
murky, always sickening air. The robust
aud the weak, old age and infancy, The
father and the mother all were stricken
down alike.
What means of fight had he2 He re-
mained where he was and saw those who
were dearest to him die. A kind preacher
came to him, and would haye said some
prayers TO soften his heart in his gloom,
but he replied:
20, what avails it, missionary, to come
to me, man condemned to residence in
this fetid place, where every sense be-
comes torment and where every min
ute of my numbered days is mire added
to the heap under which lie oppressed
But give me my first glimpse Of Heaven
through little of its.light and air give
me pure water help me to be clean; ligh'
ten this heavy atmosphere and heavy
life, in which our spirits sink, and we be-
come the Indifferent and Callous crea-
lures you so often see us; gently and kind
" take the bodies of those who die among
us out of the small room where we grow
to be so familiar with the awful change
that even its HanCtity is lost to us; and
Teacher, then | will hear-none know
better than you how willingly-of Him
whose thoughts were so mach with the
poor, and who had compassion for all
human sorrow"
He was at his work again, solitary and
sad, when his master came in and stood
near to him, dressed in black. He, also,
had suffered heavily. His young wife,
his beautiful and good young wife, was
dead ; 80, too, his only child.
"Master, 'tis hard to bear-I know it
but be comforted, would give you
comfort if l could"
The Master thanked him from his
heart, but said he, 10, youlaboring men
The calamity began among you. If you
had lived but more healthily and decent
ly, should not be the widowed and be.
reft mourner that am this day"
"Master," returned the other, shaking
his head, II have begun to understand
little that mcst calamities will come from
us, as this one did, and that none will
stop at our poor doors, until we are unit
ed with that great squabbling family yon-
der, to do the things that are right. We
cannot live healthily and deCently, nm.
less they who undertook to manage us
provide the means. We cannot be in.
structed, unless they will teach US; we
cannot be nationally amused unless they
will amuse us; we cannot but have some
false gods Of our own, while they set up
30 many of theirs in all the public places,
The evil consequences of pernicious neg
leCt, the evil consequences Of unnatural
restraint and the denial of humanizing
enjoyments, will all come from US, and
none of them stop with us. They always
do; they always have done-just like the
pestilenCe. understand so much, | think
at last"
But the Master said again: 20, you la.
boring men how seldom do we hear of
you, except in connection with some
troubep
"Master," he replied, II am Nobody,
and little likely to be heard Of (nor yet
much wanted to be heard Of perhaps) ex-
cept where there is some trouble. But it
never begins with me, and and it can
never end with me. AS sure as death it
comes down to me, and it goes up from
me-"
There was so much reason in what he
said, thatthe Bigwig family, getting wind
of it. and being horribly frightened by
the late desolation, resolved to unite with
him to do the things that were right-at
all events, as far as the sad things were
associated with the direct prevention,
humanity speaking, of another pestilenCe.
But as their fear wore off, which it soon
began TO do, they resumed their falling
out among themselves and did nothing,
Consequently the scourge appeared again
low down as before, and spread aveng
ing upward as before, and carried off vast
numbers of the brawlers. But not a man
among them ever admitted, in the least
degree, he ever perceived that he had
anything to do with it.
So Nobody lived and died in the old,
old way and this, in the main, is the
whole of Nobody's story.
Had he no name, you ask Perhaps
it was Legion. 1t matters little what his
name was, Let US call him Legion.
If you were ever in the Belgian villages
near the field Of Waterloo, you will have
seen, in some quiet little church, mon
ument erected by faithful companions in
arms to the memory of Colonel A, Major
B, Captains G, D, and 3, Lieutenants F
and G, Ensigns H, l, and ], seven nom
commissioned officers, and one hundred
and thirty rank and file, who fell in the
discharge of their duty on the memorable
day. The story of Nobody is the rank
and file of the earth. They bear their
share of the battle; they leave no name
but in the mass. The march Of the proud
est of us leads to the dusty way by which
they 60. OF Let us think of them this
year at the Christmas fire, and not forget
them when it is burnt out.