St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1879-03-07
Kind Deeds.

Ten wears ago IL dark-skinned young
man came to Port jefferson, Long
Island, who seemed to be something
different from common wanderer' ne
had winning speech and manner, but
Il sad face, and, although given TO
drink, seemed DESTROYS to earn an non
est livelihood. He had learned to set
type, and obtained situation as com
positor in the office of the Independent
Press, at salary of Sc per week. 10
kind friends who evinced desire to
learn his history he impaired the III
formation that his name was Antoine
Mercer, and that he had come from the
island of st. Thomas. There he had
been in the service of a wealthy uncle,
the owner of vast estates, who expressed
the intention of making him his helr.
But in an unlucky moment he fell IN
love with a beautiful mulattO. The at
tachment of Antoine for the dusky
beauty became known to the uncle, and
in anger he forbade his nephew to pur-
sue the matter any further. AS he per
sisted in his love affair, the inexorable
uncle drove his nephew from his doors,
and since that time he had been a wan
derer, almost broken in spirit IN
strange land. He roved from place to
place, and at last reached this seques-
tered spot on Long Island. But his
propensity for drink Overcame his resO-
luton, and it soon became understood
that he was drinking again, for he came
to his work frequently in a state of in
toxication. The kind employer who
had given him work bore with him I'M
til he felt that forbearance had ceased
to be virtue, and after many useless
circumstances, discharged Antoine. At
this time there was working in the
same establishment a STRIPPING of fifteen.
Antoine. in his distress, without money
and without home, appealed to his
Young companion to afford him succOr.
The young friend appealed to his pa
rents and they took the stranger in and
housed and fed him. His young friend,
now Mr.. John E. Skinner, of New
Haven, was warmly seconded in his
efforts in behalf of the stranger, by his
mother. But Antoine behaved so bad
ly that at last he was sent away as in
cOrrigible. The wanderer carried away
with him the best suit of clothes be
longing to Mr.. Skinner, senior. Days,
weeks, months, years, rolled away, and
no tidings of Antoine came, and his
name was almost forgotten. Three or
four years after AntOine's departure
they split up an old trunk, which he
had left with them, containing a pile OF
letters, which were burned to get them
out of the way. Recently paper came
to Mr.. Skinner, with IA marked article,
from the home of his wife, Patchogue,
l.. |. 1t was copied from West India
paper, and announced that Antoine
Mercer of St. Thomas had died and left
his large fortune, amounting to $3.50, :
600 in American money, to his old
friend, John E. Skinner. who had be-
friended him at Port Jefferson, l.. l., as
IL mark of regard and appreciation of
his kind acts toward him. For two
years interest of the money was to be
devoted to the benefit of Mercer's town,
then the principal was to go to his
friend Skinner. The article stated that
MERGERS money fell to him from de-
ceased uncle. Mr.. Skinner is taking
steps to secure what seems to be a
splendid fortune, and has written to
the American consul at st. Thomas.
Mr. Skinner is a composition in the office
of the Journal and Courier of New
Haven, and continues work as usual.