Savannah weekly echo., 1883-12-02
RECLAIMED.

How slowly he walked! Poor oh
man! Joe Pollard, ex-president of Do
was flde1';s bank t0f .s-opolis. I,;:o Mt
gray, his hat greasy and quaint-pat.
termed
Only three years ago, and no NOR,
stately, vigorous, hale gentleman walked
the streets than Joseph Pollard ESQ.
now he was cold joe" and sometimes
| poor old Joe" When he failed. ne was
living in great splendor. People to this
day point out the Pollard mansion. and
tell you of its former greatness. Happily.
there was no dishon0r attached to his
name. He had given up all: home.
horses, carriages, everything that could
| be dispensed with.
/ His only daughter name was 10,
/ sephine but all her friends called her
Jeddy-gave a birthnight party only a
| week before the trouble came, on her
eighteenth birthnight. Never a happie,
or lovclier girl than she. Universally ad-
mired and respected, bright as a sun
beam, witty, merry, generous. In all
that throng of beauty, amid the flowers
and the fcasting, that man would have
been bold indeed who could have pres
aged coming i'll fortune.
Only one week later, and the dreadful
news came. Joseph Pollard was bank
rupt. The cashier had been dishonest,
several large firms had gone down, and
the run on the bank had completed the
ruin
The father found place as an assistant
bookkeeper, but he had formed the habit
OF drinking at his own table. Little by
little he sank at last into what seemed an
utterly hopeless state, lost his business,
bis pride, and almost his wits.
''My dear" wrote Aunt Prue. when
she heard of this misfortune, ''put your
father away. There are plenty of places;
and come and live with me- Enough for
one is enough for two"
"Aunt Prue," wrote Jeddy, indig
nantly 81 am ashamed of you. What
counsel me to put my own dear father in
the poor house, for what other place is
open to him? No. will share his mis-
fortunes if have to work my fingers to
the bone"
''Jeddy, I'm useless. I'm broken down
and good for nothing" whined poor Joe.
day after day, as Jeddy sat and stitched
her life into the work she had under |
taken.
" Father, you are only fifty-eight
years old, " was the answer 'Many
man has begun life anew at your age.''
"Ah! if l only could!' he would
make reply, and drink again to drown
his misery.
Jcddy had carried much of her fine
with her into the poverty of
her surroundings. OF course, she made
over and toned down the material, but
''the look of the lady," as one of the
coarser neighbors said, was upon her,
and couldn't be mistook."
Everybody pitied her when old Joe
came reeling home; but few knew how
patiently she put up with his infrmity,
how she sOothed and coaxed him. with
what tenderness she anticipated his
wants, and even when it would seem
hat he was scarcely entitled to her re-
'pect, honored him.
To her, under all his wretched dis
yulscs, he was still father.
But her constant duties wore heavily ,
lpon her. She grew pale and thin. then ,
everish and hectic; but still she !
:
Three times handsome carriage and :
,air were seen before the door of her :
lain little home. ;
The first time rich aunt came to re- 9
nonstrate with her and offer her home. :
he found her preparing the poor meal =
yer the tiny cOOk-stove.
'Jeddy, you are the best girl in the +
Torld, but you must go back with me, if
My for awhile, and leave that man to
axe care of himself"
This was after most affectionate u
reeting, for Jeddy was her favorite y
iece.
Il couldn't leave father" was the re- {,
Donse. :,
''But | can't see you killing yourself by H
'ches. What does he care2 One per- II
m is as good as another to one who has :,