The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1883-01-19
A TRUE FRIEND.
why Jack Would Throw Himself into the
Fire for Me.

Fire for Me.
L had friend named Jack, the same
as Offenbach, only that he was not q
musician; without that he had every
fault How he became my friend is
easily explained: We were boys to-
gether. In my day children were child
rem, playing, at ball and spinning
tops, and not little men discussing
finance or the coming of Patti. Whether
this was desirable or whether the child
rem of those days were any better than
the children of the present day matters
little to my story. One day another
boy struck Jack. Jack was small and
weak, and, perhaps, rather cowardly;
he defended himself but feebly / ar
rived and delivered Jack from his assail-
ant, but not without losing bit of my
trousers in the fight; the loss of which
caused me to receive long lecture in
the evening upon the folly of my ways.
Everyone knows that little boy who
leaves fragments of his pantaloons along
the wayside will one of these days bring
up on the gallows.
Jack said to me: "You saved my life
yesterday" / can not tell you how my
heart swelled with pride, at my 10 years
of age, TO have saved the life of brother
play-fellow. When l say brother, it is
rather figure of speech, for Jack was
small, homely, and most unkempt. But
no matter, according to the scriptures,
he was my brother.
From the eventful day when / saved
his life, Jack became my intimate friend.
1t occasioned not little remark in my
native town that the son of such parents
as mine should associate with shoe
makers child, but my mother always
replied with much spirit:
My son is not proud"
And my father, who, although a gen.
tleman, was born of old regicidal blood,
would add:
"All men are equal"
JACK, my friend Jack, thus became
, my mess-matc Mt home, and whenever
. strangers asked who the child was, they
81 were told that it was the little fellow
whose life Antoine had saved, and / thus
acquired much Importance in the eyes of
>our friends.
From this time, may as we'll acknowl-
edge it, l became Jacks victim. At
boarding-school was always obliged to
defend him, and, as his temper was vio-
Dent, i was the recipient of many hard
blows from fists and caps; but it could
not be avoided, as it was not possible to
allow my "protege" to be beaten. Jack
was constantly in need of pens, paper,
or pencils, and was forced to deny my
self that might provide all he asked;
for one does not save the life OF q
brother to see him Inundated before
his comrades. On leaving school lost
sight of Jack. This was the happiest
period of my life; but it was not to be
of long duration.
One day as deep in thought, was
walking up and down my little chamber
gin the Hue st. Jacques, some one knock
ed. 1 opened the door and recognized
Jack, whom / had not seen for eight
years. He had come to Paris to seek
employment. Truly had it been any
one but Jack my reception would not
have been cordial one, for, in my posi-
ton of poet, any intercourse with a
clerk engaged in trade would have been
out of the question, but Jack was my
protege.
"My dear, old friend" said he, II
have come to you to save my life Sec
.ond time"
"What can do for you?" I asked.
ALAS, very simple thing; divide
with me as formerly. / am without
employment, and thought"
"You are quite right" said / to him.
ct am in sad circumstances, but when
there is not enough for one there is
enough for two, my dear Jack, so let us
breakfast" Jack ate all my breakfast,
but he paid me well.
"You see, Antoine" said he, when he
had devoured everything, II am but a
poor devil, not worth my salt. l have
neither your genius ner your knowledge,
hut you know / would throw myself into
the fire for you"
Such humility and devotion deeply
affected me, and 1 replied, my dear
Jack, true friendship is the wealth OF
Che poor"
This state of things lasted for eigh-
teen months, Jack saying to me repeat.