Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1884-03-12

are satisfied it was wrong, | will no
only vote for you but will do what
can to keep down opposition, and, per
! hsps. may exert sume little influe nc,
in that wsv"
1T DON'T" said I, II wish I ma,
be shot; and to convince you that an
in earnest in what l say l will come
back this way in q week or ten DAYS
and if you will get up q gathering o.
the people will make q speech 10 them
Get up barbecue and / will pay 70,
it"
mo, Colonel, we are not rich peo-
pie in this section, but we have plenty
OF provisions to contribute for barbe.
cue and some to spare for those who
have none. The push of crops will be
over in few days, and we can then af.
ford day for barbecue. This is
Thursday; l will see to getting it up
on Saturday week. Come to my house
on Friday and we will go together, and
lpromises you q very respectable crowd
to see and hear you"
"Well, / will be here. But one
thing more before say goodbye, 1
must know your name."
my name is Bunce."
"Not Horatio Bunce?"
YES"
"Well, Mr. Bunce, l never saw you
before, though you say you have seen
me. but l know you very we'll. l am
glad that l have met you. and very
proud that l may hope to have you for
my friend You must let me shake
your hand before l go"
We shook hands and parted.
1t was one Of the luckiest hits of my
life that net him. He mingled but
little with the public, but was widely
known for bis remarkable intelligence
and incorruptible integrity aud for q
heart brimful and running over with
kindness and benevolence, which show
ed themselves not only in words hut in
acts. He was the oracle of the whole
country around him, and his fame had
extended far beyond the circle of bis
immediate acquaintance, Though !
had never met him before had heard
much Of him, and but for this meeting
it is very likely l should have had op-
position and been beaten.
At the appointed time I was at bic
house having told our conversation to
ever crowd | had met and to every man
l stayed all night with, and / found
that 1t gave the people an interest and
q confidence in me stronger than / had
ever seen manifested before.
Though l was considerably fatigued
when l reached his house, and under
ordinary circumstances, should have
gone early to bed, kept him up until
midnight, talking about the principles
aud affairs of fgOverment, and got more
real, true knowledge of them than l
had got all my life before.
He was not at the house when / ar
rived, but mis- wife received and well
coined me with all the ease and cordi-
ality of an old friend She told me
that her husband was engaged in some
outdoor business, but would be in
shortly She is q woman of 6ne per-
son; her face is not what the world
would at FIRST sight esteem beautiful
In state of rest there was too much
strength and character in it for that,
but when she engaged in conversation,
and especially when she smiled. it soft
ened into an expression of mingled
kindness. goodness and strength that
was beautiful beyond anything | have
ever seen.
Pretty soon her husband came in.
and she left Us and went about her
household affairs. Toward night the
children-he had about seven of them
began to drop in; some from work,
some from school, and the little ones
from play. They were introduced to
me. aud met me with the same ease
and grace that marked the manner of
their mother. Supper came on, and
then was exhibited the loveliness of the
family circle in all its glow. The father
turned the conversation to the meters
in which the children had been inter-
ested during the day, and all. from the
oldest to the youngest, took part In it
They spoke to their parents with as
much familiarity aud confidence as il
they had been friends of their own age.
yet every word and every look mani
tested ss much respect IS the humblest
courtier could manifest for king; aye.
more, for it was all sincere aud
strengthened by lore. Verify 1t was
the Happy Family.
/ have told you Mr.. Bunce converted
me politically. He came nearer con-
verting me religiously than l had ever
BEEN tefore. When supper was over
one of the children brought him BIZ
BILE and hymnbook. He turned to me
and said:
Colonel, l have for many years
been in the habit of family worship
night and morning. l adopt this time
for it that all NAV be present. If l
postpone 1t some of us get engaged in
one thing and some in another, and the
little ones drop off to sleep. 80 that it is
often difficult to get all together.
He then opened the Bible and read
the Twenty-third Psalm. commencing:
"The Lord is my Shepherd; | shall
not want" 1t is q beautiful compost
tion, and his manner of reading it gave
it new beauties. We then sang hymn
and we ell knelt down. He commence
ad his Drayer "Our Father who art in