The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1885-03-20
JUNGLE NATHAN"
BY JOHN NJ. IVES.

Uncle Nathan, as be was famil
iarly called by the villagers, wal
one of the first persons whose ap
Dedrance and conversation i'm
pressed itself on my childish mem
Ory. Even in those, to me early
days, Uncle Nathan walked with q
crutcb, aud his hair was siIvery
white. His kindly blue eyes were
partly hidden by bushy eyebrows
and huge Silver.bOwed spectacles,
hut his voice so deep and sweet
charmed the children, as he told
them stories always commencing,
"Once on time when l was hoy,
my dears, way down in my New
England home, and could rOmp aud
run like you" All, tue memory OF
those simple tales, Aladdin palaces
of enchantlnent to our childish i'm.
agininss, they can never grow old
nor commonly place.
Nor can we forget his gift of
song; nor how each Sunday in the
little church on the hill, it was his
voice that led through quiet Near,
that rpjoiced in exultant st. ThOm.
as, that made Silver Street shin.
ing pathway of song.
Uncle Nathan did the village
cObbling, working with his own
hands in very humble way; not
that 1t was his choosing, but being
deprived of one of his limbs in
early iiTe and thrown GU his own
resources, he was compelled to
adopt it as means of livelihood.
This to me in confidence one day,
far weaker and lamer than when /
first made his acquaintance, and
when two crutches did duty instead
of one. ! had made his intirmity
an excuse for paying more than
the charges tor II piece OF work,
saying had very dear friend
who was lame and | thought
knew something of his affliction.
The look of qniet rebuke which
Uncle Nathan gave me l shall
never forget, nor the earnest man
ner in which he said, "No, my dear
boy, You do not know your friends
sntferings nor can yOu enter into
them, aud | pray God yon never
lIay be compelled to-" For the
most part, however, Uncle Nathan
was cheerful, aud seemingly happy.
AT the dawning and in the gloam-
ing, day after day, his CHEEKY song
KEEP: time to the hammers sturdy
strokes, and far into the night the
light in his window gave evidence
of untiriug industry.
"a happy, hopeful Christian
man." was the universal verdict,
and to this was added a Charity
which suffered long aud was kind.
Thus he lived aud tOiled, until Que
sad day, great darkness Tell on
the old cripple, and he was blind,
Public subscription bought hiW .
rolling chair, aud he soon learned |
the paths and quiet ways about the |
village streets, and verify, like his
of old, he weGt about |
dOiUg good.
One pleasant day last Autumn | |
left the city's roar aud strife, and
went down Into the quiet village of |
lang syne. The Incense of Autumn
filed the air with dreamy peace. /
Dame upon Uncle Nathan in his
chair, under the trees his hands
bad planted. He was singing in a
tone, but with subdued
There is a land mine eyes hath seen
In vision Of enraptured thought,
30 fair, that all that lies batwee3
Is with its glorious radiance fraught:
land upon whose peaceful shore
There rests no shadow, fails no stain,
There those that meet shall part no more,
And those long parted meet again."
As l stood looking at him. the
evel rays of the setting sun Hood.
ng his face making a halo about
lis whitened head, it seemed TO me
had never looked upon u more
picture Of contentment,
inward joy and abiding peace.
Aud the picture carried lesson,
Here was a stricken, uucomplaih.
ng life, very poor in temporal pos.
essiOns, but very rich iu good
leesls aud duty we'll performed.
Is sincerity was known not only to
he world, but to God. aud its ra.
lection was = holy inflnence. /
.ould not intrude at = time like
bis, and was about retiring, when
he old patriarch after q moments
once more gave voice ,
o bis thoughts in that old, yetever
lew hymn-
There everlasting spring nbides,
And never fading howers;
Death, like narrow sea divides
That heavenly land from ouFs."
Dear old man did be, as be Rased ,
nto the golden West, see beyond
he RulQndora Of the drfn4 dav fha ,