The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1885-04-04

! frain from Offering to be of service. His
| overtures were declined i'll tone of de-
| spalrlng resignation.
| mo, thank you, nobody can help me-"
| However she told her pathetic story very
| simply and briefly:
"We're like thousands of others-the
| war ruined us, though it came about in
| strange way. jim and me had our pretty
! home on the outskirts of Detroit. He's
carpenter and had made everything nice
for me. l wouldn't let him go to the war,
and there's folks that thinks what happened
! was a punishment on me, though Pm sure
| he has the worst of it,
| There was barracks near us all through
| the war, and one morning early we heard
a great shouting, and looking out we saw
| three soldiers chasing another, and throw
in clubs after him. Jim let him into the
! house and shut the door, when he fired
| revolver and killed one of the soldiers out
| side, and when the trial come into court
| they all swore twas jim done the shootin',
| so he was put into prison for life. You see
| twas three against one, and justice amt
| for poor folks any way. The Governor
won't listen to me. He SAYS he'd have to
! let everybody out of prison if he took their
| wives stories, so | can't do anything only
| just 90 and be near him. I've been stayiu
| with my folks in Chicago and they believe
that Jim's guilty, and 1 couldn't stand that,
| so Pm gOin' to jackson to stay somewhere
| The life's we1rin' on him, he can't last long,
and | ought not to be sorry when he's
| gone" she concluded, with pitiful re-
pressed sob.
Fred Vernon believed every word of this
narrative, as might have been expected Of
| a man unused to contact with criminals
and as it happened this statement was
true. "a cunningly devised fable" would
have been as readily credited, for at this
| stage of his life he had great faith in hui
mainly, particularly in the unfortunate,
| dOWn-trOdlen classes. After-experiouce
forced upon him the knowledge that With q
portion Of them their misfortunes are their
stock in trade.
! Now his chvalrOus nature was fully
aroused; he felt sublimely indignant with
| the Michigan Governor, whose name he
could not recall, and he registered a vow
that that dignitary should attend to the
| pale little w0man'S petition. Thinking of
Gertrude, surrounded by every comfort and
luxury and shielded from trouble, made him
| moro than ever tender and pitiful to all less
fortunate women. He soliloQuzed: d" In
| the sad vicissitudes of life my darling
may sometime need a champion if | were
not able to protect and care for her."
| When the train stopped at jackson he
| escorted the cOnvict's wife to a carriage,
paid the driver, gave the little girl two
twenty dollar gold pieces, then, strange as
1t may seem, within week he utterly for
got the existence of these unfortunates,
and year passed before he remembered
them again. The encounter, however, had
served to restore him to his usual kindly
interest in humanity.
The train sped on through the bright
summer evening, over flower bordered
| streams, through meadows adorned with
newly-cut grassy bearing this passenger
toward the calamity that was already pro-
| jecting a shadow over his life.
1t is startling for a comparatiyelv rich
man to be suddenly confronted by noyart1-
| as Mr.. Vernon learned when his uncle's
death disclosed the fact that the business
| had somehow gone to ruin. Still he was not
| so much dlSmayed as might have been eX-
peCted. Making his own way in the world.
| the inexperienced man anticipated, would
be quite easy, and he felt strong enough to
conquer adverse fate. Gertrude, too. bore
the tidings Of reverse quite bravely. and
had an unreasOning faith that everything
would eventually turn out all right
Mr.. Vernon miobt bava retained y non
ton of his fortune. which had never hean
invested in fine husiness hnt bis higb seI,sa
of honor forbade that subterfn9e and
ayarythi7 was crir,e1, ~, ex,1 TO ~ -
| furnished with loving care for his iride
| This exceptional manifestation of inteoritv
| produced quite a Juror of admiration
| among the creditors. hut their enthusiasm
! did. not take any practical form. IT. vas
| not convenient for any of them to offer the
ruined merchant a suitable situation
! Some of them were sure that "such a noble
young fellow as Vernon, who had always
| been helping everybody, was sure 10
| prosper: while others EXPRESSED the ouinion
| that the Lord would reward him. which
was a comfortable and easy wov of ar
| quitting themselves of obIiSations to ofTar
| a helping hand to a fallen man. Each one
| expected some generous action of his
|
| ANYTHING.
| M, ,,,n,, b. .-,l,., ..,.
had hitherto co,,a co,,ld
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voung neonle yyb6 baI No aoI.o n, tl IIG
bevond bnvin everICfino tbot tbay- ,,i,r I
hammer to desire soon fo,,J thoJ,, ~ -
confronted with t6e 1ya,.,- sio,I %
| of life -
| Two vaors after tho i,+o,.,,,,til,, 90 4t,,;,,
wedding tonr Mr. and Ni, V Sfoi ~ 'i LI
ramoya5 to +ba IVasta,.,, III ~ ii s
tai teIao,,an, had reanba3 ~, 'ii m, "a
y,o,.o LCf Ineipi IHey
and orc,iI,Sta9oa. ~ Un1us LIZ 10y Dill9
an acantioTajI,- oft, f iisa iSi leu
tbair nipJs Witch ~. 80 tn 49, VI ne ne, plV
nandad in the sfnJ1o Of rt a,,J iitn,'att.s
had hacon,e natiaiI,y , Ia -, a. -
sidara+ion 81 ,,att - ~
etence ybinb 80 +c 49, i aii,' Oiie "a
and froo bod 81 'to,.o',it1. Deen ~ siteni
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bo,s +al, NJ - +f q 10 " 40 PII
rangforn,otioy, 1,roro H.. OnS vi Sme
noithar, Of tbor, bd 49,, Cii S'0Uei - o'lo