Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-06-21
MEETING STREAMS.
a gentleman to see you. sir" &"


announcement, for was trying hard To
finish a short story | had engaged to write
by a certain date for a well-known maga-
zine For some days past my clerical du-
ties had been unusually heavy and time
was precious Besides | was in the midst
OF an animated conversation between the
two chief characters in my tale, and this
interruption sadly disturbed its course.
Still my work could wait for few min
utes if it WAS necessary.
Who is it, MARTHA"
"A stranger, sir"
"Show him in" and with a sigh my Ms.
is laid aside.
The person who entered my study was
a Young fellow Of some two and twenty;
tall rather handsome, and with n smile
that took me at once. shook hands with
him and offered him a chair.
MY name is Davies" he said. You are
not likely TO know anything about me, AS
came here yesterday. ! need some help,
and have come to ask you for II.
Mr. Davies spoke shyly, and, in
deed il was easy u see that he was not al
ordinary beggar could not tell that il
was money he wanted but my experience
led me to suppose it was No one knew
better than how often men like him had
gone to wreck and ruin for lack of some
timely assistance in this vast northwest,
and if could be of USE TO him II WAS my
plain duty 10 be 50.
Il do not know if | have any claim upon
YOU" he continued, but ! was looking
through the directory in a store this morn
ing. wondering if could chance on the
name of friend. when | noticed yours,
sir-Mr Stephenson. Some near relations
of mine in the old country are called SteN-
ensOu-S-t-e-v ems m" he spelt the word
and then went ON ' ith a wistful air:
Your name is not spelt quite in the
same way" he observed, but directories
are not always correct, and the name is
not a common one. Perhaps You are u
connection of these friends of mine; they
live at POcklingtOn in Surrey
No; had not even heard OF the Steven
sons of Pocklington; but had watched
Mr. Davies attentively while he made his
statement, and come to the conclusion
that it had not been manufactured for the
occasion. 1t had rather the air of some
thing of the kind, but the mans manner
made me believe that he was sincere.
Would he say in what way | might be of
use To him, His hopes had evidently been
a good deal dashed, for he continued i'll
slower and graver tone:
Two years ago came from England to
Canada. was at Rugby, sir; and my
father is clergyman. When | left
school ! was articled to solicitor, but |
did not take kindly TO desk work l soon
knew ! was not cut out for that sort of
thing However, | did not think Of any
thing else until a cousin Of mine, who had
settled near TOrOntO-h.s farm is few
miles north of the city-wrote me to come
out TO him jumped at the offer.
didn't know anything about farming
which would be against me, but | could
learn. In any case was sure | should
like its free, open air life long way
better than the atmosphere of a study
office"
nodded approval If Mr.. Davies had
set about TO win my entire sympathy he
could not have hit upon a better plan to
gain ii. had often pointed out that we
Canadians are for ths most part an agri-
cultural people, and had deplored that 80
many Of our young men were not content
to stay on their fathers farms, but went
to the city. had preached TO many a lad,
better be farmer any day than a clerk
Of course, He that will 10 Cupar maun TO
Cupar," as the wise Scotch prUyerb says,
but, in most cases the exchange from the
country to the town is not a beneficial one.
Well. continued Mr.. Davies, " | stayed
with my cousin until u few days ago Last
month | received a letter from an old
sChoOlmate called Thompson, who is
ranching beyond Calgary. asking me to 90
out to Join him. It's rather wild life,
but thought | would like it; SO left
Toronto and reached Winnipeg yesterday.
find have not quite enough money to
take me 10 Calgary, where Jim ThOmp
son is to meet me. | have Si3 and some
cents. but | need few dollars more. Will
You kindly lend me small sum-"
How much do you requireE l asked.
The fare is about $40" he said sugges-
lively
suppose lend you $40: will that do"
"Yes sir. III send you the money back
as soon as See Jim Thompson. He told
me before started that he would pay my
passage out to him if necessary, but
thought had enough. OF course, might
stay in town and wait till hear from him,
but it would he a waste of time
agreed with him. Then | wrote out a
check for $40 i'll favor of Edward Davies
and handed il to him. He thanked me and
withdrew. | went back to my Ms, and
succeeded III picking up the thread Of my
story
A few weeks later the loan was repaid
me. BY one of those curious condolences
which sometimes happen, the same mail
which brought me the money and CRATE
ful letter i'll which Mr. Davies ac-
knowledged my OppOrtune assist
ance to him also brought me
cheque for much larger amount than
had expected from the publishers of the
magaziue for which my story had ap-
peared.
Time went by, and soon Mr. Davies and
the episode in which he had figured COM
pletely passed out of my mind.
The evening Of the same day that Mr.
Davies had called upon me, was present
at bright and delightful party given by
my friends, the DalstOns They had been
induced to come TO Winnipeg from Ham
iltOn during the famous boom" of which
many in the eastern provinces have
sufficiently lively recollection They had
been in time TO share in the phenomenal
and unnatural prosperity of the period Of
initiation, but when the terrible reaction
set i'll, and prices went down and down
every day. they had suffered severely
However they were CHEEKY, wholesome
minded pepole, who faced their trouble
bravely. At the time of which / write
TWO or three years ago the full extent of
the collapse WAS not understood Mr..
Dalston was telling ME how confident he
was that a good harvest would cause trade
to revive, and that the the country would
speedily recover. was expressing simi-
lar conviction, though could not pin my
faith TO the results of one season, when my
attention was taken by remarkable face,
which | did not remember ever having
seen before in the society OF the city.
The face itself was perfectly familiar to
me; indeed, it must be known to a great
many others, as art has made II live al
ready for more than 100 years, and will go
near TO making it immortal In the cele-
brated gallery Of Dresden, there you will
see today that beautiful face The pict