Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1886-11-04

sir; and may Heaven bless YOUR
had been over six years engaged in
postal affairs, when one day, TO my
great surprise, ] received letter post
marked and dated India, which con-
tanned these words:
III you will send your address and a
card with your name written on it as
you We're accustomed to write it three
or four years ago, you will hear of
something to your advantage"
This was signed by a name | had
never heard of before, with a full su-
prescription for the return letter.
FILLED with surprise and all kinds of
sspeculations and conjectures concern
ing wealthy deceased relatives far re-
moved, of whom / had never had any
knowledge, l lost no time in comply
ing with the mysterious request in
every particular, and the next over
land mail carried my missive to CAL
cutta. When sufficient time had elapsed
for a reply to reach me ! became very
anxious, and / looked for the arrival of
every Indian mail with an eagerness
little short of an uninsured merchant
expecting valuable cargo.
Months passed away and no news ar
rived. Then came to the conclusion
that my handwriting had not proved
me to be the person required, and that
l should never hear any more of the
matter-more especially as my mother
assured me she had never heard of our
having any relatives in India Mean
time, friend of mine, very ingenius
person, who had recently patented an
invention of great prospective value,
came to me and asked me if | had any
money to invest in profitable specu-
lation. Unfortunately l had not, but
promised to try and borrow it. / was,
however, unsuccessful.
Believing my effort to be hopeless,
went round to his Office with sad
heart to tell him. He was not in, and
l did not see him that day, and before
another day dawned l received my
long looked-for letter. l opened il
with an eager, trembling hand, hoping
it might contain some good news or
which to build future hope. Judge
of my surprise and delight on finding
an inclosed draft for one Thousand
pounds, payable to my order. Gould
it be real Or genuineP Were not mi
senses deceiving meP To come, too
just at the moment when, as ] be
lieved, five hundred pounds would Sc
cure me a fortune, made it seem more
like magic than reality. With an almos
swimming brain, ! read the letter ac
companying it. The writer began b,
calling me his dear friend. but warned
me that 1 should find the name of
stranger attached to the epistle.
''You may remember. however, thu
writer went on, ''that somewher
about four years ago person came t.
the post-oflice where you were then ;
clerk, and inquired of you what tim
the mail closed that was to go out in tn
next Australian packet; that you tol,
him he was already half an hour to,
late; that you pitied his distress at thi
announcement, and offered to get hi
letter posted il possible. You succeed
ed and received his fearful thanks
and, at his urgent request, wrote you
name for him on card. l hope yo1
remember all this, because the writeri
that individual, and desires to live il
your memory, as you ever will in his
Now, kind friend, let me tell you of tn
Importance of that letter and its valu
to me. had rich, unmarried uncle
who was IN a deep decline. He hat
been told l was dead, and had wille'
his vast possessions to other relatives
/ heard of this, as it were, by accident
and that he was about to sail for th
East Indies, never to return. A lette
by the next packet might possibl
reach him in Australia. / wrote il
and rode many miles to post 1t; but
would have been too late only for you
kindness. 1t did reach him, however
on the eve of his departure, and cause'
an important alteration in his will, TO
was the only son of favorite sister
He sailed for India, but died o.
the passage; and if my lette
had missed that packet h
would never have received it. The dii
ference to me would have been fort
une. was poor then-I am rich now
VIII you accept this trife-not as n
: ward, but token of friendship-fror
one who has ever, and ever will bt
, grateful. That single minute of time
which you so kindly improved, mad
, the difference of world to me; and
it is ever in my power to change you
fortune for the better, | am yours
command. would have sent this n
membrance sooner, but there has bee
some litigation, and have only RI
Gently come into possession OF m
: legacy. You will, of course, pardo
my having sent for your address an
: card, to avoid the possibility of mi
take; and my absence in India, on tn
return of your letter, must be m
apology for my long delay in con
: muuicating with you since"
This was the substance of lett
that made the difference of world
S me-for Inow had the means of ente
ing into partnership with my friend
. and that resulted in fortune, and
1 much happiness as can be found in tn
: sphere of existence. 1t would be diff
cult to calculate the changes effectt
| and the persons made happy by tn
S simple act of posting letter; that
we 60 down to posterity, and consid
t the destinies altered by that one triflir
thing, we shall perceive how great b
!, comes the smallest deed of our live
, 1t NAV be the stone in the fountain.
Philadelphia Cali
! Sea-Weed Products.