Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-12-18
THE UNDERTAkER,S STORY.
How an Old Citixea was Enriched In
Return for q KinameSs 60 q Poor
stranger.

~1-.es~SS
Stranger.
A bevy OF Sunday school girls were singing
song with the refrain cast thy Bread upon the
Waters as STAR reporter was walking in East
Washington recently. AS the reporter stopped TO
listen. an elderly gentleman, reputed TO be one OF
the wealthy residents OF that section stopped also
When the girls stopped singing the elderly gentle
man remarked TO the reporter, THAT is a sweet
little Sunday school song and love TO hear IL, for
have found that there is more truth than poetry
In it,
"Indeedi" exclaimed the reporter. "Perhaps
you S, wont object to telling me why you so admire
Il am generally glad" said the old citizen.
"wnen nnd an opportunity TO tell my expert
ence. Wen TO make long story short You
remember tnat once was an undertaken. COM
menced business with no capital, In fact, COIN
menced on credit. 1 had some grave yard lots
handy things TO have Business was not over the
oesl put was struggling along, generally getting
about enough to keep from running behind. One
old gentleman walked in. 1 rose and asked well,
my friend, what can do for your Are you Mr..
wen, s sSes,n me- III Is my nsme answe,ed
Ued about an hour ago. He then broke down,
falling down In chair and covering his face with
tried 70 quiet him, and In little while sue
ceeded. He then said that he had been recon-
mended TO me as a humane man, that his boy was
entltieo 70 respectable funeral, but he had not
cent, and only the Lord knew when he would have
money told him." said the ex- undertaken, THAT
would help him, and, calling my assistants, sent
them to the old mans lodgings to prepare the body.
He showed some good taste In the selection OF a
com9' and was full OF gratitude for my offer. He
could not raise even the cash TO pay for opening
the grave and for the hearse and carriages and
round that he had not even friends enough TO find
minister TO conduct the funeral, and had the
pastor OF our family to attend It, On going 10 the
cemetery he named found that his family LOT " as
nlled, and the title was In the name OF another
in one of my lots. The poor boy was put away in
much better manner than he expected, although
mad ne been able he would probably have spared no
You see by this incident that the cemetery sites
came In handy. All this did cheerfully, paying
on ,s casn out OF my pocket believing that II the
Oid gentleman ever was able that he would pay
the Oil, and IL he continued poor the expense
Hould not ruin me. The day following the funeral
me for what had done, and as he left he said, 1
don't know when can pay you, for see no pros
pect Whatever; but IL ever get any money the
Dill VIII be paid God knows when that will
be, DON'T 1 told hum not to trouble himself
Inc OLD man promised 10 call and so In q few DAYS
Atsr, during my absence, he came in drunk
and was driven out. The following day met him
on the street and he apologized for his conduct,
saying that he was heartily ashamed TO have
treated me So He said that he was 50 respondent
that ne sometimes felt like never attempting TO
get up. II had not always been that way with
him he said, and he believed II he had his own he
would be wen liked. what do you mean by hav-
Ing your own? 1 asked him, and he replied
Once our folks owned considerable property, and
although some OF 1t has been built upon and some
Is In the hands real estate people have no reco-
lection OF our folks selling it, 1 then told him
that he might see my lawyer giving him card,
and ask him TO look into the matter, and II could
e pc Of any n.y., further help to him TO let me
Early in the fall was surprised by q call from a
real estate agent, who offered me q good round
sum for lot now in the fashionable northwest
section. answered: my friend, you must have
mace mistake; own no property there 4
guess you do, and several lots besides the one I
want replied the real estate man. ] told him 1
would look into the matter and he could cali
again. then went to my lawyer and learned that
the old man had placed his business in his hands
that he Gthe lawyer, had found that the title to
over square OF ground was still In the old man.
and those In possession claimed IL through old tax
titles; that he had opened correspondence with
the parties and the result was that a compromise
had been made with the Old man who recovered sew
eral thousand dollars from one f1rm and deeds for
several lots from another and that the old man
mad insisted on five or six OF the lots being
veyed to me, and he had then fixed himself up and
gone on trip. Thus 1t was with me, the bread
cast upon the waters has been a blessing. 1have
tod this story to many OF my friends and hope
they Will pr0nt by 1t. You know now why ap-
prectate that little SUNDAY school SOnQ-