Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-12-19
GRATITUDE REPAID.
An Angeleno Remembers His
Friends Most AffecIionatety.

About twenty years ago an ambitious
and adventurous lad left the land of his
birth among the mountains of Wales
and came to America with only the capt
tai of honesty, industry and brave de.
termination to improve his condition and
fortune.
The first time in which the
young adventurer needed friends,
indeed, was when he arriVeo
in Montour county, in fehnsyi-
vania at the little city OF DanVllle, Wnere
he applied TO Mr.. Benjamin Mowfy Tor
chance to work for his living ME
Mowry was good judge OF character,
and took the stranger IN. ne acted
wisely, and was repaid after many years.
when he, too, was III need Oh heip'
The Moutour american, newspaper
published at DanvIlle, Pa has the tol'
lowing noble letter from Mr.. e. j. Crit
fifth, the once friendless and penniless
adyeatu turer, now one OF the rich men OF
Lo, Angeles, detailing his romantic ex-
perience
Editor american TO honor the dead,
who in honor have lived and died, is ever
an honorable thing to- do.
Your correspondent feels specially obli-
gated to do this honor in the case of the
late Mr.. Benjamin Mowry, one OF your old
est and most generous-hearted citizens the
tidings of whose death has just reached
me. The news came to me so unexpectedly
that can scarcely realize it. My heart is
filed with iueXpress1ble sadness: yet Is
every grateful emotion stirred within me as
grief opens the pages OF memory's book, |
filled with deeds OF kindness OF that noble |
man, and his equally noble wife, who pre- |
ceded him Dut a short space into the bright |
er world beyond.
l. Is now twenty year since. poor, illit- |
crate and friendless boy OF but IA ears, an |
honest face and look my only recommends
residence in Danville, Pa, and asked him |
TO give me work that might earn an honest |
living
can see the dear man now, as he stood |
then. scanning closely my lace while pa
tiently listening to my story: 1t was tale |
OF sorrow truthfully told. He took 1t al IN, \
his great heart warming more ana more TO |
ward the homeless and pennies llttle
pleader standing before him. HIS eyes
filled with tears and his voice was tremu- |
lous as he replied 1--WE have lost or only |
son; you look very much like him when ne
was your age. Come in and see mother"
mother" meant his good ana n0ole Wlfe, |
and l never knew him to use any other |
term of endearment when speaking OF her |
or to her.
How readily and how warmly did the |
impulses OF her husbands heart towards |
me
They both took ma to their hearts, made |
me as one of the family fed and clothed
and educated me. as they would nave careu
for an only son.
These were four happy years attending |
school every term without omission, aud
cheerfully doing all that boy could, morn
ings and evenings, Saturdays and during |
school vacations, to tighten their labors i'll |
the home which blessed me-. Their gener |
Gus treatment was all that an own father or |
mother could have bestowed. My ad- |
vancement in study was their constant care |
and delight; and they seemed to fiud ample |
compensation when they saw me able to |
read and converse in three ditferelt Ian |
guages.
Mr.. Mowry suffered much in the financial |
panic of 1871. For long time this was un-
knowI to me. In all their letters they scru- |
pulously refrained from the. fsintest init
nation even OF pecuniary distress only |
learned it on visiting them few years |
afterwards, l had been greatly prospered |
in my worldly affairs siuce leaving their |
hospitsble home to make my own way N the |
world, and never knew more pleasure
BILE duty aud privilege than was mine az |
that visit. All / had was theirs, and all
their pecuniary troubles were at an end. l |
can never know truer joy than expert |
enced in ministering to their comfort as Tar |
as they would allow me, and never were |
couple more worthy of all my grateful heart |
could devise for their enjoyment.
dear wife was called to her eternsl home.
Yet he bore up under the atiiiction with |
heroic fortitude. always referring to her in |
his subsequent letters in the most feeling |
manner.
She was true and noble woman, wife |
and mother, and possessed many rare ex-
cellencies of character, together with
mind well cultured and stored with useful |
knowle ige. Aud now he also is gone!-
gone to be at rest with her. Peaceful be |
their slumbers. Long will they live in my |
purest affections; aye even while life shall
last. Dear, dear old friends! My heart is |
bereaved in your deceased Your aged ftces |
and forms are before me now.
Those eyes? ! see them-eyes which al |
ways beamed on me in love never feign- |
ed! Those lips. they never framed harsh |
word of reproach for me; though oft taxed |
your patience and your goodness sorely |
tried. Rest in peace, now Heaven VIII
surely remember aud reward your loving |
kindHess to poor, friendless boy unexpeet- |
edly cast on your tender and bounteous |
care. |
In one of my recent letters to Father Now |
ry, promised to visit him in The coming |
spring. His sudden death renders all the |
more imperative the duty of keeping the |
promise and visiting AZ least his grave, |
whereon flowers shall bloom-token of my |
loving regard, and over which monument
sacred to their memory shall rise, in some
degree expressive OF my loving gratitude.
g. j, GRIFFITH.
Los Angeles, Cal, Nov. 25, 'S6.