The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-05-19
Selected Storp.
A Sons Faithfulness.

yhen Mr.. Sage lived in Troy and rep
esented that district in congress, be-
ore he knew much of Wall street and
efore he was noted for his money, he
lad in his employ man with whom he
had been school-fellow and for whom
be entertained feelings of warm friend
|hip. But temptation fell in the clerks
NAV and he was not morally strong
Enough to resist. The ambition to be-
Tome rich suddenly overcame him, and,
Sitting honesty's instincts, he turned
thief. His crime was not detected
ill, goaded by his shame, he himself
made clean breast of the whole story,
and pleading for compassion upon his
wife and child, gave himself wholly up
o Mr.. Sage. Several thousand dollars
had been embezzled and every cent of
II was gone-frittered away in short
Sighted speculations. The mercy he
yasked in the name of his wife and child
1was given. Russell Sage was never
called hard man in those days, and
Ithe innocent woman in danger of suf-
|fering through his sin had been one of
lhis childhood's playmates; thus, for the
sake of the innocent, the thief was for
given and his wrong-doing never ex-
posed. He promised much in the way
| of PREPARATION; he would pay back to the
| livery last cent, he said, the money that
| had been stolen. But his pledges never
bore substantial fruit He did seem to
struggle hard for time to regain the lost
footing, but endeavor brought no salts
factory result, and within a year the APP
petite for strong drink had laid heavy
hold upon him, and from bad to worse
he went headlong, till the end was
pauper's grave. Mr.. Sage and others
provided for awhile for the support of
the widow and orphan left behind, but
friendly assistance was not of conse-
quence to the broken-hearted woman.
A fever, whose fires were kindled by
shame and sorrow cracking in her proud
soul, did it's work quickly. The hus-
band had not been dead a month ere
grave was needed for her also. A child,
the son of a dishonest father, waif
without a relative in the world, was left
behind-left with burden other than
his own support to bear, charged with
duty pointed out by dying mother, the
duty ahead of all other things, of re-
pairing the wrong of his erring father.
And the child's word was given as he
wept in his boyish fashion with the
brave woman for another's sin. The
lad, scarce in his teens, gave his word
solemnly. One thrice his age could
not have realized more fully than he
seemed to do the grave words of the
mother as she told the tale of his fathers
wavering, his speculations and their Sc
jured the boy to bear always foremost
in his purposes the aim to make good
the bad record of the past, his " will !"
had the ring and the fervor of truest
manliness in it.
This was many years ago. Russell
Sage soon lost sight of the STRIPPING. A
farmer near Troy gave him home for
a time, but in year or two he drifted
away. What became of him thereafter
nobody ever could say. He himself
made the mystery plain the other day.
Johnnie Mccain, Mr.. Sage's private
secretary, was holding his regular matt
nee in an outer office with a throng of
put and call brokers, when a stranger
intruded, asking to be shown into Mr.
Sage's private office. The put and call
army leered; Secretary Mccain eX-
planned that Mr.. Sage was very busy,
but there was an earnestness in the
callers manner that induced special
consideration, and, as he was turning
away, the secretary volunteered to take
in his card, if it would be favor. The
visitor wrote name upon bit OF paper
Evidently Mr.. Sage did not recognize
the name as that of anybody in whom
he had the slightest interest, and Mr.
Mccain was obliged to explain that
Mr.. Sage had too much business on
hand to permit of interruption. Al
three O'Clock the millionaire buttoned
up his overcoat and made ready to &C
to his Fifth avenue home; but he had
not taken more than step or two in
the outside stairway when he was
brought to halt. The visitor who had
been denied admittance during the
business hours had waited to intercept
the magnate homeward bound.
81 want to see you for little while,
said the stranger. You have for
gotten my name, suppose, but you re
member John Blank of Troy, who was
your clerk?
eyes, yes!" calculated the puzzled
Spectator.
WE'LL" was the calm remark,
am John Blanks son, and I've come t.
pay you his debt"
Russell Sage was late at dinner tina
night. Hours went by as he sat in hi
Office and listened to the story of thi
man who had sought him out on al
errand so out of rhyme with the regu
lar order of things in this world of our
to-day. 1t was an entertaining tale tina
summed up the career of this youn,
mana career at sea, in western mine
and elsewhere, tinged with adventurou
experience. Since he had been oil
enough to earn apenny he had hoarde'
it sacredly, he said, to obey his mother
injunction to pay back what his fathe
had taken. Once he had almost com
pleted the sum required, when bad lucl
forced its utter loss, but he had no
failed to pluck up courage anew, ant
cent by cent, dollar by dollar, he begal
new accumulation, and now he ha,
come to New York finally to wipe on
the " debt" principal and interest. Fo
some years past he had been a railroa,
engineer on western road. A few
months ago a bit of bravery-a mer
nothing, so he averred-won him tn
gratitude of passengers on his expires
train, who, but for the risk he too
upon himself, might all have beef
killed; their appreciation had beef
shown by well-flled purse of money
and later with handsome watch, witt
an inscrintiOn testifvino IN his braver