The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1888-01-21

both envelopes again and sealed them.
went on with my other work. Still, was
haunted with the feeling that this thing
was left unfinished. and opened both the
letters once more. read his letter again,
l read my letter to the Pension Bureau, and
read the note which had written to him.
This time, after reading his letter to me
and mine to him once and again, inclosed
In my envelope to him some money, without
saying why, for indeed did not know.
This finally finished my correspondence,
as supposed; sealed the letter again,
and, finding that could do nothing in my
ohlce, put on my coat, took all the letters
had been writing, passed from my private
room through the counting room, and left
the letters for the mail.
"But was not permitted to leave the
door Of the office. In obedience to the i'm.
pulse which I had now obeyed twice, ]
went back to the mailing box, took out my
letter TO him again, went back to my
private office and read IL once more; read
his letter now for the third or fourth time,
and this time wrote a new letter to my old
friend Colonel Sharp, who lived in the
town from which the officer had written to
me. l asked Sharp to be good enough to
find him, to find what his condition was,
and that OF his family, and II he found
That they needed any help, to render IL to
them at my expense, II IL should be neces-
sary. l sealed and stamped this letter,
added 1t to my mall and this time I was
permitted to leave my office and go to my
home.
1--WE had q nightly mail, at that time,
from Xeres to Abydos, which was the city
In which he was living, and, as I learned
afterward, my letter to him arrived the
next morning. 1t will save trouble IL 1
give you name for him. We will call him
Needles, though that is not his name.
"fhiriy-six hours after had written,
received his reply. l have IL now, and
will show it to you at some time. It was
most modest and simple narrative OF the
steady decline Of his fortunes, since the
accident which 1have described. It seemed
he had wife and four or five children, of
whom he spoke with pride and confidence.
But he had been educated as sailor, and
he knew no arts but those Of q sailor; he
had no way Of earning living now that
he could not 60 to sea, and he had gone
through all the misery OF sickness, en-
forced idleness, OF his income becoming
less and less until it was nothing.
He and his wife had sold every article
OF property and dress which they could sell,
Tor the food and clothing of their children.
They had been obliged to withdraw their
children from school, because they could
not present proper appearance there. II
was under such circumstances that, need
Ing his pension, of course, he had written
to me the modest letter which had re-
ceived, asking for my assistance in hasten
ing the decision on it.
'On the night before his present writing
that is, on the evening which immedi-
ately followed the afternoon Of my writing
TO him-he and his wife and children were
covering around the little stove which
warmed their lodging. The fire in it was
by Goals and cinders which the
children had picked up in the street. He
had not cent to pay for any article Of
food, and he and the children were all
hungry. They reviewed the position as
well as they could, and it was then that his
wife said that she was sure that brighter
lines must be before them. For she still
believed that God did not mean that people
should perish who had not Intentionally Of
Tended Him, or fought against His law. She
knew that they had done their duty as well
IS they knew how, and she believed that
God would carry them through. She had
no ground for this belief excepting her GER
tainty that neither she nor her hush nor
her children had Intentionally done what |
was wrong. With such comfort as they |
could get from such expressions as hers, |
ihev all went te bed, the earlier because |
hey had nothing to eat, and perhaps be. |
cause the fire was not very satisfactory.
"For the same reason they slept, or
stayed in bed late in the morning. One is
not tempted to rise early when he has moth.
ing to do and nothing to eat. But they did |
rise, though late, and were rekindling tho |
fire, l think when the postman stopped at
the door and brought in the letter which I |
mad three times opened, and in which had |
finally inclosed the money.
Needles wrote to me that when the bill |
rell to the ground from the letter, as it did,
ne fclt as he should have felt if it had |
dropped from the hand of an angel IN |
had not asked me for money; he had not |
asked anybody for money. He asked me |
for my influence in the Pension Bureau. |
Without asking, the money had come. He |
lett, and his wife felt, as il it had come in |
answer to their prayer"
AS General Glover told me this story, I |
was reminded of a phrase of my friend Mr.. |
Naylor, who used to say that there was no |
in human life in which o check |
IN New York would not answer most pur.
poses. 1t was clear enough that the crisp |
,reenback which.had been inclosed in Gen !
eral Glover's letter had been quite as valu. |
ible workman in that starving family as |
Alnddin's slave Of the ring would have |
been. I
A skillful child was at once dispatched |
o buy the materials for breakfast, and |
hey were we'll engaged in the first meal
which they had eaten for several days.
when another party appeared upon the |
stage. This time it was not the postman;
i was Colonel Sharp, to whom General
3lover's fourth letter had been written.
wish could give the reader an idea of
ieneral Glover's description of Colonel
Sharp's methods. He sat, cheering all |
parties by his lively talk-I wish l were
talking with him now-and when he saw
hat the breakfast was well finished, he
.ook Needles with him to the great posh.
,ffice at Abydos. Colonel Sharp was a
pretty important person in that city, and.
breaking all lines ofdefense, he soon found
limself with Mr.. Needles in the private
'oom Of the postmaster, whom, for the
purpose Of this story, we will call Mr..
Rowland Hill. General Glover went on to
describe the interview.
"Sharp told Mr.. Hill that there was a
deserving man, who had served the coun.
ry, and that I was interested in him. and
Hill shook hands with Official cordiality, and
aid he should be interested in any friend
II mine and his.
"Colonel Sharp said that he wanted Hill
o appoint Mr.. Needles to good place in
hat post-office. Mr.. Hill ut once assumed
he Official air of distress, and explained
low many hundreds Of applications he re-
cived every day from very deserving peo.
lie; but he would put Mr.. Needless name
IN tho list hnd would send for him the frat