Wichita eagle., 1888-04-18
CHARLES SUMNER. :
his Kindness Toward His Clerks-Slsit-
inc the Sick and Thase In Prison.

r.;. u;ra,..s Toward His C1erks-vlsit.
inc the Sick and Thase in Prison.
PERHAPS something Of the senator's kindness
NJ hart NAV he well SHOWN by his treatment
of his succeeding clerks when they were IL.
One of them was suffering from an attack OF
| IF fevar and ap,1e. He occupied room h the
| senator's house. The shakes were follows>
| by q fever that had drenched the poor fellow
| in perspration and left him exhausted ne
had no knowledge OF the peculiar nature OF
| the disease, and thought himself very lii; ou'
| the senator, who had seen MIN from tlne 10
| time. pooh-poohed the idea, ard urged aim %
rise, dress and dine with nm when ne "ouio
meet some pleasant people de TIED to rise'
| but was too weak The senator said thai ne
would soon put strength into him, and BRING
ing bottle Of rare old Burgundy and COB
| let OF cracked ice, filled the glass; then ra;s-
| ing the poor fellows head on his knees, he
| held the glass while the clerk drank the con-
tents. It's effect was magical; II was draft
| upon his latent strength, and ne was enabled
| 70 appear at dinner and play his part well
| with his knife and forik. and 10 assist really
in entertaining the guests present.
| Afterward another Of his clerks was tenn
porarily i'll, but so much SO that be was
forced TO keep his bed. He had brought bis
wife and child with him, and they were hv-
| ing in such rooms as it was possible TO OBJ
! tain in Washington during the war. While
! they answered their purpose, they were not
exactly fitted for the reception OF visitors
| One day the lady was surprised and emoar-
raised BY finding the senator at her door,
! s1niliuely demanding TO see his sick friend.
The clerk go. well rapidly, and was soon able
to attend to his business again, ard be felt
! that tie call was made in all kindness and
! sympathy.
AT one time his private secretary became
| quite i'll and remained SO for some weeks.
| The senator kept himself we'll informed as 70
| his condition, and when he began to get bet
ter, arranged for him hong trip into health
! giving regions: and finding that financial
reasons precluded the taxing OF the prescribed
| journey. he sent him a check as an advance
| payment for future services. The invalid
was as much encouraged by the senator's evil
| dent belief that he would certainly be able to
resume his functions as by the trip itself; at
| any rate between the two be recovered his
strength, and his family attributed his recoy-
cry largely to the senator's kindness.
| He not only visited the sick, but those also
who were in prison. The New BEDFORD
schooner called the Pearl sailed for the north
in lS4S from Washington with seventy-slx
escapiug slaves on board. She was pursued
and brought back the slaves were sent 70 their
owners, and the captain, Mr.. Drayton, with
the mate, Mr.. Sayres, were imprisoned IN the
Washington city jail for having the negroes
on board Of their vessel. Mr.. Sumner often
visited these poor men, and he also did what
he could for their comfort. He often visited
others who also in his opinion were impr"p-
erlv incarcerated He had little time for
mere social calls: and the time came finally
when his own strength left him TO such an
extent that ne awaited himself of the privilege
of the Oldest member of the senate-Pater
! Senatus he was called-and he seldom re-
turned call, and hardly made one excepl
from time to time upon sick friend, OF
when the exigencies of etiquette made it ex'
tremely necessary.-Arnold Burgess johnson
in The Cosmopolitan.