Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1889-05-23
What Saved Him.

One Christmas morning, many years
ago, a young reporter on e daily pa
per had occasion to call with mes
sage at the Office of one of the fore
most editors and publishers in the
country.
The younger man was sickly
country lad Of keen sensibility and
nervous temperament, who, finding
himself homeless and t'riendless in a
great city, had yielded to temptation,
and had fallen into the habit of drink
ing and gambling. The publisher,
as he listened to the message, noted
! the lines which dissipation had al
ready left OH the boys face. He
was a man who made it his work in
the world to hel p others. No man
touched his hand in passing who did
not gain from him new courage and
hope in life.
lie answered the message which
the reporter brought, and then,
holding out his hand cordially, said:
Let me wish you Il merry Christ
mas, my lad" lie took from 4
shelf a book, containing sketches Of
the lives Of the greatest English,
French and German authors, with
extracts from their works.
Here" said he, "are some
friends for the new year. When
you spend M hour with them, you
will have noble cOtupany.'
! The surprise Of the gift and the
, unexpected kindness from the man
whom he regarded with awe had Il
powerful effect upon the lad. He
spent all Of his leisure porting over
the book. It kindled his latent
scholarly tastes. He s&fed his
money to buy the complete works,
first Of this author, and then OF
that; he worked harder to earn
more money to buy them. After i
few years he began to gather and to
study rare and curious books, and
to write short papers upon obscure
literary subjects.
Men Of similar tastes sought him
out; he numbered some Of the fore
most scholars and thinkers Of the
country among his friends, but he
never forgot the lonely, triendleSs
lad who had been sinking into L
gambler and Il drunkard until kind
hand drew him back, and he in his
turn sought out other lonely, friend
less boys in the great city, and gave
them Il helpful hand out Of the gulf.
SO, year by year, his life widencd
and deepencd into a strong current,
from which many drew comfort and
help.
lie died last winter. The sale Of
his library gathered Ill the collectors
Of rare books in the seaboard cities.
During his illness the newspapers
spoke of him with Il sudden appre-
citation of the worth which had so
long been hid in obscurity.
GA profound scholar, with the
heart Of Il Child" ga journalist
who never wrote 4 word to subscrre
base end" they said. He read
these culogies with quiet SMILE
The actor who has lett the stage for
ever cares little for the faint plaud-
its Of the crowd in the distance.
One day he put into the hands of
Il friend al old, dingy volume.
" When I am gone" he said, " take
this to Mr.. -, and tell him what
ever Of good or usefulness there has
been in my life ! owe to him, and
this Christmas gift Of his thirty
years ago"
The little story is absolutely true.
We venture tn tell it because there
is no one living whom it IAN hurt,
while there are many whom il may
help to hold out friendly hands to
their brothers who have stumbled
into darker paths in life ti!H.n they.
lyOuth's CUnipGHiOH-