Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1889-04-24
MY FRIEND Sparkling.
a Troubled Conscience and g
Haunting Presence.

lam dmanufacturer of and dealer in grave
stones and monuments. There are three mel
who habitually associate death with bust
| ness the dOStor the undertaken and the
| tombstone maker | have the finer feelings
and sentiments of the average man, yet my
occupation has led me to regard the great
and solemn change chiefly from business
point of view. That men should die has
seemed TO me as matter of course, and as
necessary means for the support of my
sci and family. STILL death may produce
great shock in me- as was the case with
that OF my friend Sparling.
We had been friends from boyhood He
lived near me; my way to and from bust
ness led past his house. | met him almost
daily. Mutual assistance over some of the
hard places of life, a similarity of tastes,
and frequent interchange of thought and
opinion had endeared each of us to the
other
For week had been busy with prepara-
touS for long business tour. 1t was to
laSt three months. The day before my de-
partlre had met Sparing and had said to
hlin ~ am going on another tour. Lest
we should not meet to morrow, let us saw
good bye now" We separated with n
hearty hand-Shake and the friendliest of
farcwells
was to take the evening train of the
nc"t day NV ticket for New Orleans was
IN my pocket, my trunk packed the
p@fi'HE W'h those at home was over, and
the hack was taking me to the station. The
afi"rnoon paper was in my hand; 1 opened
1t ana the following paragraph caught nv
eye:
SUDDEN hEATH-As we go to press Inc
pa'HI"l news reaches us of the death OF our
cs' 'ned ctzcn, Ezra Sparling, which ,n.
cu' req at his residence about three o'clock
'h'9 aherhoon' The occurrence VIII be as
startling MS painful to his host of friend,
an" acHnantanccs, as the deceased has an
rai entity been IN the best of health. The canse
wa ~" ably heart disease. Particulars are
h'''Ss3rI'y dcfrredti Till our next issue"
i'' paper dropped from my hand; the
sh"' 4 maze me FAINT for moment. Spar
I'm" ccad | could not comprehend it.
ne hack had just turned into the street
ON which was his house. | looked at NV
watch there was not one moment to spare
ShaIl tell the truth, that this certainly
gave me great relief, just thenl |, of all
men, SHOULD be with the afflicted familv in
l'''' uafh hour; and here was an excellent
excuse 'or the non-performance of the sad
dutN- | shlanK, as all do, from the dis
agreeable task
ne mack went swiftly to the house: the
dHv"r know he had no time to lose. saw
IN the 'WlhSht that the blinds were closed
wv" or lhree nclghbors were on the front
steps, | had glimpse of a woman dong
something at the door, "Puttlnr crane on
he knob said to myself, aud the scene
IlSapp'ared like some heeting picture con. |
urcd ply the memory.
80 my journey. was commenced with |
heavy heart. l looked about anxiousIv for
somebody at the station who could tell mo |
omcthlhg more about my friends death
Nobody could. The two or three with whom
was aole TO exchange few words abon,
"oloro Tue express came and went knew
'hat did and no more They had seen the
'Il'i newspaper announcements and that
vas all. """ 'na'
lay awake two hours that night after nv
vr'h III lhe sleeper was made up, thinking
poor Sparhng, OF his bereaved family
ho What ought to do in the premises, II
vas an unusual occasion with me; nobodv
" even relative, had ever departed and
'll tue gap IN my life that this man would
ave naturally, began 10 condemn nv.
Sll ior naStenlng away as had done, after
,aln'hS OF Ezra's death. To be sure. INV
-, N "t PREVIOUSLY made, and the
lree days delay that would be necessarv
oher'ng my consultations TO the fam;ly
nu attending the funeral would be incon.
ehlent That was all, merely a littIe 40.
lhSSment OF my plans, not even INVOLVING
~ business loss, | became angry ana
ssatshed with myself as these ret,ections
ana tried TO excuse my conSnc,
the pea that the news had come snon
g SO suddenly that had no time for The
Nn fsneeuon necessary TO a change ~
an. NY conscience was a stern moni,or
~ would not excuse me SO easily. "Hs
w os's ', never nave acted thus toward you,n
as It's comment upon my apologies.
! tossed about uneasily; proposed in INV
,na 'nat would get OF at Cleveland ana
urn 1omei resolved the next mo
en' 'hal | would do nothing OF the
aa, out would send a long taI'
ram 10 the widow, explaining ,hs
eessl,y OF my absence and ,endering nv nv
up1iay' decided next that this Womb h
ABSURD thing TO do-and al las, fal1 - 4
'sp WIN nothing settled. When ! awose
s4s taFse hundred miles from hor,s sas
"a