Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-08-08
JOHN FORD, CLERK.
His Sad Life and His Glimpse Of
Happiness.


| Written for The Evening Star
IT ATE ONE AUTUMN AFTERNOON
~ about year and a half ago a man might
have been seen hard at work in q dingy little
back Office down town. He was John Ford
clerk by profession. A single glance would
have served to show that he was middle aged
a second, that he was distinctly homely. In.
deed, by the dim gaslight which found its way
through a very dirty globe, his face looked
almost CHASTITY, and yet having looked twice
there few who could have resisted the
temptation to look again.
| There was something in the expression of the
clear gray eyes, now red and infamed from
overwork, and the thin. straight lips, with just
q touch of sadness about them, that could not
fail to arrest the attention and appeal to the
sympathies. He wore no beard and the hair
through which he ran his fingers as he worked
was brown, although it began to show decided
signs OF turning gray. He was evidently bal
ancing accounts. All at once he stopped fgur-
| ing, wiped his pen and, shutting his ledger
| with q bang, looked up YEARLY ut the lit
| tie time piece on his desk. The hands pointed
to o'clock. He rose slowly, took off his Office
| coat and going to the uninviting- looking wash
| stand in the corner, began to wash his face and
hands. This done he combed his hair by the
| aid Of pocket comb and mirror and took down
from hook on the wall a very shabby coat Of
darkish material, which he began to brush Wig
been completed, he hung up his office
| coat on the same peg that the other had
occupied locked his desk and casting his eye
around the room to see that everything was all
right went out, hat in hand, locking the door
behind him. After passing through the front
office and seeing that the other clerks had
gone home he locked the front door also and
emerged into the street.
The weather was cool and pleasant and occa-
sionally the slanting red rays of the evening
some great. grina-looking building and against
its windows, which blazed as if there were a con-
fagration within. The street vast full Of people.
mostly business men hurrying home to dinner
after the days work. Occasionally be-
lated shopper would pass and little far
dress suits might have been noticed
among the crowd. How they streamed by,
some old. some young. some gay, some sad,
men, women and children, laughing. talking,
testing, each intent upon his or her own bust
ness or pleasure and utterly oblivious of those
who brushed by them or jOstled at their elbows.
But John Ford noticed none of these things.
On by rows Of deserted offices and brilliant
shop windows he walked briskly, though with
his eyes slightly bent upon the ground. only
agility was needed to dart between the
heavy drays and wagons which blocked
the way. Finally he slackened his pace
and turning into understanding little res
taurant he seated himself at table which COM
manded a view of the street and ordered his
dinner. While waiting for it to be served it
seemed as If the expression of sadness which
was usual with him deepened upon his face,
and as he sat there lost in thought the moving
lights, which had begun to twinkle in the
street outside. swan before his eyes more than
once in a confused, blurred mass. But whether
this was due to tears or nerve fatigue who shall
sayl He was thinking Of his younger days,
perhaps.
John Ford was the son of wealthy man.
His mother had died when he was but young
boy and his father had been especially in
dulgent to him on this account. After sending
him through college he had given HIM one or
two years OF European travel and study before
he decided upon his profession. but while John
was at Brussels the old gentleman died sud
denly from apople1y. They cabled him
York, arriving just one week later. As
is too often the case, when the af-
fairs of Ford senior had been wound up it
was found that q series Of late reverses had
was absolutely nothing left, and John Ford was
without money, home or scarce a friend. Nay,
more, there were still some debts left which
he resolved to pay. Heaven only knows how
hard he struggled on after that. At last, in
utter despair. he accepted situation as Office
meant little less than starvation. When office
hours we're over he would start out tired and
often hungry to get situation. Everywhere
he met with the same reply: I'VE don't want
college man" they said. besides you are too
old We want boy"
Such life does not tend to improve natures
like John Ford's. He hrd been reared in
luxury and refinement; INDUCED, spoiled if you
WILL and work that some men would have ac-
cepted gladly cut to the quick every fiber of
hr- tive atnr IYvx1o
men would have developed sound common
sense: Its effect upon John Ford was to make
him discouraged, cynical, reticent, odd 1t was
as if the temper had been extracted from O
sword. He shrunk within himself, even refus-
ing offers of assistance, knowing no one and no
one knowing him. At last he rose to his present
position. that of poorly paid clerk, and although
he had labored faithfully for nearly seven years
he had received no promotion or encouraging
word. Perhaps he was partially to blame for
this. His manner did not encourage advances.
Certain it was that he would have been sur
prised at any increase in his salary. He had
long since ceased to expect it. For six years
he had dined at this same restaurant and the
same waiter had attended him. and vet they
knew no more about him here than at
his lodgings or at the Office. Each day
on coming in he would place a 10-cent piece
under his glass for the waiter. An incident
that occurred in connection with this habit is
characteristic of the man. 1t was on Christ
mas gay ana the darkey mad expected an extra
tip, but John Ford laid down on the table the
usual dime. The fellow was sulky, and as our
hero was leaving impudently suggested that a
little more would be agreeable. John
slowly turned and looked at him,
without, however, single trace Of
anger. and. walking over to one of
the tables began to make a little calculation
with pencil and paper. Then he called out,
Come here, Jim. I have been here every
day for five years, haven't l." 'Yes, sah," re-
sponded that worthy, not knowing exactly
what was coming: And l have given you a
dime every day." continued John Ford Eyes,
sab, reiterated Jim, rolling his eyes in antici-
patton. .''Well, then, said the former, allowing
800 days to year. have been here 10. $50 times,
and as have given you ten-cent piece each
day, you have had from me altogether 1882 so.
III leave these figures here. You Just think
it over" and he picked up his hat and coat and
walked out, leaving the darkey petrifed with
astonishment.
Tonight when he had finished dinner he gave
his usual tip, took up his hat, paid his bill. and
nodding good night to the proprietor, walked
out upon the sidewalk.
1t was getting late. Tho streets were full of
people going to the theaters. John Ford.
dreading to go to his dark cherries lodgings.
drifted half unconsciously along with the
crowd. Occasionally he would stop to look
into an unusually handsome window. EVERY
thing around him only served as a reminder of
the time when he was young and happy and
had fri