Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1891-10-21

never heard him speak an impatient
word, and kinder man never breathed.
After awhile George Wentworth mar
ried and had a son. tell you, Dad was
pleased when he heard of it. The firm
would now be Wentworth and Son.
again, and though young Josiah was
never brought TO the Office, Dad loved
him from the day he was born.
Young Wentworth went to college. and
graduated about the time went with
the firm. l remember the dirty, dark
little Office as well as il it were but yes.
terday; dust and cobwebs on everything,
but most especially on the great iron safe.
This stood behind Dads desk, and he had
it covered with old ink bottles, and they
were a kind of record OF his life. He
put the first empty bottle up there in old
Josiah's day, and he hadn't missed one.
Fifty years of ink bottles, and dust and
spiders were all over them.
That was the only thing Dad was
touchy about--he wouldn't let us boys
move his bottles, and none of us wanted
TO after he had once demonstrated. re-
member when he spoke to me-with his
white hair and wrinkled brow-how he
Strengthened himself and said:
@Ifyou would please not remove them;
Ihave placed them there for 80 long years
--50long, faithful years spent in the serv-
ice of the firm-and you will pardon an
old mans whim. / haven't a fortune,
nor wife, ror child, nor home; am
only poor, foolish dreamer; but it is
some comfort to look at those memories
of happier period, and remember that
have at least been faithful to the firm.
He was foolish to value those old
bottles, but there was no harm in it, and
as for us boys, there wasn't one but would
have given his hand to be burnt for old
Dad.
Well, young Josiah went through col
lege, and one day down came his father
with him and introduced him to us and
then to Dad. Then he told us all that
young Josiah was to be our employer for
the future. And young Josiah looked
around and sneered, and said that there
was room for improvement. So the next
day. sure enough, he brought carpenter
with him TO figure ON enlarging the
Office, and when the man had gone, no
told us to get soap and water and clean
up the place.
"And first, he said, @pitch those old
bottles into the ash bin. i"
No sooner had he said this than Dad
popped out from behind his desk, and
said, as respectfully as you please:
II beg pardon, Master Josiah, but if
you will allow me; served your father,
sir, and your grandfather before him,
and faithfully. have spent my life for
kind of record to me, and beg that you
will not destroy them.
Poor old Dadl l can see him yet,
standing there before young Josiah
with smile, and such beseeching look
ON his face, and his chin just trembling
bit, and Josiah staring at him. Then
the brute frowned and turned to us.
ado as / saidi" he commenced. He
looked at Dad again, and sneered. "You
are nice sort of man! If you worked
you were paid for it, guess, so we are
square on that point, though / blamo
father for keeping clerk who has al
lowed so much dirt and trash to accu-
mulate.
Dad seemed to shrivel up, just as if he
had grown 10 years older in minute,
and stepped back as though he had been
struck. Poor old Dadi Ifelt like knock
ing Josiah down, but only sat still.
was not going to be the one to remove
Dads bottles! None of the other boys
moved, either, and Dad smiled at us,
thankful like Then Josiah grew hot,
and took his cane and knocked row of
the bottles to the floor, and another, and
another, till they were all gone, when he
turned to Dad. But the old man had
climbed upon his stool and was leaning
on the desk with his face hid in his arms.
One of the older fellows went around
and laid hand softly on his shoulder.
Poor old Dadl He was dead. Ellis But
Ter.