The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1892-02-26
Reads Like A Romance.

Canton Picket.
Fourteen years ago Henry J.
Croft was a prosperous contracting
carpenter at Greenville, this State.
lie was doing "A good business, and
was the possessor OF II good home.
had comely wife and inur child
rem three boys and one gIrI. He
was harl-working, thrifty man.
and tort une seem to cast her smiles
toward him. Whenever a local
capitalist came to the conclusion
to build a few more business places,
cottages or number of shanties to
rent TO merchants, employers or
very poor men, Mr.. Croft was al
ways called on to figure" ON the
cost OF erection, and always to tie
benefit of the credit side OF his
bank account
His wife was an amiablc woman,
and of loving, cheerful dispOsi.
tim, who ruled his household with
the r. d of love. His children gave
promise Of becoming men and wo.
men into whose hands their fond
Iather and mother could well hand
The scepter of power over self and
send them out into The world ready
and eager to earn their own living.
Mr.. Gr'f, like many other faith.
erS, loved the last best of all. Lit.
tie Matte was the supreme ruler
Of the household. She bad grown
out Of long clothes, and had safely
passed through the measels,
mumps and olLer dangers inciden,
TO childhood life. She had learn.
ed TO say papa" and mamma"
plainly, and her childish pratlle
ha endeared her to father and
mother alike.
The Whole civilized world re-
members with a shudder the pes.
;ience that swept over the South
in 1878. 'sirewing sorrow, death
and sufteringi, It's path, and filing
many hastily made grave with a
corpse "unmourned, unccfined
and unsung.' These were the
times that tried mems souls.
"YelIow Jack' is no respecior of
persons, and The home of Mr.. Croft
was no exception to the rule.
"Peslilenre and death walked
abroad in The iand," and the home
OF The mechanic was invaded by
the fell disease. Brother and sis
ter, father ana mOther-al were
stricken. Friends and nelghbors
came in and bore away he remains
OF The mother, and, one by one, the
little ones, until when Mr.. Croft
finally recovered his reason suifi
GENTLY to comprehend current
events, little Ma.lie was the only
survivor Of all Ms family. The
physicians informed him that 1t
was Il question OF but a few short
hours when she too would Join her
mother in the great unknown be-
yond that there was absolutely no
hope for her recovery.
like a wounded buck, like a
fallen warrior the stricken man
arose from his bed of sickness aud
fled from The scene OF desolation
and woe. Far away from his home
into The icy North he wandered,
seeking, but never finding, the
goal OF all wounded men-for.e,.
fnlness. He wandered to and fro
through and across many lands.
lie worked and Travelled. lie fish.
ed for The specklld trout in ice
bound streams, and hunted IN the
sweet smelling woods OF the far
north. He worked in the pineries,
far from the haunis Of men, run.
ming away from thought. He
wended his way across the broad
prairies looking for forget iulness.
He sought but found il, moi, and
last fell he concluded 10 again Wis.
il The Sunny Souih-lhe scene OF
his love, conrtship and marriage.
On arriving at Hreenville he
made inquiries as TO the location
oil the mounds thu crowned the
remains Of his family. lie paid
them 4 sad and mournful visit,
thinking tn pay a last farewell 10
his family one and all. lie sicod
Al the head ot lhe mounds reading
the inscriptions which recorded the
names Of those who Ivy beneath.
With tesrs IN his eyes lie read
them all-lno,her aud sous.
zone, two, three, r-o-u-rl Why,
where Is Matte buried Y"
Again he counts tho names cut
so deeply into the white marble