Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1892-02-03
Everybodys Friend.

he was that from his cradle, In
negative, passive sort Of way. he
never cried and asserted his rights,
but lay still and sucked his thumb,
and blinked and stared at the great
world, as if trying to solve the riddle
of being in it.
And when he became a school boy
be was the one to stay at home when
his mother was i'll. and run errands.
And all he got back was black marks
against his name for being late, and a
reprimand from his father for not
learning more.
1t was so in everything. He meyer
had slice of bread, particularly large
and wide, but that it fell upon the
floor, and always on the buttered side,
and there never was any jam for his
slice, hut he didn't mind. He would
rather 60 without than have some.
body else miss it.
And when he came to mans estate
and learned to loye a dear gazelle,
she turned cold shoulder on him to
"glad' his brother with her soft dark
eye. And he gave her up without a
murmur, only too thankful that he
might suffer and be strong in her SER
vice.
And when in middle life he was a
comfortable bachelor with a snug
competence, the brother failed, and
he would have starved, but he came
forward and offered his savings and
helped them up again. And they
gave him the attic bedroom and a
comfortless bed to show their graft
tude.
1t was then he was first called
"everybody's friend" but with the
title was conveyed the idea that he
was little touched in the upper
story. Why should he always per-
sist in making vicarious sacrifice of
himself if he were not little "off,
as we says
The years rolled, and "eyerybody's
friend" prospered, in spite of helping
others to their feet continually, and
again he amassed snug little fortune
when a young man in whom he had
perfect confidence, whom he trusted
as brother forgetting how broth
ers were to be trusted, asked him to
sign his bond for an important official
position. He did so cheerfully, and
when the young man and the official
funds vanished together, he paid his
obligation and was again penniless.
But such cheerful beggar! The
brother had gone with his family on
a pleasure tour abroad, and their
house was let for a term Of years
All the other relatives had mouths
enough to feed there was no place
in the world, apparently, for "every.
body's friend"
Just then be went and "got run
over" That is the way his relatives
worded it. It was the beginning of a
hard, cold winter and he was disabled
There was nothing left. SO he went to
the public ward Of the hospital.
He was as cheerful and serene, as
much everybody's friend as ever
When he could hobble about, he help.
ed everybody within reach, and took
what he could get for himself. Ofall
the people he had helped not one
came to give him a cooling orange OF
a bunch of grapes, or better still, q
kindly word.
One day he overheard the nurse
talking with the doctor.
ave want that bed for very i'm
portant case" she said, with a back
ward nod of her head "he must &c
into the convalescent ward"
"He must 60 into the poorhouse.'
said the doctor. "He is as we'll as ht
ever will be; and unless his friend,
come and take him out. he will be q
county charge the rest of his life."
well, we want that bed !" reiterat
ed the nurse and they moved away
He lay that night staring at the
shaded night.lamps and the white beds
as he had lain and stared at the
world long ago. 1t seemed like q
long, sad dream to him--that all his
hopes should come to this, and the
lights swan in tears-the first and
the last that ingratitude should ever
call forth. The next morning the
nurse hurried to meet tho doctor and
tell him that the cot they needed was
empty. Everybody's friend had been
accommodating To the last.-Ex.