Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1893-12-21
THE MAN WHO WAS GRATEFUL

APHesseo MS Thanks to an Unappre-
ciative Listener.
by George! but I'm glad to see von
awful glad!' heartily exclaimed a
little old hump-backed man as he put
out his hand to special policeman at
one OF the Detroit depots the other day.
don't exactly remember you,"
'stammered the officer, as they shook
No, mebbe not, but 1 do you. 1
shall remember you as long as 1 live. A
year ago to-day L landed in
this depot from Canada. 1 was
stranger. 1 was feelin' blue 1 had
only a few dollars left. 1 looked into
your face and saw that you were kind,
-conslderate man, and 1 made bold to
tell you of my situation. We sat right
over thar. Don't you remember of my
asking if your liver was outer order?"
Il can't say l do"
Wall, did. and when YOU said it
wasn't l said it might be the dropsy in
stead. Then l asked you what I'd bet
ter do. You could have brutally told
me to jump into the river, but YOU
didn't. A tear stood in your eye when
1 got through. / kinder thought YOU
was drinkin' too much for your own
good, but 1 didn't say nothin'. I'm no
temperance crank. / drink too much
fur my own good, but 1 don't like to
be told of it,"
Il don't remember you at all,"
frigidly replied the officer as he turned
away.
"No, mebbe not, but III try and re-
store your memory. After you had
shed tears you laid your fatherly hand
on my shoulder and said: NV son,
brace up! There is hope fur thee! Hev
a little sumthin' to drink outer this
bottle. My advice to you is to go west
to the great and glorious west Thar
you will find second wife and riches.
If it wasn't fur the size of my feet I'd
start west to-morrer mornin'r"
"See here, old man, are you trying
to insult mel" demanded the officer
Il don't remember you and have no
time to talk
But l want you to remember me-"
persisted the old man, I'm goin' to
remember you as long as / live, and
want all my relashuns to remember
you, too. After you had spoken about
the size of your feet, which are the
largest L ever saw on n human bein',
you said to me, says you:
Pilgrim, l predict that You will go
west to find n rich widder and marry
her and have more happiness than a
boss kin draw. Hev another drink to
cheer you up. I'd go myself. but I'm
so ALFRED old and ugly that nobody
would look at me-"
"You go away from me, old man."
replied the officer, you go away or
I'll have you run in for being drunk.'
"And don't you remember me?''
mo, sir.''
Don't You rememb Der of cryin' when
1 took the train?"
No, sir!''
"And don't you want to hear how /
went west-how 1 found a rich widder
how / married her and she died and
left me two thousand dollars in cash
all through Your kindness of hearth"
mo, sir. You sit down and keep
quiet or I'll have you run in and sen.
la shame that an OIL, man like
You caiYE4 ut whisky aloae."
''Am 1 squelched?" plaintively in
quired the old chap as he sat down.
You are-'
Cant 1 relate your kindness to
me?''
mo, sir!''
"But kin weep, can't I? Thar's no
law in this town agin Teller weepin'
fur joy and gladness when he remem-
bers how nice and kind and good he
was treated by bow-legged, slap
sided, lop-shouldered policeman whom
he had never sawn in all his life be-
fore. Thar can't be. 1 won't say no
more. but I'll sot here and weep"
And for half an hour he shed tears
and wiped them away and kept group
of anxious inquirers about him. and a
patrolman was at length called in to
take him away. He made no resist
ance, nor did he demonstrate, but as
he went he turned his tear-stained
face toward the officer and feelingly
exclaimed:
Farewell, my kind and considerable
benefactor! l shall never, never for
get you, not even if you git a new pair
of legs and become purity in the face,
which thar hain't no danger of in this
cold and deceitful worldr'-Detroit
Press