Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1893-11-16
At this juncture | came forward

At this luncture L came Ior"aru
and offered James my place.
was single man, | said, and
could shift for myself. The bad times
must surely pass, and at any rate l
had no helpless being depending on
me for livelihood.
James was profused in his thanks.
The next day he stepped into my
shoes and | was left without means of
subsistence.
One week passed after another, my
little stock, of ready money became
exhausted, and still | was unabled to
meet with fresh situation. Hunger
and | became intimate acquaintances;
I grew gaunt and thin. The strength
of which | had formerly been so
proud deserted me.
avoided James sedulously. Meth
er he nor Mary had the slightest idea
of my condition. Once, whilst wan
dering almlessIy about the streets, |
saw Mary IN the distance. | turned
and fed as If for my life. Later on
1 think must have grown a little
light.headed, for I said to my self:
''Why should she look so pretty and
rosy, whileI am dying for want of
food-ay, literally starving? James
has robbed me of everything. First,
he took nv love, and now he has tax.
en- my place l have born enough for
his sake. There are limits to human
endurance. Mine is strained to the
utmost. l will go to James house
and once more demand my own"
1t was bitter cold evening. The
snow was falling in great white flakes,
and an ICY wind blow in wreathes
across the street. I grouped my way
to the house where James dwelt.
With uncertain steps mounted the
stairs.
The door of James sitting-room
was slightly ajar, I heard woman's
voice singing lullaby. Peeplng
through the aperture, I preceived
Mary sitting in a rocking chair before
the fire. Her baby boy was at her
brerst. The little 8-year-old Mollie
sat on the foor near her feat. looking
up at her mother with limpid eyes.
Mamma" she said, in her lisping
accents, where is uncle Tom? Why
don't Uncle Tom come see Molly?"
Mary put her hand on the child's
fair head.
"Ah, Molly she said, 81 wish 1
knew, Uncle Tom is an angle. Some
times | think he is too good to live.
1t is now six long weeks since he has
been near us And,' she added, with
tears trickling down her cheeks, che
loved us so, Molly, and we loved him
SO in return, that | sadly fear that
that something must have befallen
him
At the sight of Mary's grief-at
the sound of the voice, which even
now in my misery and destitution
had power to touch me like no other
woman's, | turned away. Softly /
crept down stairs out of doors a furi-
Gus blast met me in the face. The
snow well-nlgh blinded me.
Life had been so weary, and now
the end was near. God would know,
and in his infinite mercy forgive, if
courted death rather than make a
fresh struggle to avoid his embrance.
With the little strength that was
left to me | staggered along. Then,
when l could no longer see the light
in Mary's window, lay me down In
the snow. All it was cold!--it was
cold The big flakes beat upon my
limbs and covered them with white
shroud. A strange feeling of numb.
ness and torpor stole over me. AS
fell asleep--to wake, as | believed
no more-my last conscious though
was that God had mercy.
Returning late at night, Jame
} found and brought me to his home
But all wish to live had gone from
me once and forever. AS | lie here
) with James looking at me with {
murky, almost inky, expression wan
tonly scattered over his geographi
! cal visage with its most elaborat,
contour of sinuosities, with Mary
, sweet eyes dim, and Molly giving
r open expression to her grief, | know
r that the end is not far off. Ant
. once more my heart is filed will
peace; for, looking at these dear ones
a | realize that while it has been il
: with me, it has been well with them
: | was strong man once, and it j
a every strong mans duty not +
place the burden laid upon his shoul
ders on those wesker than his own.