River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1894-01-04
THE MAN WHO WAS GRATEFUL.
He Expressed His Thanks to an Unsppre-
cfative Listener.

'By GEORGE but I'm glad to see you
awful gladr' heartily exclaimed a
little old hump-backed man as he put
out his hand to a special policeman at
one of the Detroit depots the other day.
Il don't exactly remember you,"
stammered the officer, as they shook.
mo. mebbe net, but ! do you. /
shall remember you as long as live. A
year ago to-day / landed in
this depot from Canada. / was
stranger. ! was feelin' blue. | had
only few dollars left. ! looked into
your face and saw that you were kind,
considerable man. and | mat bold to
tell you of my situation. We sal right
over thar. Don't you remember o; my
asking If your liver was outer order?"
II can't say do"
wall, / did, and when you said it
wasn't / said it might be the dropsy in
stead. Then | asked you what I'd bet
ter do. You could have brutality told
me to jump into the river, but you
didn't. A tear stood in your eye when
got through. kinder thought you
was drinkin' too much for your OWL
good, but didn't say nothin'. I'm ne
temperance crank. / drink too much
fur my own good, but / don't like tc
be told of it,
II don't remember you at ALL.
frigidly replied the officer as he turned
away.
''No, mebbe not, but I'll try and re
store your memory. After you had
shed tears you laid your fatherly hand
u.
brace up! There is hope fur thee, Hev
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 mei' demanded the officer.
Il don't remember you and have no
time to talk"
But 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 ever saw on a human bein',
you said to me, says you:
" Pilgrim, predict that You will go
west to find rich wilder 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 ALTERED 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?"
"No, STRIP
Don't you rememb Der of cryin' when
/ took the train?"
mo, STRIP
And don't you want to hear how l
went west-how / found rich wilder
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 sent
upl It's shame that an old man like
you can't let whisky alone!"
Am | squelched?" plaintively in
quired the old chap as he sat down.
''You are!''
Cant l relate your kindness to
me %
"No, 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 a bow-legged, slap
sided, lop-shouldered policeman whom
he had never sawn in all his life be-
fore. Thar can't be. 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 a group
of anxious inquirers about him. and
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
benefactorl / shall never, never for
get you, not even if you git new pair
of legs and become purity in the face,
which thar hain't no danger of in this
cold and deceitful world!''-Detroit
Eraa DraSS