The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-04-22
THY SAINT.
Marry in May,
Rue for aye.

Do you not like saints? No? Then do not
read this sketch, because ii is to be about
the very best man 1 ever knew in all my
life. 1 am fifty. That is a good while to
live. You see number of people by the
time you are fifty. Some good some bad;
the most of them only fair. 1t is a great
deal to live even fairly well. 1t is much
more to be truly good. But to be a saint!
l never saw but one. May be did not see
straight. Some one has said that we always
find what we look for. Perhaps. But l was
not looking for saints when l found David.
The first time / saw him he angry,
too. Think of that-a saint angry. Is there
not such a thing as righteous Indignation?
Well, his was that kind
No, he is not a professor. scholar, or
anything you might suspect. He is just
plain blacksmith, with great, broad hands,
strong muscles, and heart as strong and
true as that he works with. When he was
twenty he married a girl for her pretty
looks q knew him then, but / was never
pretty), which is very we'll if there is any
thing else. In this case there was not, and
when her pink and white beauty faded her
peevish temper fully asserted itself, and she
led poor David weary dance for many
long years. Happily, she died, and David
could give little more time TO his crippled
boy. How David worked for his boy, car
ried him about, entertained him, loved him.
But after a few years the boy died, too
and 1 wondered what David would do then.
He was always taking care of somebody,
though I used to scold him for wearing
such shiny coats and old-fashioned hats.
He was too handsome to so so shabby. L
sometimes wished he would marry again.
So few men know how to treat a wife, it
seemed pity David should not show them.
Anyway, he deserved to be happy himself.
never could find any one thought good
enough. ] told him once that l was looking
for a wife for him, but he only smiled, a
little sadly, I thought, and said nothing.
He was never sad That is, never offensive
ly sad. People who go about looking doleful,
mutely appealing for sympathy, do not get
much They deserve little. Their grief is a
comfort to them. One can look serious and
yet be cheerful.
You could not help seeing that David had
experienced sorrow. Any one with a heart
heart as we'll a seeing eye-but he did
not thrust his woes upon you. David does
not earn a great deal of money, as you
might know, and it has taken him many
months to save enough to go to England
with. He has always wished TO go back and
see his older sisters there, but never
| thought 1t possible until l set forth to him
| one day, the glories of a second-class ticket
! He began saving then, and had more than
| $500 laid by, when-what do you think this
| man did? He heard of friends child JUS
| the age of his own dead boy who had
spinal curvature and no money. David took
| the boy to a doctor, paid for his examina
ton, brace and a few months treatment
! When l asked him, not long ago, about his
trip and when he should start, he said he
had given it up for awhile. He tried not te
| tell. but just made him.
| Now is he not a saint? And what do yoJ
| suppose l said? To be strictly truthful,
did not say anything for awhile You haC
/ better not try to talk when you feel like
! crying. But / thought And then 1 did som'
| more thinking, and all at once l began t
| see several things. L remembered that
| had money, and leisure,-and / am afraid
| l hinted-pretty stronghold not act quite
! fifty-or very dgnified-and David? We q
| to England next week.
| MAY w. DORMAN.