The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1894-05-09
THE HAPPY HAN,
The Story Of Man Who Labors and Il
Satisfied.

For half century / have labored
constantly, industriously and consci-
entiously. Think of this Fifty long
years spent in unremitting labor, with
little or no rest. With little or no
recreation,- in the generally under
stood meaning of the word recreation.
I am now sixty-one years Of age and
the roof Of the house which protects
me from the rays of the sun and the
beat of the rain drops and the chills
of the winter blasts is not mine, but
the property Of another man. I COM
menced life on the lowest round and
though have struggled hard with all
the strength Of naturally strong body
my efforts have not raised me higher
than the mediocre. And all this I
know. My station in life will be no
| higher even until the grave shall claim
me as it's own. And with the knowl-
edge of my ever lowly position in the
affairs of man lam happy and forsooth
must be contented.
I have not been lacking in ambi-
tion, for I have ever longed for more
! elevated, more lucrative and less ar
duous occupation. But these desires
have not been hinderances in the
faithful performance Of every duty
| which has been placed upon me. l
do not mean to say that l have not
made mistakes in my business that
| errors have not been laid at my door.
1 have made many, and l challenge
the man without fault to condemn
me. But the mistakes in my life
have not been those Of vitally seri-
GUS kind and have not kept me from
advancement. They have been those
which are made by men in similar
positions the world over. In fact,
they have had nothing to do with my
inability to become somebody and to
possess myself of some of the good
things Of CHS life. But let me give
an outline of my life and tell you why
I am not discontented nor dishearten-
ed:
Ny parents were lowly folk, my
father being a day laborer and my
mother doing the work about home.
There were six Of us, FIVE girls and
myself. As is the common lot Of
children in this stage Of life, consid-
erable portion Of the care and atten..
tion of the younger children devolved
upon my shoulders. From seven years
of age until eleven had the oppor-
tunity Of attending school. At this
period my father died, leaving my
mother destitute of means and little
able to provide for a family, the
youngest Of whom was three and the
Oldest eleven, and thus I was forced
out on the world to struggle in the
battle for bread. Those were two
weak little hands that were held up to
defend that family of FIVE sisters and |
mother, but what they lacked in
strength they possessed in purpose.
I fortunately was of healthy and
strong constitution and for my years
was well advanced. Ambition had
entered into my mind from the first
days of my schoolhood and l accepted
the opportunities that were offered
me. So that, when I entered into
business I was fairly we'll acquainted
with the rudimentary branches OF
education. I found employment in a
large establishment in which there
were some sixty or seventy persons
employed in the different departments.
Of course, my beginning was from the
bottom and I started out with heavy
responsibilities thoroughly conscious
of their weight and magnitude.
Though I say it myself, I bore up
bravely under them. When the clock
struck the hour calling us to work |
was always there. Days rolled into
weeks and weeks into months and
months into years and I labored as
had started out, steadily, conscienti-
ously and dutifully. My wages were
small from the beginning but gradu-
ally grew in proportion as my useful
ness developed at my place of en-
ployment. The cares and require
ments of my sisters grew little more
than proportionately with my capacity
for earning, and thus each promotion
which received developed some new
want of my loving sisters. They were
devotedly attached to me and made
our little home bower of happiness.
The weeks when I anticipated having
few dollars to lay aside l found that
Agnes needed new bonnet, or Ethel
pair Of shoes or Marie new waist,
Lilly Emma and Hattie some other
necessary article which I could not
refuse, when, with blushing cheeks
and difident pleadings they asked me
for them. And so my life went on,
days, months and years passed. :! had
reached the age of Is and had not
saved dollar. I managed to keep
clear of debt but with my head barely
above water.
A sad affection then fell upon US.
Mother died. Those gentle hands no
longer did the duty which they had
long performed and the guiding spirit
Of ( our mutual lives passed gently
away. How we'll I remember the day
that we laid her to rest. How still
the house seemed. How sad the ap-
pearance Of everything in it. The
little bird which belonged to my
youngest sister sang not on that day.
Our grief was not spoken, our hearts
were crushed. A deep silence per-
vaded everything. The old door to
my room which always seemed to
break into cry Of joy as opened it
made no noise that day. The soul of
our household had vanished. Our
friends and her friends gathered to
witness the last sad rites. How
calmly she lay in that little room.
What contrast between our throb-
bing, lacerated and wounded hearts
and that placid sweet smile which
seemed to overspread her dead coun-
tenance. I did not realize then that
she was dead nor do | yet. There
was no sadness in that face, and why
should there have been. Had she not
performed every maternal duty, every
motherly care. No other hand but
hers could perform those little acts
| which we felt but which we did not
see, which we knew were done, but
| ,o,o, ,,u Jo;cr 1;fa IN ber was not