West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1894-03-22

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Tom was OF Jealous disposition an,
began TO be very bitter against jim
when he found he was after hi
girl. So he used his mean influence
down at the factory and Jim wa
thrown out OF work without any rea
son. Soon after that he had his for
tune left him, and just about tina
time GaSpers got i'm difficulties ant
they had to shut down the factory tn
very week after Tom had married
Moody hadn't saved any money TO
a rainy day, and as a CONSEQUENCE,
he and his new bride were face to fac
with poverty and starvation. Yes
and how dye think Jim Meadows 60
In his revenge on Tom for the meaI
trick he had played on himy He jus
rented a cosy little house, put $50
worth OF furniture in il, and pre-
sented it with a years rent recent. Z,
Mr.. and Mrs. Moody as "a gift from
an old friend.- That's the sort OF mar
Jim Meadows was.
He never dressed stylishly or ever
extensively himself. The plainesr
Kind OF clothes were good enough To-
him. II he was ever told that hi
coat looked shabby he would Quietl,
say, well, L can't afford a new on,
this month, but he would very likel,
buy q new suit that very day for some
poor devil or another who needed
clothing badly. He was frugal in hi.
eating, but nothing was too good FOL
any invalid In whom he took an inter
est.
"Jim used to go to the police cour,
nearly every morning, not out of q
morbid curiosity, but just to see what
good he could do the poor wretches
who often find their way there. MANY
a fine he has paid out of his own
pocket TO set prisoner free, but he
never showed any sympathy for real
criminal unless there seemed to be ev-
idence of q desire to reform. He had
kindly word for all, but his was not
mere verbal sympathy, his practical
charity went hand In hand with his
cheering disposition.
''One night he saved a young girl
from suicide. She was one of the
class that so-called honest folks turn
up their noses at, but nobody was too
low for Jim to lift up il he could do it,.
That girl was tired OF her life of
shame and wanted to end 1t i'm the
river, and she would have succeeded IL
Jim had not happened by at the time
and rescued her. She was brought up
at the police court after leaving the
charge and placed her i'm charge OF a
laundry which he had started for just
such poor creatures as she. She has
led a good life ever since and owns
that laundry now herself, but she has
never worn anything except black since
Jim Meadows died, and she says she
never will.
''Once he was told of a Door but
proud family, who were living I'm a
somewhat fashionable locality. They
had suffered severe reverses and, al
though brought up i'm a luxurious way,
were now living on almost bread
alone. The head OF the house was
dead; the eldest son had been the sole
support OF his mother and three sis
tiers since their loss of property, but
for the past six weeks he also had been
incapacitated for work by illness.
Though desperately poor and on the
verge OF starvation, these people, 1t
was known, were too dignified and
proud to accept charity, so what does
Jim do but take a few directories to
the house and beg the three young la
dies TO copy the names and addresses
for him at $40 a week each. He
claimed that he was in hurry for the
work, but he kept them at IL nearly
six weeks, and it is said that when
their labors were completed Jim just
piled the manuscripts away In an old
tool chest, where they were found
years afterwards all widowed and
useless. That's the sort of man Jim
Meadows was.
''How did he die? Well now, it does
seem a shame that fellow like Jim
ever should die, but the fact is his big
fortune dwindled away by reason of
his prodigal generosity, and in eight
years every cent was gone. Jim was
much occupied in providing for others
that he had forgotten to provide for
himself. He never looked after his
financial affairs, but just kept draw
ing money out as he needed IL and Civ
ing 1t away right and left. So In The
end OF course the crash came, and Jim
was as poor as ever. He went to work
at his old trade, but the thought that
he could no longer benefit his fellow
man as he used to, preyed upon his
mind He could not bear to look up
on suffering and be unable to relieve
it, and so, in the course of a very few
months, the worry broke down his
health, and after brief spell he died,
and his last act was to win all his lit
tie personal effects to the poor cobbler
who had attended on him in his final
days.
"a funerall Gosh, such one as that
was! There were more real mOurners
followed Jim to the grave, more tear
stained faces and sorrowing hearts in
that sad procession than ever attend
ed any funeral OF king, statesman or
philosopher. There wasn't a spark of
I'm Jim's whole nature. All
he thought about was helping others,
and the grief-strlcken crowds that
stood around in that cemetery and
sobbed aloud in their anguish
when that coffin was lowered into the
grave, had experienced his generosity
themselves. The city put a monu-
ment over his head, but bahi what's a
piece of cold marble amount to? His
name Is engraved indelibly In the
hearts Of thousands, and they will
hardly ever tire OF telling their chill
dren and grandchildren in coming
years the sort Of man Jim Meadows
was.D
JoHw S. GREY.