Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1895-02-16

MOhl ALL
of shoestrings which glistened gor-
geously in the sunlight and n little
American flag futtered from the end
of the cane.
Hank told us something about his
wanderings since he was in town last.
He had drifted to California, where he
labored in the mines for some time;
then to Texas, where he led the life of
a cowboy, until broken collar bone
would not admit of his riding n mus
tang for some time; then to the United
States army, where he did service as
corporal fighting the wary red man,
and running his health in the cactus
brush and on the parched plains, and
finally back to his old home, covered
with scars and selling shoestrings.
One could but admire Hank. He was
such CHEEKY fellow, never down on
his luck, and always ready to laugh
when the occasion seemed to warrant
more tears than laughter.
For some months Hank sold his shoe
strings on our busy streets, and his
pathetic figure, which strove to stand
erect and look neat in its seedy suit of
blue, soon became familiar.
Hank loved to attend the reunions of
the grand army posts. and whenever
one of these organizations went to the
little pine grove near the lake, in the
suburbs of the city, his SNUG figure
could be seen, seated in an obscure
place, where he could admire the gen.
eral when his old commander rose be-
fore background of stars and stripes
and told OF the regiments bravery.
And Hank would rap his empty glass
on the table and cry, weakly: "HurrAh-
hic-hurrah! Bully for you, general"
One day Hank came to us. His
usually cheerful face was gloomy, and
there was click in his throat when he
spoke. Boys" said he, you've been
kind to me, an | wanter further i'm
pose on your good nature. win you
come up to my house for a few min
utes. wanter show you something"
OF course we went with him. He
took us to little, tumble-down frame
building in an alley where the unfor-
tunate and depraved of the town re-
sided. We followed him up creakipg
stairway and into room which, de-
spite the poor furnishings, was neat
and cozy. AS we took the seats Hank
proffered us, we could hear the songs
and curses of number of carousers in
little rumshop across the alley.
Now, boys" said Hank, "lools round
you"
4, We looked, and on lounge saw a
little boy. The child was paralyzed,
and from his lack-lustre eyes the light
of intelligence was zone
Boys" said Hank, seating himself
beside the shattered little mortal, my
furlough at the soldiers } ONE in Maine
is up, an I've got to start back to-mor-
row. You see this little 'un?" And
over the face of the child. Hes
Amelia's. You start, boys. But itso SO
hes Amelia's, sure enough"
And then we remembered that the
well-to-do merchant who married
Hanks love had failed several years
before and committed suicide. Amelia
had left the city with her infant child,
and was heard of no more.
"Well, boys" said Hank, after musing
few moments, II was at the home
when Amelia was dying in little viii
lage She had consumption, an it took
her off quick. Somehow she got wind
that was up ia the Maine home; SO
she wrote me an told me she was poor
an dying, an that her boy-she had
named him Henry, after me-was a
parlyzed little shaver, m that he
would be sent to the. county house or an
orphan asylum after she was dead. AS
soon us got the letter | sat down an
wrote Amelia. 1t was hard Job, but
wrote her letter-an' guess she
could read 1t. They told me she died
awful easy when she heard from me-
5ust like Jim Ruth, who lay in my arms