The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1896-03-31
eur family Story.
NEVER DESPAIR

rafnc OF III enulSsS etredno homoni'3,
constantly passing TO and fro In their
daily pursuits, of innumerable tales of
woe, OF lives lost, misspent and forlorn,
OF tragedies, occurring only to be at
once forgotten and followed by more
startling crimes, the inevitable result
and outcome OF everyday life in the
English metropolis-the seat of untold
wealth and of untold misery-that un-
rolls before us the depths OF human
nature, only too often in their most
revolving form?
1t was a dark and foggy evening.
The hour when the tired toilers seek
the comfort of their Preside when
everybody goes to his home-provided
he has q home-had come and gone.
Suddenly two pedestrians approach
ing from opposite directions came TO q
sudden and rather unpleasant collision
on the bridge. One Of them, young
and dressed In the height Of fashion,
had come from the aristocratic regions
of the West End, while the other, who
had approached from the laboring dis
tricts of Southwark, was much older
and was poorly clad. Their heads had
cit the effects of the sudden contact,
and both had come to q full stop, each
feeling the injured member with his
hands and nursing 1t, while the com-
pliments they exchanged were any
thing but polite.
"Thunder and lightning, sir" ex-
claimed the younger OF the two, your
Uranium is not exactly bolstered up
with springs, assure you. BOUNDS !
Why could you not get out of my way,
when you saw me approach !"
The other, evidently a laborer,
shrugged his shoulders and threw a
longing look across the railing to the
dark waters OF the Thames below.
{" Where we're you going post haste ?
continued the first speaker, noticing
the mans detected attitude.
There came the hoarse answer,
pointing down to the river.
There? Well, my a u road is
the ame Take me with you !"
The poor laborer cast a surprised
look al the well-dressed young man.
"You 2" he said. "You to go down
sherep impossible What has put
such a dreadful thought into your
head? You are surely not suffering
from want you cannot possibly know
h sorrow and the misery that Is the
poor mans portion You look like u
rich man, you have youth besides
consequently you are happy and to be
envied %
Wrong, my friend, altogether
WIobs' VSdltu 10 uOU always dhLu W
( happiness" responded the young man.
"Come rouse yourself. can see things
also have gone wrong with you ; walk
with me q short distance and let me
explain"
Strange Here were two persons
who had not even known OF each
others existence five minutes before,
but withal, they felt themselves drawn
toward n another by that 'sympa-
thetic flash which so often influences
" destinies.
P~eaceably and contentedly they
walked side by side, while the rich
man poured his heart out to his poor
companion, telling him with impulsive
words that he led anything but a
happy life, although possessing every
worth living. He was a bachelor who
had inherited great wealth from his
uncle. He had drained the pleasure
cup OF all kinds of amusements had
kept servants, horses and carriages !;
numberless friends had c~ongregated
at his splendidly furnished apartments
n In his country residences; he had
lived like a sybarite and thrown away
his money with both HANDS, and O
he was tired of life, satiated and blase
In spite of his youth. Melancholy,
remorse, and misanthropy troubled
him necessarily, and he could not help
repeating to himself that his life had
been an utterly useless one. There
fore he had finally come to the DELHI
crate conclusion to end his worthless
existence in the water Of the River
Thames.
The laborer was dumbfounded.
Never In his life had he listened to
such q queer tale.
"How incomprehensible ~ he ex-
claimed. My life tells exactly the
opposite story. | am very poor, have
an ailing wife and seven children, and,
alas, no food for them thus far have
honestly and tirelessly tried to make
the two ends meet-in a manner-by
hard work, but a few days ago l lost
my place in the factory on account of
the dull INES. / cannot witness the
misery at home any longer, it tears
my heart to look at my starving loved
ones and though my poor suffering
wife tries hard to console me and to
give me courage, bidding me not to
despair, L see no escape. / have no
hope left and am resolved to put an
end to my miserable existence. May
God In His infinite mercy have ,pity on
my family /"
Poor fellow |" The rich young
mans countenance was full of deep
pity, ard 'unbidden tears gathered in
his eyes. Such a tale he had never
heard, never dreamt of amid the
amuence of his surroundings.
Nov l know that there,are,people in
this world who are a great deal more
unhappy than | considered myself to
be, fool that l was" he reflected.
But cheer up, man, there is help
In q case like yours. Come, lead the
way, take me to your house. | guess
/ a end your troubles, and as far as
the-the-jumping into the Thames is
concerned, l think there IL no specia,
hurry about 1t, do your"
A cab soon brought the two former
candidates for sell destruction to the
dirty narrow lanes of the working
mems quarter in Southwark, where it
stopped in front of a tumble-down
cottage. Poverty. and, want stared at
them from every nook and corner al
the master Of the house and his young
companion entered a small but tidy
and scrupulously clean room. A group
Of children of q pronounced blonde
type had hardly recognized their
father when they ran up to him, and
pitifully begged for bread. Her eyes
red and swollen from crying, her body
emaciated from want and sickness.
the mother painfully tried to rise from
her work, as o o as she beheld the
aristocratic looking stranger, aided
hy hae oayanfaanuaa. ~ -