The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-04-04
THE ROANOKE TIMES. SATURDAY, APRIL 4, 1896.

A.sAeo Va s..e NC-Al1cS.non'S QUAR-
Ter In Southwark, where it stopped i'm
front of n tumble down cottage. Poverty
anu want stared ut them from every nook
ana corner rs tho master of the house and
MS young companion entered a small but
tioy ana scrupulously clean room. a
group vi children Of u pronounced blond
'yPo hau hardly recognized their father
winch ehey ran up to him and pitifullv
begged for bread Her eyes red and swoi.
lon from crying, her body emaciatrd from
want ana sickness, tho mother painfully
triou 20 rise from her work as soon ns she
peheiu tho aristocratic looking stranger.
hlueu by nor 11-year- old daughter Mary
ine young man was shocked when no
penoiu tnls scene of what appeared to DO
uninerl.eu put great misery. But when
MS sympathetic and astonlshed gaze, full
OF pity, had fastened itself upon the face
and figure OF the beautiful blue eyed, slen-
der blond girl, he gave start of genuine
surprise. Full Of generous impulse and
quickly resolved, he grabbed the laborer
by the hand, exolaiming:
"Cheer up. I shall he back in an hour"
he explained and went before tho family
had time to recover from their astonish-
ment over the unexpected visitor.
All the father was able to do In reply to
the many questions of his wife and chill
dren was to console and cheer thom In
half hearted manner. The poor mans suf-
ferings had made him skeptical; he had
lost faith in himself and in Others, almost
also in God. But he said nothing about
the strange meeting that had prevented
their contamination.
Suddenly the door opened once more to
admit the man who was uppernost in
their thoughts. Behind him appeared two
servants carrying baskets filled with choice
eatables and sundry bottles, which they
deposited upon tho table and ut once with
drew.
The young man walked up to the aston
tshed and speechless laborer, saying in
tremulous tones:
My friend, tonight you have saved my
life. Lot mo offer you and yours small
token of my gratitude. Do mo tho honor
to accept what I brought you; also this
sum OF money. And now, cheer up, for
you will have no more worries If I can
help it."
All shed tears of joy. Again and again
they showered blessings and expressions Of
their overwhelming gratitude upon their
noble benefactor, but when Mary up
preached him to kiss his hand for saving
the mother, whose lifo was fast ebbing
away from sheer want and ailment, he
drew back saying:
"My friend, have more to tell you.
My name is John Graham, and, as have
already informed you, 1 have inherited
great wealth. But 1 have no peaceful
home; my life Is not a regulated one.
When On hour ago left you, won't to
the next police station to find out oil 1
could about you; also to your former en-
ployer, and to the clergyman of this dis
trict. l have heard nothing but good spo-
ken OF you, especially so and in the highest
degree Of your daughter Mary, for whom
should like to care exclusively, IL you
will let me'
These gracious words were followed by
silence, unbrokcn but for the sobbing of
Mary's mother, who finally remarked,
with suppressed tears choking her utter
ance, that Mary was her sole dependence
for the household work; that she alone
cared for the little ones when their father
was away at his work, and she, the
mother, sick In her bed; that Mary had
never worked away from home and was
hardly IN flt condition to be EMPLOYED
elsewhere.
Employment A positionp My dear
madam, You have altogether misconatruod
my meaning. Nothing is further removed
from my thoughts than a desire to see
your daughter work for others. want
her FOR my own, for my wife! I could not
pay the debt Of gratitude which owe the
family OF tho man who preserved my life
more appropriately than to hcnceforth
Keep want and distress from their home
And, on the other hand, what better COM
pensation could 1 ask in return than the
permission that would give mo tho right
to do so by making your beautiful daughter
my wife, providing she shares my lovo and
Is willing to make me the happicst OF
men?''
OF course there was no objection, and
few weeks lator tho marriage took place
Two mon, tired of life, were fatcd to be-
come tho preservers Of two families, who
henceforth led n happy and useful exist
ence.
The young couple founded an asylum
for poor laborors. If you, fair reader. ever
go TO London, and, while "doing' the
town, should have q chance to visit this
institution, over tho main entrance to
which is the motto, Never Despair" you
will surely have no difficulty to recognize
the gray haired superintendent as one of
the heroes of this true tale, tho old laboror,
and by his side his now fully recuperatod
wife, trying to do oil tho good in their
power to those in need.-From tho French.
Flint Working.