Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-03-06
~ want you to carry it to Benton.
"I won't!" he replied.


Icoaxed. and scolded and reasoned
and brought every consideration
death, eternity, and everything else
to bear, but it seemed of no use. Said l
"Wilson, you will regret it,.
After while he got little soften.
ed, and some tears flowed, and at last
I made him promise rather reluctant.
|ly, that he would deliver the note al
Colonel Benton's door, if he did not dc
any more. He told me afterward that
it was the bitterest pill he ever swal.
lowed. Colonel Benton's house was
not far from mine. Wilson took the
note, and, as he afterward told me
went up with trembling hands, put
the note with his own card into the
hand of the girl that came to the door
and ran away to his lodgings. He
had been scarcely half an hour in his
room, trembling to think what; he had
done, when a note came from Colonel
Benton saying he had received the
card and note, and that Mrs. Benton
and himself would have much pleas
ure in receiving Mr.. Wilson at break
fast at 9 o'clock the next morning
They would wait breakfast for him
and no answer was expected.
"The idea," said he to himself, "that
am to breakfast with Tom Benton
John Wilson, what will people say,
and what shall I say? The thing is
not to be thought of. And yet must
1 have delivered the note and sent my
card. If I don't 60 now, it will be
rude. I wish I had not taken it. II
doesn't seem to me as if I could GO
and sit at the table. I lay awake,
said he, afterward, to me, "that night
thinking of it, and in the morning
felt as man might feel who had had
sentence of death passed upon him
and was called by the turnkey to gel
up for his breakfast. 1 rose, however
made my toilet, and, after hesitating
great deal, went to Colonel Benton's
house. My hands trembled as rang
the door bell. Instead of the servant
the colonel himself came to the door
He took me by both hands and said
Wilson, I am delighted to see you
this is the happiest meeting I have
had for 20 years. Give me your hand
Webster has done the kindest thing he
ever did in bis life.' Leading me di
rectly to the dining room, he presented
me to Mrs. Benton, and we both sal
down to breakfast. After inquiring
about my family, he said, You and 1
Wilson, have been quarreliug on the
stump for 25 years. We have been
calling each other hard names, but
really with no want of mutual respect
or confidence. 1t has been a mere
foolish fight, and let's wipe it out Of
mind. Everything that have said
about you I ask your pardon for.
Both cried little, and asked bis
pardon, and we were good friends.
We talked over old matters, and spent
the morning till 10 o'clock in pleasant
conversation. Nothing was said Of
the letter until I was departing. He
turned to his desk, and said, Il have
prepared some letters for you to my
son-in-law and other friends in Califor-
MIA > and he handed me nine sheets of
foolscap. ,..
"It was not letter, but an ukase-
command to every person to whom
these presents shall come, greeting.
It was to the effect that whoever re.
ceived them must give special atten'
ton to the wants of his particular
friend, Colonel John Wilson, of St.
Louis. Everything was to give way
to that. He put them into my hands
and thanked him and left"
Mr.. Webster continued: "Colonel
Benton afterward came to me, and
said, webster, that was the kindest
thing you ever did. God bless you fol
sending John Wilson to me! That is
one troublesome thing off my mind
That was kind, Webster. Let US gel
those things off our mind as fast as we
can. We have not much longer to
stay; we have got pretty near the
end we want to 60 into the presence
of our Maker with as little enmity in
our hearts as possible.'"