The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1897-08-22
nPEACE, GOOD WILL TO MEN,
Vengeance Was What the Editor
Longed For
AND 1T CAME UNEXPECTED
Twas Sweet, However, and Proved an Old
Adage, "Als Well That Ends WeII'
The Editors Narrative.

II want a job on your paper" said a
lean, lank, hungry looking young man.
rather verdant in appearance, to the
managing editor. as the latter was por-
Ing over the metropolitan daili.s at his
busiest hour one May morning in town
in q neighboring state.
Don't need anyone" said ths editor,
in a bIusque, off, hand manner, without
looking up.
Well, l need work and must have it
and l want You to BE- kind enough to give
me trial.
Come tomorrow" sald the editor
Thank you, sir, and good day" re-
piled the lad as ne ander for;h iEto
the atmosphere which was inviting to the
homeless wanderer.
The next day a.. the Same hour the lad
again appeared at the office and with n
marked manner. betoxening good breed
ing, addressed ths editor well. Sir. I
am here and would like to go to work
my dear SIR" the editor replied. II
really do not need any one at this time,
and cannot plao- you.'
Mr.. Editor, were you ever hungry?"
asked the persistent young fellow.
The editor started with movement
which betoR; ned more than one would
imagine, and turning to ;he youngster,
said in a husky voice, Young man. sit
down and will tell you a story"
With 81 gentle THANK your the al
did as he was .old and the old editor,
who had suddenly been transfo IN d from
a gruff, grum old codger to a g5ntle child,
as, it were, spoke thus:
when 70 years of age I became an or
phan, and was thrown upon the chart y
of thu world. I was forced t. 60 forth
into the world to earn a support for
mother and three young sisters. Work
was a Stranger to me. but a few short
months before my father having been
well TO do. b trayed by relative, his
wealth Was soon wrested from him AMI
he died of a broken heart.
Il was away at school and when call
ed home to the death bed of my father,
1 knsw not what was in store for me.
On arriving home though mere lad, l
WAS confronted with the stra ger,
Want whose gaunt fingers were al
ready striving for a hold on the nsc.1 cf
dear old mother and those CT my little
sisters.
"On learning that it was through The
treachery of a relative shat I was thus
brought from afTluence to poverty, reg
istered an oath that I would win back
tn, fortune lost through trg achery, then
bring the guilty wretch &c justice. The
oath 1 registered was a terrible one and
my poor mother quail7d as she heard IT,
''3e car full my boy. ere you make this
awful resolve. for its fearful meaning
may not a this time be within your COM
prehension" the dear old mother said.
'fdave no fear, mother Minis, 1 replied,
and wi h this hrief conversation 1 baGe
her good night and retired to brood over
the happenings Of the past few months.
81 went to b. q. little dreaming that a
part OF my resolution would come to pass
The next morning, early, in fact before
the dear old mother had risen from her
couch. 1 sailed forth to find the oppSr-
tunity of earning my first dollar. l met
a gray-haired individual who in life had
been a warm friend of my father. He
asked what proposed doing. I told him
1 was in search of a job He told me to
come to his Office, which, by the way, was
a newspaper office. He started me out 70
learn the cases and to set type. l made
good Roadway and in a short time be-
this work and was doing very well earn
ing a few dollars aVweek, all of which
I religiously carried to the mother.
''The life soon became monotonous,
however, and resolved to change my vo-
cation. / secursd employment in a dry
goods store and soon was in a position
to tighten to "a very grea. extent the bur-
dens of the mother. Time wore on. I
~. ~,
fortun5 was not yet in sight.
Zone day the frs. dark cloud in my
new life came. TWAS very dark one. The
mother was dead. Young man l felt as
if I were utterly alone inthe world. But
no, th9re were the girls. They must need
harde protector, and it became my boun-
den duty to assume the responsible po-
sition. 1t was q far more difficult one
than I had ever dreamed of. Nothing
daunted., however. 1 took up my cross
and, with a stout young heart, started
out in my new role.
"All this time the relative who had
betrayed my poor, dead father was
amassing a competency, little caring if
or those dependent upon me had place
TO lay our heads or something to stay
the cravings of hunger. Fortune ia
vored me and prospered. But again an
evil day came and what little had saved
was swept away. / was stranded, but
not DEBATED. My next venture was in
the newspaper business. l got on the
winning side and my fotune was mad-.
The entire union knew of my paper and
my editorials made me famous l pros
pered as no man ever thought news
paper man could.
''This time my fortune staid with mA.
and one day I determined to hunt up the
relative who had so basely wronged me.
The hour for my revenge had come.
went to Silverdale Springs in the far
away Sierras, where my hated relative
was last reported to me as living.
greater bling than I had forestalled me.
and the avengirg Nemesis had laid his
powerful hand upon the man whom 1
had sworn to make grovel at my feet
But few days before 1 arrived at the
springs a frightful sTploslon had oc-