The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-05-06
sAvED m mrs WHY'S SPIRIT.
she Prevented Film From Committing ssscses
and Then He Became wealthy.

Tho man who was speaking was IN y own
town business ONCE. talking with three 90
quain,anccs whom no had mot by appoint
ment. coming from tho West " do 80
lie had tho hallmark Of q prosperous man.
but around tho eyes were the broken nh's
where sometimes mental trouble had done
It's work npt left ia signature. that oil miRh'
See who was the maker Of the etching
Il went over 70 Brooklyn to-day. continued
the man: Il haven't been there In many years
Thcn he became silent and his friends waited
Again he talked.
Perhaps you will care TO hear a story VI
a man who has had a strange experience. ~hose
life was saved by the most undeclpheraD'e
miracle Do ssible.
Il came 10 New York. he began, about
twenty years ago. after having seen my Ola
father ruined by a ~sooundrel. ana al pos-
sessed dumped into the financial hoie ina.
held all my family worldly POSSESSIONS 1
had no idea what TO do until q wealthy Npe-
founder who had been helped In his s'russhhs
DAYS by my father came forward ana mace
| an offer TO help me. 30 that. he sald, hilSh'
help my father. He proposed mat l LET NH
set me up in business In New YORK, ~here
| he said | could easily clear $4,000 a year run
ming a printing Office. he would furnish al
the pc. cases, and necessary STOCK, ana 1
could pay him o per cent. on the Investment
and pay up for the plant as fast a. ! coWd'
was doubtful Of the chance that a perIect
| stranger in so big n city would STAND win
those composing rooms already establshed'
but he braced me up by saying that ABOUT
all the printers and magazine publishers, az
well as the trade journal men were In his power
as he had mortgages on their stock. ana tha'
he could throw enough business into my names
10 keep me going I'LL | got well estaoilsheu'
80 | moved my family TO Brooklyn, althoheh
there we're only two Of us TO come, My wife
was a Down East girl. who had always been
one of those mothers girls; | guess she loved
mo as well as any wife ever did, but she ioVeo
her mother. who was Il saint, with an affection
| ius, as tender ii II was different. SO wheh
we were estai lishcd in our new home, She
must have suffered acutcly from loneliness
and .trancencss. but she never let noe know II.
4 ran that composing room four years
| and if 60 TO he'll when | die l ought in COM
mon Justice 10 have four years taken on my
sentence. for | was in hell every minute OF
the time had the plant all going, a good
| foroman. n fun force of compositors, the latest
and best type. cuts. rules and
all | lacked TO get that ten thousand a year
wa- n contract. | asked the type-founders
advice as to where | should get jobs. He told
mo 10 look for work. Go out and walk the
CITY over and fnd work. said my capitalist,
"A man cant get business IN tins city sitting
IN his Office waiting for somebody 10 hunt
him IN SO walked the city over, and at
last got a contract for IA clothing catalogue
but had to have some one be responsible
for the fni>hing Of the work on time asked
my heNefQCtor, the type~founder. to secure
me in this matter. | went down TO his office
and waited n couple of hours TO see, him.
! Itold him how, J wns placed and asked his aid.
lie turned suddenly round IN MS ONCE chair'
LOOK here. You haven't been irving 70 get
work from Riderich. have y1rni That wont
composing rooms, and that finn buys all their
type Of me. | cant have YOU rylng TO get
Job anywhere that, will interfere with work
done BY firms who buy their stun OF me. I
couldr'' sell a stlCktul of type 10. one OF my
customers if you did for they all know I am
backing You, and would throw me down for
Il knew he sold more printers supplies in
the city than every other founder and l saw
my, downfall but did not throw up NE job then
went on. getting some carriage circulars,
a few publications, O little work from new con.
Germs ard some overflow work from one OF
along. ono Of the most miserable men in this
great city. ! couldn't pay anything toward
nv plant q. even the interest. My wife never
Jaw a new drese. or coat or hat, often had
10 borrow the price Of a ride over to my home,
poyn East my poor old iather ana mother
died and were spared the knowledge Of my
take my breakfast in New York 40 that she
might not have t? ri,e so early; never had
q breakfast those last months. ate my lunch
al tho. cheapest place in Pearl street and told
nv wife 20 have only supper at night as ate
a hearty dinner ut the noon hour.
zone day my heneiactor sent for me. He
said | was making a complete failure Of bust
ness; lie reckoned ! hadn't any push; he named
over dozens Of composing rooms that had
/ A,lAa fkair nuvnnvE wealthy and nm GLAD
10 think many of,hem failed later on and nirred
the old man out Of some thousands IN their
the thing any longer, and the sooner ! closed
out the better, I begged that man 70 give
me six months more chance. Finally he said
over it. But three weeks later. when | went
TO my Office, | found there a force Of men TAX:
ing out the furnishings. type cases. stock and
old mans ordered this place closed up, and
the stock and furnishings taken out ,
silence; when they had closed the place ! went
out and wandered around ill lifetime ! usually
ven, hone VT 9oI ] co. ,2s Of Gro1 The SoC car there here
ripce of u doctor 7 knew what j, meant.
NY wife died the ,neXt day hut one. The
baby lived ! never looked at IT. and believe
mother took my wife Fast TO bury her at the
old home, she took the baby, too resolved
and T forlmhy viii nT, eli ' thinking. ASH mst Chris stan
mother had taught ma. that a suicide is de-
barred from Immortality; but that fact did not
deter mo. MY plans were made. would
Jump from a ferry boat and soon be- beyond
further agony. A went on the boat I swear
! saw my wife lust in advance. Of me. She
turned her face towards. me and smiled. and
] followed her and stood beside her. | did not
speak to her. for / seemed weak and dumb.
We l'ft the boat and ] followed her on and on
tnl We came to a railroad station. Every once
IN a while she would turn her face 10 mo. for
She was always in advance. and the tenderness
and pity Of II were unspeakably manifest. ] fol-
lowed her onto n train, When | saw my wife
q tritle in advance, We were in a country vii
lGce. there was one long street and short
streets crossing II AT irregular intervals.
followed my wife down one Of these cross
streets, which ended In n lane. nj the terminus
Of which wac n barred gate opening into n green
meadow. across which | could see climpses OF
n river. We We're soon there by Its border.
sorrow and repTOach, and then with n quick.
strong leap. she cast herself into the stream. ]
plunged in after her. calling wildly. ts |
struck the water | AZ first sank, unable 10 swim
from weakness, All NJ once life seemed val
liable 10 me; J struggled desperately, and
fought for my life ] somehow reached the bank,
and the last ! remember was Of sinking. sprawl
Here Is n great green field and q running river"
such as she loneed for in that Close. troublous,
oppressive house she called home during those
dreadful wears.
Il came 10 my senses in n hospital four weeks
Inter. j WIS in this hospital that met the
man who. when We both left the institution.
offered 10 take me West with hin and give me
pered. When ! cam East this time nv daugh-
ter wanted 10 come. as she said M saa flo