The age-herald., 1900-10-21

Sicily. He had black hair and an olive skin and soft lustrous black eyes, now somewhat dlmmed by excess. He was Greek. and as a boy was beautiful As he wandered over the hills and dales where burning Sappho lived and sung." those liquid eyes which seemed made to see only the good, the true and the beautiful, saw only the commonplace, the vulgar and the vicious. He had never heard of Sappho' Thermepylae or anything pertaining to his country or it's history. He was just an idle and lazy young Greek, with the face of a god and the soul of a peasant.
 One day he wandered down to the sea- Here for the first time he beheld the glorl- ous ocean of blue waters stretching far out until it mingled with the blue of the sky. Here he saw the ships. the sailing vessels and the sailors; heard the crackle of the pulleys, the mingled shouts and sounds on the quay, and was delighted. 'I will be sailor" he thought, and making his way towards a sailing vessel whose appearance pleased him, he sought out the captain, and was taken aboard as a sailor. From that time on his restless soul found peace as the little vessel glided over the waves, going from port to port, trading in fish, fruit, oils and any cargo to be obtained. He liked the life on this tramp schooner, and his home in the hills saw him no more.
 How or why he came to America was never exactly known. Whether he saw the light from the Statue of Liberty, or saw the darkness of an eastern dungeon, is uncer- tain; suffice it that he landed one summer day at Castle Garden, in New York, with ten cents in his pocket and placard hang ing from his neck on which was printed the name and address of Greek in Mas street, to whom he was "consigned. He wandered up Broadway, star-gazng at the lofty buildings, not knowing word of English and hoping that some good Samar- itan would guide him to Nassau street Good Samaritans do not frequent New Yorks streets, and no one paid any atten- ton to him. Finally he took off the placard from his neck, and stopping man on the street held it out to him. The man thought he was a beggar, and hurried off. Doubt less Joe-for this was his name-looked like a beggar, for every one to whom he held out his label quickly passed by without reading it. At last he found policeman, who, hoping for a chance to run him in, deigned to read his placard, and, disap- pointed that it was not a beggar's card, condescendingly waved his baton in the di- rection of Nassau street, and told him to move on. Joe moved on until he reached the Third Avenue Elevated.
 This wonderful structure attracted his otpbo tha traf in ing by and his rowing instincts being aroused, he climbed the narrow staircase with the agility of sailor and boarded train, indicating to the conductor to put him off at Nassau street. Doubtless the conductor did not understand him, for he was not put off until the train reached the terminus many miles from Nassau street. Joe had five cents left, however so he got on a down town car and rode until hc reached the battery. Here he was put off again, as far as ever as to the possibility of finding it, from Nassau street.
 By dint of continually looking at his placard the appearance of the word Nassau became impressed on his mind, and after wandering for hours around the city he finally recognized the name on lamp post. He was on Nassau street at last, but in which direction to steer to reach his friend he did not know. But all things come to him who waits, and instead of Joe going to crowded sidewalk they literally ran into each others arms, and Joe was saved.
 
 Joes friend, who was also a Creek was as matter of course a fruit dealer What In, l,i when he comes to America hese eoes in search of the fruits of the land. Joe who had been a sailor-and probably poor one-knew nothing about fruit. He knew much of anything However, there he was, with every indication of staying, as his friend put him to work polishing apples All day long he rubbed the rosy cheeks of the apples with dirty rag. Even this he did badly On his ship they had never rubbed anything with an idea of cleaning it. and the expenditure of so much work on apples seemed to Joe a waste of energy. At the end of month his friend explained that business was dull, took him down to the wharf, and, wishing to send him as far away as possible, put him on a ship bound for Charleston, gave him his ticket and fifty cents in cash The ship sailed away, and Joe's friend feryently breathed prayer that it might go to the bottom.
 Joe landed in Charleston with his fifty cents and a smattering of English he had picked up in New York. He had no bag gage; he had on all the clothes he pos sessed. His fifty cents he spent for nights lodging, and on the morrow he faced the world a beggar, but not an ab- sent-minded one. A Greeks wits are nim- ble. and in some way Joe got push cart and began to peddle peanuts and apples about the streets It is long lane that has no turning. and Joe's luck began to improve. He soon ceased to push cart, and established himself as sole proprietor of a stationary fruit stand on a corner, Here in little booth Joe sat day and night He had no home or any place to go. For weeks he never changed his clothes nor took a bath. and as of old. he polished his