The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1900-01-11
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
AND ELSEWHERE

| ~C@Af
rain fell, and the frozen earth has melted.
| It is of much interest, this change from
disagreeaible cold to disagreeable warmth.
| One wonders whence came the transfor-
/ nation This wondering is vain; however
much The official weather reporter tells US
about the rising and falling barometer. In
tine night before the yesternight the haff-
| crbed moon, inverted, rode in silvern
splendor in sky that was without clouds!
The scene in the upper deep was of sur
| passing splendor. But last night the shad-
ows fell The dull gray after-rain clouds
hid the inconstant moon. There was
| peace that was not peace. Falls, the jes-
tiers of the great, may form their own
company, hat here in the valley are pres
ent men and woman to whom all suffeing
appeals.
Something of national interest attaches
| te the report of the visit of Mrs. Benjamin
Meyer, of Birmingham. to her daughter at
| Monticello Seminary, near ST. Louis, on
the Illinois side of the Mississippi river.
| The young Miss Marian Meyer, daughter
of Mr.. and Mrs. Benjamin Meyer. Is at
| school at Monticello. Her little ladyship
| Is a very gifted girl, and eminently wor-
| thy of the honors that have come to her
She and the daughter of William Jennings
| Bryan, the young Miss Ruth Bryan, are
very close one to the other, at Monticello.
Miss Bryans mother invited, in proper
form, Miss Meyer to spend the Christmas
and New Year holidays with the BRYAN
family in Texas; but Miss Meyer was ,m-
able to accept the kind invitation. The
beautiful Miss Marian Meyer, of Birming-
ham and the beautiful Miss Ruth Bryan,
| OF Nebraska, are chums. Miss Bryan's
| mother was educated at the Monticello
| college Miss Meyer bore with her to the
seminary words of greeting from the Sis
| ter Marie Patrjce, of the convent of o.
| retto, of Kentuck, known to the world as
MISS Annie O'Bren, daughter of the s,her-
III on Jefferson county, and Mrs. Frank p
oBrien Miss Meyer was greatly disap-
| pointed that she was unable to Join Miss
bryan IN Texas in order to spend the holi-
| Gays OUT she remained al Monticello to
| spend the glad days with her mother. a
most charming Birmingham woman. 1t
Will De news, to use a commonplace phrase,
| TO the world that William Jennings Bryan
mas a daughter old enough to be a stu
| dent at college. Ut is of more than ordi-
| nary interest that The fair young Ruth is
| The college chum of the fair young Marian
| of Birmingham
Inc world is moved by sentiment whether
| inspired of high or low degree DR.. w. TT
| Blake, the states medical inspector of con-
| victs, relates the story of lovers that will
| appeal to all men and all women A con-
Wet was ''sent up to Pratt mines for ten
| years on the charge of Staying a fellow
| mortal In his case it was not "a life for
| ife,' but merely a conviction that pro-
| yided that he should do hard labor. The
| mans conduct in prison was without fault.
| was above censure, and he was entitled TO
| the statutory reduction of his sentence as 10
| time. Whilst he was serving as a convict
| woman came to love him. Some philoso-
| phical cynic once wrote that man never
| falls SO low that some woman or some dog
| will not love him. Noble tribute to wo-
| mans faith This convict at Pratt worked
| overtime, and when he was released the
| other day he had 5000 in money to his
credit. He married the woman who had
| been true to him through the troublous
| years
| Good-hearted, gifted DR.. Blake tells the
| story in pathetic words that no attempt is
/ Uldu6 mere 10 IepTOuuCe, anu ne recalls the
| record of a convict womans noble fidelity.
| This woman was sentenced to the peniten-
| tiary for life for murder of her husband in
| Conecuh county After she had served sew
| enteen years it was discovered that she was
| innocent and Governor Jones pardoned her.
| Whilst she was a convict the woman be-
| came attached to a man convict who had
| been sentenced for life for the murder of a
| peddler in Marengo county. After the wo-
| man, one Rachel by name-and one is
| forced to recall from Holy Writ that Jacob
served seven years for Rachel, and then
| seven years more-set herself to the task
| of securing the pardon of the man of her
| affections. She toiled for him, was a slave
for him, after ne had been a convict for
twenty-four years. She did the washing for
| four or five families ait Wetumpka and
| raised bale or two of cotton every year.
| She stinted herself, and every dollar she
| could save she paid to a Montgomery law
| yer to intercede with Governor Johnston A
| Birmingham man Joined the faithful black
| woman in her pleading to the governor;
| but the governor held to stern sense of
| duty in the matter. What his final decision
| was cannot here be stated. But the story
| of DR.. Blake-he is as tender-hearted as a
| child and brave as caesar-together with
| that of the pardoned woman furnish both
| something of the romance of convict life.
! Governor Jones, pathetically tender-heart-S
| ed, wept many a time when his sense of
| duty forbade him to issue pardon. In the
| storm and peril of battle Thomas Goode
| Jones was never affrighted women and
| children always moved him to unspeakabIe
tenderness. His sense of duty as governor
| and his own heart had many a battle
| whilst he was governor.
| Col Jack H. Crawford of Jasper, is at
| the Norris. He is accompanied by his lit
| tie son, Master Frank Ellis Crawford, and
| that boy fills the Morris lobby with SUM-
shine. He is wonderfully bright, and full
| of light, laughter and life. Altogether he
| is a wonderful boy. that little lad from
| Walker county.