Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1904-01-24

matters which had claims upon me. If
nature had varied her rule in my case
and favored me with four instead of
two hands the Enquirer would have
been larger paper because all l was
and all | had went into it,
Yes. | was an enthusiast-fanatic if
you please
And my wife? Ah. loyal soul. She
battled and suffered with me. She ncv
"i complained Oh her own account even
when we We're reduced to one little
room in the rear of the office and to
subSiStinS upon Srant and uncertnin
fare Sometimes she urged me to Civ
up a fight which she saw would sooner
or later undermine my health, but She
never upbraded me because Of my fail
ure to provide Il better living for my
Wife and child.
| remember one stormy night in De
c"mbcr. 1883. had been at wor.
since early morning. pegging away =.
the case. l was weary. oh, so weary
and | was hungry, too. but the day aft
or tomorrow was press day. and there
were several columns yet to set. The
only light in the room where | worked
WAS supplied by q pair of candles So
In tin holders fastened to the lower
edge of the cap" ease. On the first
of the month the gas company had re-
bills remained unpaid Since then
had been working by candielight at
night The insufficient light made my
work harder, but | couldn't blame the
candles for that, and probably gas
companies know their business. The
blame rested elsewhere. l never spoke
of it and tried not to think of it.
was hanging to my hope by a very
frai! cord The little blaze Of one Of
those candles would have parted that
cord in an instant, and so | kept them
apart. 1t was near midnight when my
wife entered the room.
My dear, it is very late, and you
must be almost worn out" she said.
stop now and go to bed. You will
kill yourself if you continue as you
have been going on for the past three
months How wish you could real
ize What has been clear to me for a
long time. Those for whom you arc
battling care nothing for your sacri-
fees They would allow you to starve
at your post. Give il up. dear
If yoll are going to talk, Lou, must
blow out the candles," said. 81 have
only TIVE besides these that are burn
:u@. and | need them for my work. 1t
buy the white paper and pay for tha
presswork on this issue"
We'll, come into the other rel.
We can open the stove door ANA get
tight enough for talking" sh" :: d.
We sat in our little par'a"=bcdroom
Kitchen and in the faint Glow of a dy-
inc fire talked for more than an hour.
! returned no more to my cases that
night, and ere | laid my head upon my
pillow it had been decided that the
Labor Enquirer won!d give up the
ghost Although the struggle which
"n,led in that decision WAS conpara-
lively short, it WAS fierce while it last
ed, fer it was myself battling With my
self. My wife said little, and that little
was Il plea for my health. physical and
mental. But | WAS thinking all the
tine about my wife and Child and how
had neglected them.
Though nay decision to GUit was re-
versed within twenty-four hours, |
have always felt better because de-
cided on the side of nay little family
when the test was clearly before me.
ABOUT midway of the following iaoln
in% there WAS a rap upon the door Of
or living room. The caller WHS the
Wife of superannuated compo>Ior
who was then living upon little farm
a few miles ont from Denver The
GOOD woman 0God love her; | believe
she= is an angel now; she belongs in
that goodly company handed my wife
a covered basket and, with a few
words of comfort and cheer, took her
departure. The basket contained a
dressed duck, nine eggs and about Il
half peck of potatoes.
Charlie Senper and his Wife We're
poor very poor They mover built 4 Ii
brary nor endowed Il university, hUt
they loved their fellow creatures. aiN!
they believed the Enquirer WAS capat l.
of doing some good fer humanity if is
editor and his family could only hn
kept from starving. Whether or 0ef
they wasted their provisions it is no;
for me 10 say, but if the duck. the eggs
and the potato"S were donated to an
unworthy object that morning 50 We're
the other good things that came te the
office once week thereafter from tllat
f.ttle farm until there WAS no longer
necessity for such help