The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-05-18
AND THEY MEYER KNEW.

a Little Story of Real Life.
The great financier buried his face
! in his hands as great food of bitter
ness crowded his soul. He had locked
the door Of his private office and de-
MED himself to every one all morning,
!. just as years before he had shut the
world and its people from his heart.
\ When but child he had been
branded as bad boy" and other
children were forbidden to play with
him. He had grown up asking him.
self why no one loved him. That he
was bad he had learned as a parrot
would, but the real meaning was too
vague to be understood by his childish
mind.
! At school no one had understood
him. Once, when he was disobedIent,
Ia plan had been conceived to punish
his favorite teacher. He was SO
grieved that he ran away for fear he
might again cause pain or punishment
to the one he loved. No one came and
asked why he did so--he was expelled. |
That to starye, to die, was better
than to live without sympathy, had |
been his early conclusion, for truly |
was he being eaten up with gnawing |
hunger for sympathy and companion
ship.
Once, when he was a young business
man, successful indeed, because he
gave his lHe-his whole energetic |
work, some one started a report that
he was dishonest in deal.
To A.. |
OF world which would not see. He
was tried, and the judge, who, no
doubt, meant to be honest, decided
against him, because circumstances
were not in his favor.
Not one came to say, II know, be-
lieve You are honest" No wonder,
like haunted thing which would fiy
to shelter from the eyes Of the world,
he lived alone in his grief of being
Years after, when 1t was found that
ne was honest, that he had been falsely
accused, no one came to rejoice with
lim-and he cared but little. but real
zed anew how little the world cared
% be just.
His eyes were kind and seemed to
appeal to you to respond, but his
mouth was set and firm, and lines,
which once expressed sweetness, had I
low deepened into burrows Of care and
,oldness. .
AS he sat there dreaming his life
'ver, he wondered who was ever de-
lied sympathy as he.
A rap came ON the door, and he ad-
nitted his bookkeeper, woman. She
0oked frightened, and there were ,
races Of tears In her eyes. 4
lie asked her to be seated. ANY one
4 trouble was welcome, particularly
his woman, whom he had more than
dmired.
II have come she said, ito ask
THAT you are going to do with me.
here Is money missing from the safe.
here Is no way to prove my limo.
ence, for / believe | alone have the
and / am too poor to re-
i'm the money. or course, you can
OF know or understand that / would
OF steal'--and the woman wept bit.
.rly.
why do You say / cannot under
andY' he asked.
II do not know" she said. Il only
1T You would not--no one ever does
'e are born In one sphere and forced 4
live in another, where it Is all mis-
ust and bitterness
II do know; | do understand he
piled. E
The woman looked at him through \
r tears and saw two great eyes of
ndness. yet she dared not believe. A
'You really do not think took the
oneTy she asked.
"And II didn't would you care,
her than for the disgrace?. I'LL
Yes, oh yes! should want Won
think me honest. because know
w you hate dishonesty
Then do believe In your innocence II
iere are none who can SO sympa- H.
lse as those who have suffered, and Iii
only hope you may never suffer as T.
have" AI
But you. sir. are rich" she said.
Yes, In money, but as for friends
nave none.
How she wished to tell him how she
mired and loved hini But she was
woman and only bookkeeper. so
2 thanked him for his trust In her.
forgot to offer him the word or ~
npathy. and he, thinking no one II
I'D love him, mist0ck her modesty ! =,
Indifference. M
% the word which trembled on his ~
when be saw her troubled was ss
unsaih III