The Lafayette advertiser. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], La.) 1865-19??, 1908-09-08
SURELY WELL DONE
cs,ppAE,s SPLENDID USE OF HIS
ONE TALENT.
From Bed Of Suffering Message o.
Light and Hope Went Forth to
Cheer the Weak and
Unfortunate.

the man whose story it relates may
have gone to his reward. Already he
has added a few more painful months
to those that had gone before. That
he can live another year or even half
that time. seems now all but impOsSi-
BILE; and almost any morning may
witness for him the daybreak Of the
life of which 1t IL written that there
shall be nc more pain.
When the terrible accident was over,
and they uncovered his mangled body.
80 little was left In it that they
thought him dead. And when the sur
O had finished their work there
remained but the physical wreck OF .
man.
Both legs were gone; the left arm
was missing, and had taken with 1t
the greater part of the collar bone. or
the right hand only a finger n the
thumb remained. There was only
enough left of the man that had been
to suffer and remember.
But he still possessed a brilliant
mind stored with the rich fruitage OF a
college training and enriched by
travel in every part of the world! And
It was all wasted, wasted, wasted!
There was nothing he could do but
to remain a helpless sufferer.
So he thought as he sat by h win
dow In the Home for Incurables, ard
looked out on a world OF which he
had ceased to be a part. Before him
lay his Bible and he read the parable
of the talents, and reflected bitterly
that he had now not one talent to
bury; he himself was as good as
buried, and his talents, which had
been many, were buried already.
An old lady wheeled her chair be
side his, and read a letter which had
been sent her. 1t was from q stran'
ger, but it did her good.
He was interested, and asked her
about it, and learned that there was
q kind Of organization that furnished
addresses of invalids and shut-in folks
to persons who were willing to write
them cheerful letters. She had sent
her name as one who would be glad OF
an occasional letter, and this unknown
correspondent wrote her regularly
and the letters comforted her.
A sudden thought came to him. TIC
receive letters would be little com
fort to him, but why should he not
write them? But to whom? Gould
there be any persons 70 shut in as he
who could be cheered by his letters;
Possibly the men in prison were
trife more to be pitied; yet ever
they had hope of release, and he had
none. But it was worth trying.
So he wrote to the secretary Of
the organization for the names Of
some of the prisoners He was In
formed that his letters could not b.
answered; the rules Of the prison
would not permit. But he undertook
the one-sided correspondence.
Twice a week he wrote, and the let
ters taxed his strength to its limit
But into those letters he put hi
whole soul, all his experience, all hi
faith, all his bright wit, all his Chris
than optimism.
1t ID hard to continue writing wnel
writing costs labor and pain. an
especially hard when there is no re
ply. There were times when he grew
discouraged, and vas tempted to Civ
1t up. But 1t was his n remaininl
talent, and he resolved to use it Al
long Is 1t lasted.
At length he got . letter. It wa
very short, and written on the station
cry Of the prison by the officer who's
duty II was to read the letters of tn
convicts. All it said was this:
please write on al good paper .
you can afford. for your letters ar
passed from cell to cell till they III
orally drop to pieces."-Youth's Com
nanion.