The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1911-06-29

Philosophers prove the infinity or
space by asking yoa 20 think OF the end
Of 1t as a wall with nothing upon the
other side. This is declared to be UNI
thiiikablc. There can be no final pace,
40 wall with a void beyond.
I know better, Tor 1 have seen that
wall came to 1t in October, 1899
There was nothing on the farther side
and very little on the nearer. ii was
not an end, but continuance, that was
inconceivable to me.
My busin ess had come to an end. no
philosopher could deny that. MY ner-
vous system Yves done for. l seemed 10
see IL taken out of my body and lacked
upon that final wall like the skin OF u
squirrel on barn door.
/ was 80 years Old, and l felt 100
When my friends asked me what l
was going to do / simply yawned at
them.
1t was at this time that some one
recommended ME to Miss Glendon Peo-
pie have absolutely no conscience In
such matters. The young lady was
informed that was trustworthy ana
efficient man, z victim OF miSfortunes
that would have been too much for
anybody, and she credited the tale.
Miss Glendon was an orphan "a years
old and very pretty. Her income is
somewhat more than a dollar per min
ute, and there are $4,000 minutes In
year. She Is said to give about twelve
hours day to charity.
The gentleman who mentioned my
name to Miss Clendon persuaded me, at
her request to go with him to call upon
her. l was too feebleminded To resist.
To the best OF my recollection, ala
not clearly understand where was go
ing until l found myself In the lady's
presence.
The sight Of Miss Glendon produced
q considerable effect upon me. She
possesses magnificent health and re-
veals, even to such eyes as mine were
then, the energy of noble and finely
balanced nature.
1 forgot for a few minutes that the
unthinlkable wall stood in front of me,
and l was conscious, with mild sur
prise, of talking like a living and ra-
tional human being.
After half an hour of generalities
Miss Glendon asked me If l would I'M
dertake the management Of her chill
drens home, a very admirable charity
which she had established about q year
before. She had heard that l had had
charge of boys school In Massachu-
sets for a couple of years after con-
Guiding my college course and that
had done wonderful work. She knew
that held n medical diploma. though
I had practiced but little. The knowl-
edge would be of great advantage, in
her opinion. Altogether she spoke Of
my desultory and purposeless career
as if it were the very thing she had
been in search of, and she apologized
with great delicacy for venturing to
offer me a position In which pecuniary
reward would not be at all equal to
my deserts. Then she named really
handsome salary and paused for my re-
ply.
Now, the fact is that would have
welcomed such haven, and, above all.
would have sacrificed much. for the
sake Of sharing any sort of work in
which Miss Glendon was engaged, but
am honest in the main, and this thing
was not possible. / told Miss Glendon
frankly that i was filter to be an in
mate of her home than the head Of 1t;
that / was utterly broken down and
prematurely in my second childhood
and that. in brief, the institution could
not fall into worse hands than mine
IL the manager were chosen by chance
out of the directory.
1t appeared that my friend had pre-
pared her for this reply He had told
her that ! was a bit the worse for past
anxiety and unwisely worried about
my health. but that there was really
nothing the matter. All / needed was
q little encouragement.
Accepting this view, Miss Glendon
proceeded to encourage me. She told
me how we'll ! was looking, and, as a
matter of fact, / actually did look as
rugged as an OK. In earlier years l was
very strong. and the muscular shell
still stood, as the bark of tree will
sometimes stand when the heart of ii
Is dust. Fifty times while she was talk
ing to me 1 had to shake my wits to-
gether and with a spasmodic effort re-
member where I was and what had
happened, yet talked as straight as
tight string, as my friend Informed me
afterward. except" he added, "for
that roolishness about your health"
The upshot of II was that l became
the manager of that institution, and
my act was a crime / was no more
fit for 1t than deaf man to lead an or
chestra. However the novelty of it
buoyed me up for a few days, so that
none of my subordinates knew that l
was out Of my wits.
The work was really extremely at
tractiye to one who had come out de-.
feated from the selfish strife Of money
winning, and II / had been only little
less battered and worn would have
been a fairly efficient person. Even as
I was, the force within me might have
proved sufficient but for the increasing
rush of work incident to the coming
holidays.
Miss Glendon had high ideas OF the
Fourth Of July. and her plans for max
ing it memorable in the home were well
considered. but exceedingly compre-
hensive. Moreover she looked to me
for suggestions, and / was becoming
increasingly eager to serve her well.
But when a mans mind is in such a
condition that he can't depend upon re-