The Southern herald., 1912-04-26
A LEAF OUT
OF LIFE

a business nan IN Washington -
Gently enjoyed a visit from an Old :,
lege friend, who passed many -
in the once reading and writing !,
ters. The visitors wants were eo-.
teously attended TO by bright Fou,.
clerk, whose obliging manners and y
ident affection for his employer !,
tracted the guests notice. After
few days the visitor asked his fris.1
about the young man.
i I've been, waiting for you to moth.
lack" was the answer to the inoulr,
Hes my Man Friday and ther
never was better one. want "a
to know how ! was lucky enough 4
find him.
Two years ago was over in Wsu
Virginia. fishing. l induced an on
man and his wife. who live near n
trout stream, to take me in for wesI
At first they hesitated; but when n
happened to say something about con.
ing all the way from Washington io
few days Of quiet and rest, they CAV,
me hearty welcome.
"'You see, said the old man, ION.
sons in Washington, and it makes bin
seem kind o. nearer home to han
somebody from the same place Zen
with u.s."
rs he in the government seryicerl
asked. with perfunetOry interest.
well, We don't rightly know iua
what he is working at. lie don't writ
quite as often as we'd like, but H
s'pose he's pretty busy
Here the old wife broke in. but
We know he's doing well, and mOrea
likely he's working for the govern
ment, because he knows the presiden.
real we'll
"'He does? l asked. genuinely in
terested.
AYES. just look at that answered
my hostess, going to the shelf abovs
the rude fireplace and taking down 4
picture postal card which showed 4
frankfaced youth in the act of shah
ing hands with the smiling chief e.
ecutive.
COY | said. as l recognized one q
those fake photographs which anyOns
can have taken on Pennsylvania ave
nue..
"'Our Jack was always a great hand
to get acquainted easy, but mother
and me was some surprised when We
got this picture Of Jack and the presl
dent. l suppose the president likes
to know some of the rising young feL
lows round in the government, don't
he?'
Very likely / answered. wsaSlI,
thinking that perhaps l ought 10 q
tighten the dear old innocents. Bu.
couldn't, and during 9ll os.yag stay
there the kindly old couple taked .
me about their boy. Their only troubIs
seemed to be that he didn't write "a
often as he ought They hadn't heard
from him since he had sent the postal
card, two months before.
when left they begged me to losk
him up, but as they hadn't his address
1t was a pretty hopeless task. After I
had consulted the government regis
try and found he was not on the par
roll l gave 1t up.
well, one night about six weekI
later, as was coming through Franz
lin square, saw young fellow lying
on a park bench. l thought at frEl
that he was drunk, but l soon saw thai
he was sick, and spoke to him.
"Hungry,' he murmured, in answeI
to my question. Well, afterward, wheI
he had had something to eat and I
| little color had come back into hi
face, it began to come to me that
had seen him before. There wa
something familiar in his face.
Little by little l got his story. H
had come to Washington hoping L
get a government berth, had failed 4
the examination, and had lived, q
rather starved, on such odd jobs a
he could get.
"Why didn't you write home 70
help?" asked.
"'oh. the old people have hard!
enough for themselves, and, besides
they're terribly proud to think I'd
down here with the president Hl
laughed feebly.
Jack Stabler!" l exclaimed.
That's my name," he answered
How did you know?'
Il told him part of the stsry, and
the next day he went to work in mJ
office. | don't know how l should gel
along without him now"
That's just like you," said the Wis
itor heartily, grasping his old collegs
friends hand. mo wonder the boy
loves you"
"The joke of 1t is," said his friend
that Jack went to the White Houss
with me little while ago and made
that picture-postal card true by shak'
ing hands with the president. =
Youths Companion.
How Bells Are Tuned.