The Republican journal., 1913-01-30
From February Magazines.
1.-THE NoBLEsT MAN I EVER KNEW. :"

The following is taken from the Febru-
ary American Magazine. 1t is a letter
that won second prize in a contest en-
titled THE Modest Man Ever Knew:
81 have always wished that l might
have the opportunity to tell of this WON
derful man, the noblest man ever knew.
"My first remembrance of him was
seeing him come from the newspaper Oh
fee where he worked and pat tow
headed newsboy on the head as the gamn
of the street smiled up at him. The two
trudged away together. and, my curlosl-
ty urging me on, followed. -.
They presently came to shabby Mt
tie cottage on a side street, where, walt
ing at the side gate, was crippled ooy
of thirteen; one boy, with an arm gone.
pored over a book, on the tiny porch, one
hoed potatoes in the side yard, while
another cut wood briskly in the back.
"Queer calls and whistles greeted the
arrival of the newcomers, and the lame
one was shouldered and carried IN.
1.-TWO years before this man, only a
short while out of college, with a remark
able record behind him and ahead OF him
ambitious plans to be carried out, was
told by worlds authority on the sub
iect that he had an incurable cancer.
knowing that he probably had six to
eight years ahead of him, and that life
could never again be for him very gay,
he determined that he would put as much
ioy in other lives as possible. From that
day he became famous for his galety and
good humor.
Coming home from some late affair
one night, he found sleeping IN door
way lame newsboy that was homeless.
After that he shared his room with this
little chap.
..This was the beginning of the happy
little home found by chance that after
noon. One by one he found it necessary
to take them in, for, as he said, there
was nothing else to do.
"By day he worked in the hot, close
office. By night he trained his boys.
He had to start at the beginning, patient
ly teaching them to apply themselves
and learn their Alb C's. instilling into
their lives some of his youthful am
billions, moding their characters, and
vet never pushing them, for this he knew
would be fatal. He was their pal, never
their critic.
ut took much planning to keep so big
family On so small salary, much tact
and kindness to keep them from letting
the harder job of education go and en-
joying only the r'ore pleasant one of be-
ing housed and fed, but he kept at 1t
cheerfully. and all stayed on but one,
who flew the coop, as the others put 1t.
Thus he struggled on till each boy
was prepared for college or the business
world: then his tired body relaxed. and
the bows knew for the first time that
horrible disease had been the enemy of
their Jolly comrade for many years, and
that most of the time he had been in
great pain.
"He had, before he died, the reward
of seeing one of his boys enter Johns
Hopkins, another studying law at noted
university, and the other two trusted
bank-clerks.
"He was neither rich nor famous, but
in his quiet way he was noble man
the noblest ever knew.
"He gave to the world four clean, good
men that he had rescued from the streets
where they were exposed to every temp.
tation, and he desired no other reward
than that they should succeed.
JAMES G. BLAINE's MARVELLOUS MEMORY.
Brand Whitlock, the present Mayor of
Toledo, Ohio, writing his personal re-
mniscences in the February American
Magazine, tells the following story of
an experience he had with James G.
Blaine, when. as reporter, he was as
signed to report a speaking tour with
Blalne:-
For a young correspondent who had
an eager curiosity about life, 1t was an
interesting experience to go on jour
ney. l remember my delight in being
assigned to a lirtle trip down through
Indiana with James g. Blaine. He was
then Secretary of State in President
of 1lrohar1ny-
most men are apt to be in public posi-
lions, though a sort of cruel and evil
fascination will not let them give up the
VAN pursuit o. them, -VaineSt perhaps
when they are won.
When | reached the station Mr..
Blaine was already there, walking up
and down the platform arm III arm with
his son Emmons. He was a gray man,
dressed in gray clothes, with spats made
of the cloth OF ais habit and there was
about him an air of vague sadness, which
in his nigh count enance became almost
pain, though jas. then in the companion
ship Of the son he loved, there was for a
little while the expression OF mild hap
piness, maybe d solace. William Walter
Phelps, then our minister to Germany,
was travelling with him, and on the way
down to South Bend the constant en-
lTduCG Oh pain ClllLGIS lIOII lIC OlIltT
coaches into our car filled Mr. Phelps
with a kind of wonder. Commercial
travellers, farmers, all sorts and condi-
tons of men, came and introduced them
selves to Mr.. Blaine, and he sat and talk
ed with them all in that simplicity which
marks the manners, even if it has de-
parted from the spirit, of the Republic.
"It is a remarkable sight, said Mr..
Phelps to US reporters, a sight you
would witness in no other country in the
world. There is the premier of great
government, and yet the commonest
man may approach him without cere-
mony, and talk to him as though he were
nobody.
with my interest in the tariff ques-
ton, which then seemed to me so funda-
mental, did not lose the opportunity to
a.. Mr.. Blaine about his reciprocity pro-
ject; but after while the conversation
turned to more personal subjects. When
he learned was from Ohio, he asked me
suddenly if could name the counties
that formed the several Congressional
districts of the State. l could not, of
course, do that, ano l supposed no one in
the world could do it or ever want to do
it; but he could, and with naive pride