The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1917-01-06
WORKING FOR THE LORD.

A Pathetic Incident In Which Two
Wandering Printers Took Part.
Printers may or may not be religious,
a question that has been mooted Of
late, but there is no denying the fact
that, considering his limited means,
the old time roadster dispensed charity
with a lavish hand, which recalls to
mind an incident for the truth of which
the writer can vouch.
The heroes of the story are still liv-
ing and would never forgive me II
published their names, so their identi-
ties are concealed under the prosaic
cognomens of Bill Jones and Sam
Smith, who at the time were riding
the cushions from Amarillo to Fort
Worth, Tex Besides their tickets they
had about So apiece and were comfort
ably settled in the smoker for the long
night ride At Clarendon man in the
garb Of laborer boarded the train
and took the seat ahead of them. When
the conductor had passed through the
coach the man took letter from his
pocket, and as he read it seemed to be-
laboring under some deep emotion. Bin
stood it for awhile, then kindly inquir
ed if they might be Of any assistance
Briefly, the poor fellows story follows:
He lived over in eastern Texas, with
his wife and three small children, and
because of infected lungs had gone up
into the drier Panhandle country in
hope of recovering his health. He had
worked just one day picking cotton
when he received letter from his wife
saying that their baby was dying and
kept asking for him. So he had cashed
in the day, bought ticket as far as
his money would take him and started
home. His ticket would carry him
only few more stations, leaving dis
lance Of several hundred miles still to
be negotiated before he reached his
destination. But he had asked the Lord
to help him and knew that somehow
and In some way he was going to get
home.
"You are going to get home all right,
said Bill. "Just loan me that letter for
few minutes and stay right where
you are. Come on, Sam; I'm going to
sub for the Lord tonight and need
your>moral support"
Sam followed wonderingly as Bill led
the way back into the crowded rear
Pullman, where they arrived as the
train stopped at water tank.
ladies and gentlemen" Bill begar
II never made speech in my life and
Idon't know how. But have something
Important to say to you, SO I'm just
going to-say it,
Then he told the story briefly and
simply and used the poor little pitiful
letter as peroration.
"And now, folks" he concluded, "it's
| up to us. I'm going to pass the hat.
Don't be afraid Of oversubscribing this
loan to the Lord. If there is anything
left after buying the railroad ticket it
will come in handy to pay for little
white coffin and few loaves of bread"
/ AS Bill started down the aisle, hat
| cAtSnueu, SoIic VI tAe AAell WSle CouBHt
ing suspiciously and most Of the wo-
men were crying, but they were all
digging up. The same performance
was repeated in three other coaches,
and over 500 was dropped into. the
hat. Bill and Sam missed breakfast in
| Fort Worth the next morning. Their
| 81 had gone into the hat too.
"And the greatest of these Is charity,
whose soft mantle covers multitude
of sins."-E. e. Lowe in Typographical
Journal