Year: 1878

He was persuaded to stay with us un-
til morning; and then he sat at break
fast with in suit of my fathers clothes,
which fitted him better than his old
ones, and really made him look like a
better man. My fathers kindness had
so won upon him, as to gain his conf
dence, and he had already told the sto-
ry of his life.


At twenty-one years of age he had
married a poor girl; being at the same
time poor himself, though with a fair
prospect of being able to support wife
and family comfortably. 1t was nine
years ago. Only nine; and yet the man
looked to be fifty.


In three years time they had two
children; girl and boy. But his
salary had been increased more than
enough to meet all extra demands on
their account, and for two years more
they lived in comfort and were prosper
ed. Then there came terrible fire,
which swept away mile after mile of
ware houses, that were filled with mil
lions of the saving and earning of men,
all reduced to dross or whirled away in
a single night. Many a man was made
poor; many knew not where, henceforth
to earn their daily bread. This man
who had wife and two children to sup
port, was one of these.


His employers had been made almost
as poor as he, and were forced to seek
work of others themselves. Besides
over exertion in saving the property of
others on that fearful night, brought
him to bed of sickness, from which he
did not rise till every dollar of his saw
ings were gone. Then, for months and
months he sought work; but only found
it temporarily, at last, and was soon
compelled to relinquish it to help his
wife take care of the two children, who
both became suddenly i'll.


A week of suffering, and the little
ones were laid side by side in one cold
silent grave. That scourge, dyptheria,
which raises its deathly head from every
cesspool and stagnant drain, thereby
particularly besetting the poor who are
driven to cheap habitations in unwhole.
some places, had done its work. They
laid their babies away. and sat down
amid their poverty to mourn. But the
poor wife weakened in every way, yield.
ed to the same deadly poison; and the
stricken man was left alone.


They were all buried in the same com.
mon ground; and the desolate father
looked about again for work that he
might sustain himself and make the
graves of his loved ones more cheerful
The place that he had last filled OF
starving wages, was gone. He coult
not find another. The world seemed
terrible cold and unfeeling, and spurn
ing it at last, he turned from his vail
search and became tramp. Then b,
wandered up and down, but always re
turned to the spot where his loved one'
were buried, and now it seemed to hin
he said, almost as if he had returned OF
that spring day to save my life-and a
last to find friends.


This was the story he told my fathe
who promised that henceforth h
would be his friend. The tramp's hear
was softened, as l have said, and thougl
he went away-to 60 he did not sa,
where, he promised to return and slee]
beneath our roof at night. For a weel
he came and went, and then my fathe
had found a chance for him to earn


living at his old accustomed work.


1t seemed almost as if he did not car
to work; but my fathers kindness pre-
vailed and he began.


This, as l have said, was last spring
Even now the man looks ten year
younger than he did then. He work
steadily, receiving ample wages for hi
own support, goes respectfully clad
wears cheerful face, and he has reall


refined nature, as we'll as a. sensitiv
heart. My gratitude to him may bia


me somewhat in his favor ;. still | don
, think | should care to marry him, eve
, should he propose to me. Not that
should object to him on the score of be


ing a widower; but he is not exactl
my ideal of what husband should b


1t may be that some persons do nc


marry because they are so particula
Possibly | shall be one of these. How


ever that may be my story ends her,
The man has not made love to me, nc
do I think he will.


: had at first no thought of convey
ing a moral but think my little stor


will help to substantiate the oft mad
statement that kind words are nevt


lost.


DR.. J. G. Holland, talking to the a


sembled boatman of Alexandria Ba
: the other day, said 81 neither drin
e wine nor give it to my guests. Stron