Year: 1871

man seldom forgets q kindness.
Let me see? The last time we met
before I came here I was in Chi
cago. I remember very well our
talk as we sat in the depot, waiting
for the train to start on which you
were leaving for the East. And
all you told me, and all I prom
ised. L have kept my word.
That was eight years ago! How
time flies!


You know I was what was
called hard young man. No one
cared much for me. My father
was a good man, but the best to
himself He never guarded his
tongue or restrained his appetite
so his example never was any
good to me, l always thought if
he could drink. and use profane
language, and spend his money
away from home, that it was the
right way. So l grew up in his
footsteps


l never thought much of home.
When the ''old gentlemen" came in
there was no peace in the house
till he had gone. He was always
more or less under the influence Of
liquor--always cross, nervous and
| given to finding fault till at last it
sort of got SO that none of US cared
whether he was pleased or not.
When a boy grows up, you know,
in a home, not blessed with kind
ness, somehow he don't have any
great respect for home, and looks
upon it only as sort Of convent,
ence place to start from more
than go to when out.


l was no better than other
young fellows. But l never cared
much for mysclf-nobody ever
encouraged mel sort of got
along, here little and there a lit
tie; earning by day to spend st
night, and 50 worked my way
along with no definite object other
than to be good fellow with the
boys.


l never knew when I formed the
habit of using profane language,
or of using liquor and tobacco so
steadily. First knew 1 had to
have these things and was misera-
BILE if l did not; and that all my
earnings went to crafty my arti-
fetal appetite.


So it went till I met Nettie.
had been very sick, and one day
she came in to see me- she and
her mother. While she sat by my
bedside l told her that l had moth
ing to live for-no one to love no
one to love me, and that it made
no difference what became of me.
Then she said was sick-that l
had much to live for, and must get
well and live for it. After she
went away l thought myself to
sleep, and when I woke thought
of all she had told me again.


When got we'll l told Nettie I
had been thinking of all she had
told me, and if she would think
something of me--sort of stand by
me and tell me once in while
when l was doing well--I would
try and be somebody.


l don't know how it was, but
my heart came clear up in my
throat when she looked at me 50
long and tenderly, and said:


'Harry, / have wished for years
you would be what you can be!'
| Nettie had always known me.
We lived near each other before
we went to Chicago. But I don't
want to tell you all Of that.


I tried all around Chicago for
work, but those who knew me dii
not want me, and those who did
not know me wanted better recon-
mends than could give. Then
you know how got the situation
now have. It was hard work to
get it, but we did, and I have kept
along, doing better and better each
year, till uext year 1 arn to have
beside my wages, an interest in the
business (paper hanging).


Nettie and / were married soon
after / got our situation. We
didn't have much to begin with, SO
We put up with little, and love did
the rest. l tell you she has been
help a salvation to me.


She always encouraged me, and
always tried to make our little home
80 pleasant. 1 have not tasted
drop Of liquor since we we're mar
ried, and now l don't care to
would not Nettie never scolds
me, never finds fault, but always
tells me everything will come out
right, till believe she is in part
nership with the angels some way,
and knows all about it.


She is Il good woman, she is; al
ways so kind and careful l would
die with shame to speak a cross
word to her, or to tell her lie.
Why it would break her heart. She
saves and is carcful-we live for
each other and the babies, and arr
happy all the time. We have al
most fifteen hundred dollars ia
bank, and that is good deal for a
poor man to have. One thing, we
are not sick now. don't dissi-
pate, go to bed early, live temper
ately. stay at home nights to read
books borrowed from the library.
We have read over five hundred
books through since l have been
living in New York. Now am
reading Benton's Thirty Years in
the Senate to get better idea of
politics then. When Nettie is here