The World As I Have Found It | Page 4

its smiles, as the case might
be. Alone I must earn my bread.
Meagre were many times the means and scanty was the allowance, yet
they came in the hour of need as manna in the wilderness, ofttimes wet
with the dews of heavenly love; and ever, in my laborious pilgrimage, I
have been allowed to stand upon Mount Gerizim, to bless the people
and the "rulers of the land."

CHAPTER IV.
"Let us then be up and doing With a heart for any fate; Still achieving,
still pursuing, Learn to labor and to wait."
Deeming it proper to inaugurate my work in our nation's capital, I left
my "Alma Mater" with all the trepidation of a child going out from the
home-roof, and rushed into the exciting and excited vortex, where
centralize our national interests, and where, as it were, throbs the great
national heart, the city of Washington. I was kindly received at the
house of my cousin, Mrs. Reese, in which sanctum my heart took fresh
hope and courage. This was during the administration of Mr. Buchanan,
and I first repaired to the bachelor President, who received me in his
private audience-room with all of his characteristic and chivalrous
courtesy. Taking both my hands in his, he said, with deep emotion--"I

am so sorry for your deep affliction, but so glad that you have had the
energy to write a book and the courage to make it a resource for
support. I pray that God may bless and prosper you, and I know he
will."
After this expression of his faith he showed his works by buying a book,
for which he paid me two dollars and a half, more than double its price.
So spoke, so did, the noble man, in whose heart was enshrined the
memory of one cherished love, the idolized object of which precluded
the possibility of a second affection, while the grand heart of the
statesman went out in kindness and sympathy to all.
My second call was at one of the government offices, where my
nervous excitement rendered me so nearly speechless that I could only
silently and tremblingly tender a book to a young man who was one of
the clerks. Seeing the movement, he asked:
"Do you wish, to sell the book?" to which I nodded an affirmative.
He turned jocularly toward me, and asked: "Were you ever in love?"
Speech suddenly followed in the wake of offended dignity, and I
promptly replied: "Sir, I try to love every one."
"But," said he, in soaring strain, "suppose a young man should say to
you--'You are the cherished idol of my worship, the one sweet flower
blooming in my pathway, etc., etc.' what would you think?"
I quickly responded: "Sir, I should think he had more poetry than good
sense in his composition."
Pleased, and apparently thoughtful, he turned from me, and going
among the other employees, returned with the money for a dozen
copies of my book in his hand, and on his lips a penitent and evidently
heartfelt assurance that he meant no harm or insult by his words,
humbly craved my pardon for the offense, and closed by wishing me
many God speeds.

My next effort was in the Treasury Department, where the first person I
approached exclaimed:
"Mary Day! where did you come from?" This exclamation was
followed by many other expressions of joy and surprise. Suddenly the
loving arm of a young girl encircled me. Kisses fell upon my forehead,
cheek and lips, and words of endearment came in copious pearly
showers. At the first lull in the sweet confusion I asked: "Who are you
all?"
The first proved to be a brother of Mrs. Cook, of Michigan, who had
been so kind to me in the past, and the second was her daughter, who
rapidly recounted by-gone scenes, and lovingly lingered upon the many
cherished memories my presence had evoked. They took me to their
home in the city, and lavished upon me all the kindness and attention
love could suggest. Among the many reminiscences came the one sad
story of the father's death. In one of the darkest, sternest hours of my
childhood he had held out to me the kind, paternal hand, and welcomed
me to the protection of his own roof, and the story of his death deeply
interested me. It was in substance this:
The family had returned from some festive scene on Christmas eve, and
the father, leaving them to stable his horses, was so long absent as to
arouse anxiety. They sought him everywhere, but found him not. After
a night of untold suspense the morning revealed to them the shocking
sight of his dead body lying in the corner of an adjoining lot, his face
smiling and peaceful