A Biographical Sketch of the Life and Character of Joseph Charless: In a Series of Letters to his GrandchildrenCharless, Charlotte Taylor Blow
History
A Biographical Sketch of the Life and Character of Joseph Charless: In a Series of Letters to his Grandchildren
Charless, Charlotte Taylor Blow
Charless, Joseph, 1772-1834; Printing -- Missouri -- Saint Louis -- History
door, containing his remains. His poor afflicted wife came with them,
and told, that David had said, "Take me to Mr. Charless to bury me."
He had died of congestive fever. No doubt but that it was a comfort to
the poor fellow in his dying hour to feel that in this distant land of
strangers, he had found a friend who would not neglect "the widow and
the fatherless in their affliction," and his confidence was not
misplaced, for, from the time of his death, his family lived near us,
and never knew, as long as David's good friend lived, what it was to
want a friend indeed.
Another anecdote of the poor just occurs to my mind, and as it
exhibits your grandfather in another light, I will relate it.
Immediately after dinner, on a pleasant day, my two sisters-in-law, who
resided together, less than a square from us, came over to our house,
with a man, who had just applied to them for assistance. They were
deeply interested in behalf of this poor fellow, who was a Frenchman,
and "Frenchmen," they said, "were not apt to beg unless in real want."
They were sure he was an honest man. One of my sisters was a French
Creole, and both were new beginners in active effort for the benefit of
the indigent, and did not know exactly the best method of relieving the
unfortunate man, "who had just arrived and had a poor sick wife and six
little children on the boat at the wharf. A kind-hearted gentleman had
offered them a home at his farm in Illinois, a few miles from the
river, and all he wished was money sufficient to hire a horse and wagon
in which to move his helpless family." While the ladies were
presenting his case to me, the Frenchman manifested great anxiety, and
made the most touching appeals in the piteous expression of his face
and manner. Presently, my husband, who had been indulging in his usual
siesta, awoke and came down stairs. "Now, the poor fellow can tell his
own story," and "Mr. Charless" was pathetically appealed to, to listen
to his tale of woe. Unfortunately for the man he was immediately
recognized by your grandfather, who had but a short time before given
him a cup of coffee, etc., from the kitchen, and had also procured work
for him as a day laborer in a factory, which mode of subsistence not
suiting the Frenchman's taste, he had slipped out of, and ran off,
before commencing work. It was soon evident, from the juxtaposition of
the two, one as accusant, the other defendant, which was not to be
mistaken, even by a person ignorant of the language in which they
spoke, that all was not right. His friends, the ladies, stared, when,
upon each renewed attempt to convict him, he would assure, in the most
self-possessed and polite manner, "Your are mistaken, Monsieur, I have
no doubt but that the man to whom you refer, was very like me, but not
myself, I assure you, sir." Whereupon your grandfather proposed to
accompany him to the boat for the purpose of seeing his family,
promising to procure him a wagon and every thing necessary for their
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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