of life. The days have glided by swiftly, oh! how swiftly, and in a little while, all will be gone, the writer with the rest.

On the 28th. of October, with some girls and also Edward Tyler, Frank Hawkins and Frank Bennett, I went after chestnuts in the woods, and we gathered a large quantity. November 1st., Mrs. O. G. Smith came to see me about printing cards, announcing the coming wedding of her daughter and Edward Jayne, one of my former school friends. Needless to say that I printed the cards, and also attended the wedding, later.

On Christmas day, I took dinner at the home of Mr. & Mrs. W. B. Jaynes, at the Branch. It was a real warm day for a winter day. And soon another old year passed into eternity and the new born year, 1883, started on his journey. The winter days and nights rapidly passed along. I saw my mother, also my brothers and sisters occasionally. My oldest sister, Annie Thompson, who was now living near St. Johnland Institution, had become the mother of a sweet little baby girl named Mele. She was indeed a darling, too good perhaps for this world, for on the 7th. day of February she passed from earth to heaven. She was not yet one year old. The funeral was at the Landing church, February 9th., and in the church yeard may be seen a little grave and a little marble headstone, bearing a little inscription, telling of little Mele's departure from earth. From my sister's home had gone a little one whose coming had brought joy, but whose going had left sadness.

us.

During March we were visited by Mr. & Mrs. W. A. Layton, and of course enjoyed their visit. I might say here, that Annie Raynor whom I had known from the time she was four years old, visited I had kept in touch with her by correspondence, and we were now engaged and expected to be married after a while. However, I will state that the marriage never took place. There was a break, as there often is under similar circumstances. The ring which I had given her was returned, and though we were always friends, we were never as before. She married a widower with two children, some years afterward. His name was Young, and after their marriage they made their home in Brooklyn, and as time passed two daughters were born. I saw but little of Annie or her family until many years after.

My 28th., birthday came April 1st., 1883. At our Annual Conference, Mr. J. A. Churchill was appointed to the Smithtown charge for another year, and we were gratified that it was so, as he was thought much of, and had a host of friends on the charge.

Chapter XIV.

A BARREL OF STAMPS AND A SERIOUS ACCIDENT.

T

"Surely goodness and mercy

Shall follow me, all the days of my life, and

I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever."

HIS was to be an eventful year to me.

I was

doing more stamp business than ever before, mostly by mail of course, as I knew no stamp collectors in our town. I think I had done some advertising, and I had received a letter from a Mrs. Todd who lived in Washington, D. C. She had a large lot of old U. S. Stamps she wanted to dispose of, so they were sent to me, a great box full, about 500,000 stamps. The largest lot I had ever seen at that time, at least a barrel full. When I opened the box and looked at the stamps, they seemed to be extremely common, mostly the 3c green value, which were in those days, hardly worth saving at all. I did not want to return the stamps, so made Mrs. Todd an offer of $25.00 for the lot. She accepted the offer. I think this was in the late spring or beginning of summer and I was working for Mr. Emmett W. Darling at the Branch. He was a boss carpenter, and was enlarging and repairing his house. About the only time I had to work at my stamp business was nights, never Sundays, and so the box of stamps, I think remained sometime in

my printing office, which was in a room on the first floor of Uncle Benja's carpenter shop. A picture of the old shop as it appears today is given herein. This is from a recent photograph. It is nearly forty years ago since that box of old stamps was placed in that room. The window from which I received the light to work by, plainly shows. This is on the south side of the building, and here the bright sunlight came "peeping in" early in the morning. In that room I spent many, many hours at work, printing, writing and sorting stamps.

A little while ago I spoke of working for Mr. Darling. Yes, one day, I forget the exact date, I was way up on top of the house. We were getting ready to put the new roof on, and it was extremely hot. Someone had gone for water, pure cold water from Mr. Darling's well. I was thirsty and oh how I wanted a good drink of that pure cold water! I started to get down so I could get the water, and somehow I must have stepped off the eaves of the house backwards, and fell to the ground and was picked up unconscious, and apparently dead. One or more doctors were soon secured, and my friends, Capt. J. B. Conklin and W. B. Jaynes, who kept the drug store, as well as a general store, nearby, offered their aid, and Frank D. Hawkins, a carpenter too, and a good friend of mine was, I think, the first at my side and picked me up.

I was placed in a wagon, on a bed and was driven to my home. I knew nothing of what had happened. I was in my bedroom when I became

conscious. Aunt Susie and others were standing around my bed. I was amazed and asked what it all meant. I was quietly told I had fallen and I replied that I had not fallen, then I said oh yes! I fell out of bed. I was corrected, and later, was told more about the serious fall. I might say I was very seriously hurt, my ribs being cracked or broken, one arm injured, my head and also my right leg injured. Bandages were placed around me and I was obliged to lie on my back and suffer. A doctor Wills, I think, cared for me. My dear friend and brother, Rev. J. A. Churchill was soon at my side, faithful and true. It was thought I might die, but I evidently did not.

Now reader, here is where my big box of stamps helped me out. When I was able to use my hands and was pillowed up in bed, my kind friends brought that big box of stamps to my room, and how they helped me wile away the otherwise weary hours. Quantities were given me in boxes or on newspapers, or something else, and placed on my bed or near my bed, so I could reach them. Then I began a job that took a long time to finish. I looked the stamps over, picking out the better varieties, discarding the 3c green and other very common varieties. Let me say I found thousands of old issues of stamps, many of the early issues, many high values, such as 6-7-10-12-15-24-30 and 90c ones, also thousands of department stamps and many revenue stamps. These stamps as I remember, were tied up in little bundles of 100. What