The Saga of William Bell

"William! William! William Bell! Are you here?" The erudite-looking 25 year old walked in and out of the wards, up and down the aisles, calling out for the man he had known all his life. There were over 1,600 vagrants currently lounging on benches in the Kings County Almshouse in Brooklyn, on this January day in 1899. The searcher and his target were both far from home, and Horace Greely Eastburn walked into a 50 x 30 foot room packed with benches. On the benches were sleeping "tramps", and Horace went to each one of them, lifting their hats, checking to see if it was the missing man he sought.

Finally he found a man with eyes he thought he recognized. "William, is that you?", Horace asked, shaking the man awake.

"Hello, Horace!", replied the man on the bench. It was impressive that he was even recognized. The last time that young Horace G. Eastburn had seen William Bell (several years before), the older man had had his long, curly hair styled in the pompadour fashion, and wore a full beard. Now he was clean-shaven with short hair, and his gentlemanly outfit had been replaced by shabby clothes. He looked like a physical wreck.

Eastburn asked Bell a few more questions, to make sure he knew who he was. "Of course I know you, Horace. You're Samuel's nephew -- Oliver's son -- from Pleasant Hill.", replied Bell.