Wisconsin herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1846-1849, 1846-11-14

block; chased as soon as ne could
stand on his little legs, from the hearth
stone to the forge-s;one, by iron ne
cessliy, that would not let him stop
long enough TO pick up letter of the
English alphabet on the way. Oh,
Lord John Russell, think of it! Of
this II glishman's son, placed by his
mother, scarcely weaned, on a
high, cold stone. barefooted, before the
anvil; there TO harden, scar and blister
its young hands by heating and ham
mering ragged nail-rods, for the susie
nance her breast can no longer sup
ply! Lord John! look at those nails
as they lie Kissing on the block. Know
you their meaning, useSnd language?
Please your Lordship, let me tell you
| have made nails before now-they
are iron exclamation points! which this
lunlettered, dwarfsh boy is uncou-
sclonsly arraying against you, against
the British Government, and the min
istry Of British literature. for cutting
him of without letter of the English
Language, when printing is done by
steam! for incarcerating him, for no
sin on his fathers side, but poverty,
into dark, six by-eight prison of hard
labor. youthless being-think OF it!
an infant hardened, almost in its moth
er's arms, into man, by toll that
bows the sturdiest of the worlds la.
borers who come to manhood through
intervening years of childhood
The boys father was at work with
his back towards me, when | entered.
At my first word of SALVATION to the
lad, he turned around and accosted me
a little bashfnlly, as funaccostomed to
the sight of strangers in that place, or
reluctant to let them into the scene and
secret of bis poverty. sat down up.
on one end OF his nal-bench, and told
him was an American blacksmith by
trade, and that ] had come in TO see
how he got on in the world; whether
he was earning pretty good wages at
his business. SO chat he could live com
forta5ly, and send his children to
school. As said this, glanced in
lquiringly towards the boy, who was
looking steadily at me from his stone
stool by the anvil. Two or three little
cfock-faced girls, from two TO five
years Of age had timidIy stolen in, and
a couple ofyoung frightened eyes were
peering over the domicil at me. Thew
all looked as if some task were daily
allotted them in the SCOT and cindcrs
of their fathers forge, even TO the
sharp-eyed baby at the door. The
poor Englishman, he was as much an
Englishman as the Duke OF yelling
ton-lookod athis bushy-headed, bare
footed children, and said softly. with
melancholy shake of the head, that
the times were rather hard with him.
1t troubled his heart. and many hours
of the night he had been kept awake
by the thought Of it, that he could not
send his children TO school, nor teach
them himself to read. They were
good children, be said, with a moist
yearning 10 his eye; they were all the
wealth be had, and he loved them the
more, tho harder he had to work for
them. The poorest part Of the power
ty that was on him, was that he could
not give his children the letters. They
were good children, for all the crock of
the shop was on their faces, and their
fingers were bent like eagles claws
with handling nails. He had been a
poor man all his days, aud he knew his
children would be poor all their days,
and poorer than he, if the nail business
should grow worse. IL he could only
give them the letters, or the alphabet
as they called il, it would make them
the like Of rich; for then they could
read the testament a little. for he had
learned the letters by freight. II
was good book, was the Testament;
never saw any other 5ook-hcard tell
of some in rich peoples houses; but it
mattered but little with him. The
testament. he was sure it was made for
nailers and such like. 1t helped him
wonderfully when the loafwas small on
his table. lie had but little time TO
read it when the sun was up, and it took
him long TO read little, for he had
learned the letters when he was old -
Bat he laid it beside his dish at dinner,
and led his heart with il, while his chill
dren eat the bread which fell TO his
share. And when be had spelt out a
line Of the shortest words, he read
them aloud, and his eldest boy, the
one on the block there, could say sew
eral whole verses lie had learned in