Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1848-06-02

ready Ioi" she asked inspiringIy, and looking
al each Of Us with her large, earnest eyes.
"fes mother" responded Philip, quickly;
''yes, mother, we have got 10 DO; hayn'I wei"
TO DO and never finch" !" said our mother,
with great emphasis; ''never fall back, never
grnmble. never regret, when your duty is plain
before yoI, ooys."
"Bul when It is hardl' said Madison, looking
down st bis feet.
"haye more courage, then, must we not moth
1 err always remember you told me so a great
while ago. when ! went TO school in q snow
storm" said Philip, looking. with fire in his eye;
''you said, courage Philip, brave il out don't
be alrald Of snow storm! then was not mo-
Their"
| Although it does my heart good to recur 10
I these teachings Of my mother, yeI will not now
! hnger longer upon this evening, when she first
assembled US around The family altar, and dedi.
Gated us all to the father Of mercies. | remem.
Der how she named each name, and commended
US to the restraining providence and the gracious
love of our lord and saviour. We seemed TO
feel that something new had happened 10 US, and
that we were standing upon higher and dmore res
Ponsble ground than we had ever done before.
And then, with what patience did she carry out
her principles! "Ahl" said Madison the olher
day, "iI was saving wood that made me."-
Now, Madison's duty, one time, consisted in
saving eleven sticks Of wood every morning,
which duty he thoroughly hated; not that saw.
ing was so very bad, but cOrking was; he would
rather lounge upon the green. 1t was very apt
10 be, in his estimation, either too warm, or too
cold, or too pleasant to work, or too bad some
way or other, unless, indeed troop Of boys
were around to inspire him. The presence of
Philip or James Giles was indispensable 10. q
steady saving, 10 help him or admire him, or to
urge him on, some way or other. Ii happened
one morning, that Philip was gone upon some
errand, and Madison went forth 10 his morning s
work alone. 1t was not long before he appear.
ed before our mother, begging her 10 come and
see how well he could work, but she could not
leave just ut that time. He soon appeared again,
complaining that The wood was TOO kn9lty; she
begged him not 10 be daunied by knot. A
third lime he come, and il was TOO warm 10
work, ''too warm by half" fourth, and his foot
was lame, "dreadlully lame-he must give his
work up that morning, he must cerain. Upon
this, he flung himself with an air Of satisfaction
upon a chair. Madison was fruitful in excuses.
/ Our mother quietly arose, and taking him by the
hand. led him back 10 The wood house. Point.
ing to the wood she said, with that frmness
which meant something-"there is your duty
my son, 90 it,; one stick at q time, and it's done;
il is only saw up aud saw down, patiently and
courageously. Now do il--conquer it-or you
, are no, fit TO be a man." Madison well knew
there was no gainsaying her, and that il must b.
done; besides it was only saw up and saw
down, and what was there so formidable in all
that! He began 10 consider, after all, that il did
not appear TO be much, or u very difficult work;
and is il not so with all we have todl By the
bulk our work may look large and formidable;
but if we patiently and couragcousIy go al ii, il
4 is only the "saw up and saw down. which les.
sens conquers and finishes, and we are surprised
to find what simple business it is. Madison
took up his saw and went 10 work; little by it,.
tie, saw up and saw down, patiently, and cour.
ageously, and 1t was donel Madison declared
it was the hardest struggle he ever had; the first
thing he ever persevered in, but it was donel-
The pile disappeared before his own resolute-
ness.
"Yes, it was the first time ever felt myself
worth any thing" he says aughng-Ihen knew
| was greater than a woodpile,"
My mother neither praised nor paid him when
the work was done; she left him to The first con.
scious enjoyment of his ability to do, and il
was plainly visible in the firm, independent step
with which he entered the kitchen.
But COW, a COW would add greatly to our
stock of comforts, and COW my mother was
anxious of possessing. As for the boys, it for
med the sum TOTAL of their wishes; the consum.
NATION most devouiIy 10 be wished for. 1t was
OscerIained ha. Mr.. Giles would sell one of his
heifers. "Bul there is no other way, but for US
to earn her." said Philip, for the hundrelh time,
as we were talking over the matter one afternoon
in the empty barn. land earn her we must.-
Where there is a will, there is a way, mother
says"
"Yes, suppose so," added Madison reluc.
family, "but if somebody would only give US ONE
-he had cea sed speaking Of Mr.. Madison Jones
in that light, for Mr.. Madison seldom came 10
see us.
"But we must not depend upon peoples Civ
ling US, or any such chance-like sort of ways,
mother says. We must look 10 ourselves; that's
the true way" said Philip.
81 suppose it is," slowly admitted poor Mad-
son.
Behold three boys in Mr.. Giles moving field;
the smallest, u pale child, sitting under an ap-
pie tree, with a Iiule tin pail beside him, and
watching, with delight, the movements of his
two brothers, as they tossed about the new mown
hay, and longing to be with them. Alas his
lesson was patient.wating. They worked as
the sun rose higher and higher, and the last dew
drow dried on the grass. ..
81 am sick of it, that's fact" at last said
the talles., as he tumbled upon a new mown
swath. 4 u . d
sup and be doing' said his companion
''le.'s not finch. We must 60 throug gh what
we undertake, mother says" as he puts his last
rake-fnll on The cock.
"But don't want to. would rather never
have acow than work for il" he declared, lazily,
Swi nuinus his feet rnuoh hiohar ,hon h;s hood .