Herald of the times, and Rhode Islander. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1846-1849, 1848-06-29
ny CLEMENT wEBsTER

] wish my hefos iiaii,e were any thing but
Smiih-any thing, especially But Jolh smith;
for know the reader will pronounce the story
i ! may relate, fcton even at first sight.
/" Else why (he will ask) did the writer seec,
for his prominent character a name so common
end hence so void OF meaniDgp' But | protest,
on my honor, that my sole purpose in uslrg
name SO unpoeiical, is to give the reader
plain, unvarnished tale of truth, without even
the somblance of disguise. My hero's name
raS John Smith lac couldn't help il, and |
can't help it,
I. Very likely some member Of the Skcpiic
family will rise up here aud aver thH, plain
John Smith has been dead these twenty years
4" lle fell into the rlyer and was drowned one
will say. " lie was thrown from a horse and
killed." will say another. "lle was hung for
murder" will say third and " He cut his
own throat in "A fit of despair" will say a
fourth: Gentlemen, | know better. John
Smith and his son John are both alive. Read
my story, and tell me then why even a wish
to die should enter the breast of either of
them.
1t was a snrg little log cabin, that Of John
Smith, when he built il; ; and II was a decent
place to live in when John Smith JUNIOR was
born. But time cuts up his capers with al
most every thing, and amongst other things
with log cabins In the course of years he
came very near upsc,tlng that Of John Smith.
lie made " leaks IN the roof so that John
had to get up of nights, when II ralned, and
move his bed, first to this and then TO that cor
ner of the room, to dodge the streams that
came pouring down upon it. Then he pulled
the battons of, and let the snow come driving
in, in dead Of winter time, between the hcwn
'nrb bal nd then mo n raj "A
Storm and the water came pouring down the
hill on the side of which Johns house stood
A smart man, in two hours, might have turn
ed the torrent in direction where IT would
} have done no harm but John chose to let il
come and do its worst. The result was, near
ly one half of the underpinnlng of his house
, was piled up in his cellar. Didn't he put il
4 back aganl Not he. There was a grog shop
b. within mile and half Of his house, and here
y he had much rather spend his tmc han in
building stone wall. " Idleness is the parcn,
n of vice" have read somewhere Drinking
n is the parent Of Idleness, Ikn0m.
Smith had one near ncighbor and but one
= His name was Churchill; and he had settled
in the woods there only two years IN advance
of Smith. i!e was industrious, hard working,
and kind-h artcd man. Everybody loved hn /;
and never clergyman travelled that way who
wouldn't leave his road couple Of miles TO
stop all night with Job Churchill There was
50 much hospitality about hm--so much Of
the ''help yourself and welcome" tone IN his
:. conduct, that they felt at home when they could
get under his roof, and sit down TO his whole
some fare. Yes, every body loved him; every
: body--cxccpt John Smith.
And why did not our man Smith love him
also How could he help loving so generous
d and noble friend That's a secret | never
pred into. True, have head people guess
at the cause; but their guessing had so much
TO do with bonds, and deeds, and probate dolngs,
that | never trouble myself 10 understand 1t.
Smith was seldom heard 10 speak ofhls neigh
bor; never in positively bad terms /" guess
he's a good enough Methodist, ? he would an-
swcr sometimes, when lntcrogatcd as To his
character; at others he would give peculiar
twist To his face, and say" \ SIX the ministers:
they all putup there, and guess they know all
about HIM"
But all Smith hatred and sptcfullucss could
not keep little John from visiting at nelghbor
Churchills. When he had leisure hour, he
was sure to spend 1t there, even at the risk OF
"A smart scolding when he got home. Ellen
5 Churchill was only one year younger than
himself and he loved dearly to be with her. And
: who wonders She was one of the sweetest
prettcsi, sprgh,llcs, creatures III the world
: She was wee bit of thing when John first
! got acquainted with her; but even then she
would chase butterfly the whole afternoon il
the same field where he was working, ol
sing bits of pretty songs to him rs he phcd tn,
| hoe amongst the weeds. louHg rs he was
r John loved her-and she loved John.
When John was sixteen years of age h
began to ,akc good deal OF interest in thing
abou, his home. His father spent most Of tho
time away, and he was left TO do nearly all til,
work about the little farm. He grew thought
full but not like his father, ndOent l!c tbilct
necessarily, and ioiled hard. lie tried to max,
his mother happy and would speak encouraging
= ly-braycly anu nobly, for n boy-when she
!, looked sad or spoke of her hard lot. Toward
!, evening he would walk over 10 Farmer Church
- ills and taking Ellen by the hand, they woul'
trip across the field and over 10 the banks ofth
/ lttle brock which run through the pasture
There they would slt, sometimes IN animated
conversation, and sometimes in thoughtful 81
lcnce, till whppowis commenced their nigh
songs. Then they would walk slowly bacl
. again John would kiss Ellen's pretty whit
A forehead al the gate, promise To love her u
!, TREY tnet again, and then trip gaily home
whlsiling as he went, some spnghtly tune
aud thinking of the little treasure he had jus
I, lcfi behind him.
ST One night John came hcrrc an hour late
q than usual aud found his mother in tears.
vas no new thing to see her weep, but he
grief seemed now mOIe intense than he ha
ever known it, aud he felt anxious 10 kno,
q rs cause. Still he did not like To so far lntrud
a upon II, as to ask any questions. lie 81
down by his mothers side, took her hand II
:, hs own, and begged her not - cry.
All '' BE of stout heart. dear mother; iaihe
= will come home by aud by, aud then Will bel
=, hun not to go to Scrlbncr's any more.
4 " fear il is too laic,' replied the mother
!, her spbs increasing " you father fear, u
= lost forever have heard tins evening tha
4, our little home is morigaged to Scrbher, an'
" tha, the sum il is morlgaged for Is 50 larg'
!. that your father has no expectation or hope o
:, redeeming IT,"
!. ia clap orihundcr had broken upon John
ear from cloudless sky, u could not hav
astonished him more. lie sat moment d
: breathless silence. Tears were struggling be
tween his oyelids, bnl be strcye to Icprcs
+, them, and succeeded. His mother cease
: CRYING. and looked him in he f,cc.
"a A A