Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1849-02-23
MISCELLANEOUS.
Faith and FirmneSS.
BY A.

-
"WHEN I was a lad of some fourteen or
fifteen years Of age, there lived about halt a
mile from my fathers a man by The name oil
Sanders. He was a poor man, very poor
had been so all his life. Al the age Of eigh-
teen he could neither read nor write; and l
have heard il said that there was not a book
of any description In his fathers house.
Sanders was remarkable for nothing but his
ignorance and personal appearance-large
boned, and over six feet high; but il could
hardly be said that his bones were clothed
with flesh: he was something Of a Calvin
Edison. with a head that appeared dispropor-
tionahly large. He was looked upon as a
very unsocial boor, from the fact that he sell
dom mingled in the sports Of young men of
his own age. He seemed ~ love and seek
retirement. Between the age of eighteen
and twenty. he had, by himself, wiihou, a
particle Of assistance, learned to read well,
aud write some. An event that happened
about this time proved that Sanders was not
so very ~unsocial in his nature as was gPneT-
ally supposed. This was nothing less than
his union in marriage 10 a young woman &.
qualiy poor and lonely as himself. The good
neighbUrs began to prophecy that the country
would soon have some children to maintain ;
not that Sanders was an idler. or intemper.
ate, but the business ~ which he had been
brought up was overdone, and the very best
w orkmen could earn but a bare subsistence.
However, there was no law to prevent poor
young men from getting married the neigh
{ bors must therefore content themselves by
hoping that Sanders children might be few
and far between. In this matter they were
sorely Disappointed. Mrs. Sanders proved
TO be a very fruitful vine, and year by yea
-. L.. ,-.sl all - aIIa
tional pledge OF her corjugal love. For ter
long years Sanders tuiied on with praise
worthy perseverance,; and, although in tina
time eight mouths had been added to his ia
G mily, yet, strange TO say. he had managed II
keep The day aud the way alike. We can
not say that he and his children were SO wei
}; fed and clothed as were those around them
bnt we can say that a complaint was neve
heard from the lips Ut Sanders, or any Of hi
, family. have seen them often sit dow
=" with faces Of cheeIfulnPss to a meal comp0
sed OF a few potatoes and salt. Let it nc
he supposed, however, that Sanders was Sal
isfed with either himself or the ciIcumstar
ces in which he was bringing up, for III
81 stage Of action and the business Of life.
numerous family, He Was not satisfied
ThirsiiEg after mental Improvement himse
-desircus Of preparing his children. by
suitable education, tor the duties and respoI
sibilities Of life, yet crushed duwn in a s,aI
Of hopeless poverty, how could he be SAITH
fed l-doomed 10 incessant toll, without III
means of procuring books or helps OF an
description. Many men in similar circuu
stances would have become Discourage
careless, or incorporate /; suffering the pr,
le diction of the neighbors TO be fulfilled, b
their families becoming a country Charge
nns IL .ua. -As 80 -, S.-l-.. l. .. -
he discouraged, nor falnt-hearted. although HI
iron frame began TO bend before he had reacl
ed his thirtieth year. About this age b
in seemed to retire within himself more tina
ever; he did not become gloomy misanthrop,
or sullen ~reclnse he was still the kind All
cheerful faiher-lhe obliging neighbor; bl
. he loved more than ever TO be alone and
~ was evident, from The occasional ~gleamina
of his fine, expressive eye, that the comm,
nings OF the inner man were Of a lofty natuI
big with high resolves.
One morning. on his way 10 the worI
shop, Sanders was overtaken by a little ari
~tocratic master. (the son vi a wealthy neigl
bor,) on his way 10 school. with his Lexico
under his arm; he wished Sanders TO do
small job for him, in the way Of his bus
ness.
Let me look at your books said Sal
ders.
The lad complied. and after a short exam
nation, drawing himself up to his fuli lengt
and fixing on the boy a look of deep earnes
ness, Sanders said
Il will do your job. and do it well, to-
upon one condition-which is this: you sha
bring, and leave with me every night,
many Of your school books as you can spar,
calling and receiving them in the mornin!
on your way to school if you will agree
this, will do all the liule jobs you may wal
me to do, for one year,
The boy very readily agreed to this, thinl
ing 1t a good bargain, and resolving TO mak
-e the most Of it by always having somethin
for Sanders TO do. By means Of this arrang,
v ment, II was not many months before the I'll,
: ments Of Latin and Greek were mastered b
Sanders, besides making no little progress j
mathematics. He was now brought TO
stand {; the boys books could carry him n
v farther; and his desires had become ten time
more Intense. He was in fact more unhau
Ply Than he had ever been before. He ha,
= just learned enough TO see more clearly thai
ever the real value OF lesrning-ius enough
to stir within him all lofty aspirations con