Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1854-10-03

dnct; and selfish man can never he
hero. will give you two examples Of
genuine heroism, one shown in acting,
the other in suffering; and these shall
he true stories. which is more than can
be ssid Of half that is recorded OF Achil.
les and ALEXANDER.
You have probably heard something of
JOHN HowARD, the Relormer OF Prisons,
to whom monument is just erected in
ST. Psul's Church. His whole life, al.
most, was heroism for he confronted all
sorts Of dangers with the sole view OF re.
lieving the dis,rcsses Of his fellow crea.
lures. When he began to examine the
state OF the prisons, scarcely any in this
county was free from a very fatal and
infectious distemper, calIel the gaol fc.
YER. Wherever he heard oI it, he made
a point Of seeing the poor sufferers. and
often went down into !hei, dungeons
when the keepers themselves would not
accompany him. He travelled several
times over almost the whole of Europe,
and even into Asia, in order TO gain
knowledge Of the state Of prisons and
hospitals, and point out means for lessen.
ing the caamities which prevail 10 them.
He even went into countries where the
plague was. tina! he might learn the best
method Of preventing that terrible con.
tagious disease /; and he voluntarily ex.
posed himself to perform strict quaran.
tine as one suspected Of having the in.
lection Of plague. only that he might be
tn orouehly acquainted with the methods
used for prevention. He at length died
Of a fever caught in attending on the
sick, on the borders Of Grim Tarary.
honored and admired by all Europe. Of.
ter having greatly contributed TO enlig ght.
en- his own and many other countries with
respect to some OF the most important OBJ.
jecls Of humanity.
Such was Howard the Good ps great
hero in preserving mankind, as some
Of the false heroes above mentioned were
in destroying them.
My second hero is much humber
but not less genuine one.
There was a journeyman bricklaycr in
this town. an able workman, but q verv
drunken lille fellow, who spent at the
ale. house almost all he carmel, anil left
his vile and children to shift for them.
selves as they could. This is. unfolu.
nately common case and Of all the
tyranny and cruelty exercised in the
world, believe that OF bad husbands
and fathers is by much the most frequent
AMI the. worst.
The family might have starved, but for
his eldest son, whom the father had
brous sht up to help him at his work and
who was so industrious and attentive.
that being now at the age of fourteen, he
was able to carr pretty good wages, ev'
cry farbing Of which that he coul keep
out Of his fathers hands, he brought
home to his mother. AMI wher his brute
Of a father came home, cursing anl
swearing, AMI in such an i'll humor that
his mother ana the rest of the children
durst not come near HIM, for lear of a
beating, this good lal, CThomas was his
nane) kept near him, TO paciy him, and
get him to bed. His mother, therefore
Justly looked on Thomas as the supper
Of the family, AMI love him dearly.
It,chanced that one day, Thomas, in
climbing up high ladder with load OF
mortar on his head. missed his hold, and
fell down to the bottom on heap ol
bricks an rubbish. The bysta nders ran
up TO him and found him all bloody,
with his thigh broken and bent quite un'
der him. They raised him up, and sprnk'
led water on his face to rec over him from
a swoon in which he had fallen. As soon
as he coulA speak, looking round, with
lamenlable tone, Re cried, ooh, what
will become Of my poor mother!"
He was carried home. | was present
while the surgeon set his thigh. His
mother was hanging over him half dis.
,racled. "Don't cry, mother," said he,
| shall get well again in time" Not a
word more, or a gtoan, escaped him
while the operation lasted.
Thomas was ragged boy, that could
not read or wri,e-yet Thomas has al.
ways stood on my list Of heroes.