Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1856-05-06

hHE Boy WHO CoNQUEREp-Somc few ,o,r.
ago. a lad wi o was left without fa.hcr or meth
er of good natural abilities. went TO NV yorl.
alone and triendless. to get a situation, :, sto~,
as oIrtnd boy. or otherwi till he copld co,,-
in'hd a higher position; but this boy lid cot
INTO bad company. and had got into habit of call
lus Tor bis "bitters" occasionally. because La
thought It looked manly. He smoked oleap
cigars. also.
lie had pretty good education. and ON look
ing over the papers he noticed that a merchant
10 feari Street wanted lad of his age, and he
called there and made his business known.
Nv ak into The fife. my lad" said The mer-
c"ant: IN attend to you soon"
hen lie had waited on his customer. he took
seat near the lad, and he esried a cigar in his
nat This was enough. "My boy" said he. ~
want n smart, honest, faithful lad. b7t I CO.,
fhat You smoke cigars; and in my experience
OF many years, | have found ci.rar-smokjnc lads
10 be c"nEc, It'd w.tl various other habits: and.
ii am not mistaken, your breath's an evidences
mat you are not an exception. You can /, a~e
you Viii not suit me"
John--ior this was his nalae-,eld d,,-,, ris
mead and eft the store: AM as he walked aI,nrg
the street, stranger and friendIess the couI sci
OF his poor motle- came forcibIv to his mind.
who upon her death-b d llIed him to her side.
ana Placing her enaciated hand upon his head.
7Sid' johnny, my dea boy. I'm going t. leave
you. You well know the disgrace IN misery
your father brought on Us before his death, and
/ want you TO promise me before die. that
y"u viii never drink ono drop of the accur.ed
poison that killed your father. pyo,nise ,, j..
this and be good boy. johnny, and I shall
die in peace"
The scaiding tears trIcIled down .Tol nnv'5
cheeks, and he promised ever to remember The
dying words ul his mother and never to dr;,l,
any spIrItuous liquors; but he soon FORGOT bia
promise, and when he received the reIuke from
the merchant, he remembered what his mother
had said, and what he had promised her. and
ne cried aloud, and the people gazed at him "a
7 he passed along, and the boys rallied at him.
/ lie went to his lodgings, and throwing him
self upon the bed. gave vent to his feelings in
s b. that were heard al over The house.
/ But John had moral courage He had ener-
gy and determination, and ere an hour had
passed. he had made up his mind never TO Ia Z,
another drop of liquor, smoke another cigar
4 rs long rs he lived. He went straight back
+ to the merchant.
/ said he "Sir. you very probably sent me
away this morning for habits that I've been
guilty OF; but, sir, have neither father or
mother, and though l have occasionally done
what l ought not to do, and have not follc ed
! The good advice of my poor mother on her
death-bead nor done as promised her that l
H-unfA IA, I E.,-,
never to drink another d, op of liquor. nor smoke
another cigar; and if You, sir, viii only try me
it is all / ask"
The merchant was struck with this decision
and energy Of the boy and at once employed
hlm At the expiration Of FIVE years his lad
was a partner al the business. and Is now worth
ten thousand dollars He has faithfully kept
his pledge, 10 which hc owes his elevation.