Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1857-07-16

| If she would let you expand yourself, yo
might sell out 70 Barnum, and make fo
tune travelling with Tom Thumb, and tax
the old woman along" - = T p
"Stranger," said the rough, great maj
and ms whole face doomed up with ming
led expression of pain and pride. "Straf
ger, spohe a word, here l didn't mean to
a slightly WORD, like, about my moth
er. l would, give all the gold in my pocb
ct to bring her back for one hour, to loo
upon this country as it is now. She ha
her cabin here when Chicager was nowhere
here she raised her boys-she couldn'
give them 4arnin' but she taught us bette
thing than books can give; to be honest
and useful, and industrious. She taugh
US to be faithful and true; to stand by
friend, and be generous to an enemy. It.
thirty years, stranger, since We dug he
grave by the lake side with our own hands
| and with many tear and sob, we buriet
her there. Here we parted, my brothe
went down to st. Louis, and after man,
years got married down there som'ers;
Just went where the wind blowed, an(
when 'scraped money enough together
| cum back and bo'ta few acres Of lant
around my mothers old cabin, for the place
where Id lain her bones, was sacred like
Well, in the course of time, il turned ur
right in the middle of Chicager. Iceuldn't
stand that-I loved my old mother toe
well to let omnibuses rattle over her grave,
SO cum back about fifteen years ago, and
quietly moved her away. to the buryn'
ground; and then l went back to Texas,
and wrote to an agent afterward to sell my
land What cost few hundred to begin
on, / sold for over forty thousand I'd
kepe it till now, 'twould have been worth
ten times that; that's so; but Il got enough
fort. l soon turned that forty thousand into
eighty Thousand, ,and that into twice as much
and SO on, till l don't know nor don't care
what I'm worth; that's so. l work hard,
am the same rough customer, remember
every day Of my life what my mother
taught me; never drink nor fight; wish
didn't swear and chaw; but then's got to
be kind second nature, like, and the only
thing troubles me is my money-haven't
got no wife nor children, and I'm going
now to hunt up my, brother and his folks.
If his boys is clever and industrious, amt
ashamed of my big boots and old fashion
ed ways, and his gals is young women and
not ladies, if they help their mother, and
don't put on more'n n two frocks a day, I'll
make EN- rich, every one on 'em. -.
s''Now, gentlemen, faint often I'm led
to tell on myself after this fashion. But
these old places, where | trapped when l
was a boy, made me feel like child again
and just felt like telling these young
sters here about the changes and chances a
feller may meet in life, if he only tries to
make the most of himself. =, !. Et.....r
"'But, boys said he turning to party
of young. men, there's something better
than money. Get education. Why, BOYS.
if / had as much larnin' as money, could
be President in 1869, just as easy. Why,
| could buy up half the North, and not
miss it ont cf my pile. But get larnin' don't
chaw tobacco, don't take liquor, don't swear,
and mind Your mothers that's the advice
Of a real live Sucker; and if you mind
what / say you may be men, land it amt
everyfeller that wears a Goatee and breeches
that's man by a long ways.) Foller out
her coupsels; never do thing that will
make you ashamed to meet her in heaven.
Why, boys, never done a bad thing bit
1 heard my mothers voice reprovin' me;
and | never done a good thing and made q
good move but I've seemed to hear her
Say That's right jack and that has been
the besto all. Nothin' like mother, boys;
notlnn' like mother boys; nothin' like a
so.'' .l'a ~ f'i 'j''
All this had passed while waiting to
wood, just out of Chicago. The great man
was swelling with emotions called up from
the dark shadows of the past; his big,
rough frame heaved like great billow up
on the ocean. Tears sprang to his deep
set and earnest eyes-thcy welled up. to
the brim-and swan round asking to. be
let fall as tributes to his mothers memory
tributes to the love Of the past. But he
checked them down, and humming snatch
of an old ballad, he thrust his hands dawn
il to his pockets, walked back, to the end of
the car, pulled the gigantic collar of his
shaggy coat up around his ears, buttoned
it close, and leaned back against the win
dow in silence.
The cars ratified on. What mind was
there; what giant intellect, sleeping,
buri-d away from light and usefulness by
rubbish Of prejudice, habit and custom
doing but half work, for want of culture
"a mute, inglorious Milton or rather
Webster, going about the world, struggling
with his own soul, yet bound by chains
of ignorance, which precluded his doing but
o moiety of the good it lay in his power to
do. -. - -.
All the way through our long, tedious
journey, he had been ever on the watch TO
do good. He gave up his seat by the fire
to an Irish woman and her child, and took
one farther back; soon young girl seated
herself by his side; as the night hours
wore on and she nodded -wearily, lie rose,
spread his beautiful leopard skin with its
soft rich lining, on the seat, made pillow
of his carpet-bag and insisted that she
should lie down and sleep. sra ~ nil
"What will you do !" said she naively.
"Never mind me-I can stand up and
sleep like Buffalo; Pm used to it. THAT'S
SOP ...-,. -s.t,~... ..ss "a
A little boy, pulled upfrom a sound nap
to give place to incomers, was pacified and
made happy by a handful of chcstnuts and
glowing bit of candy out Of the big mans
pocket. When he left the cars for refresh
ment he brought back his handful of pies,
and disturbed them among weary group.