The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1857-08-19

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best sleeping iu the world In the crotch
of tree topl Now reckon you would
not believe IL, but I've gone all winter
without shoe &c my foot; aud living
on wild game, whsn I could catch it.
That's so.'
Didn't stunt your growth any said
voice near.
Not a bit Of il Il brought me up
right These prairiss are wonderful
roomy. | tho't ons spell I would let
myself out entirely, but mo and mother
held caucus, and decided that as she
was getting old, and blind like, it took
too long and cost too much to sew the
legs Of my trowsers, and SO put stop
to it and concluded that six foot five
would do for feller that couldn't afford
the expensive luxury Of wife to make
his breeches. 1t was only my love for
my mother that stopped my growth. If
I'd had an idea Of q sewing machine,
there's no telling what might have
done
You have 80 many gold pieces 10
your pocket, you can afford to get your
trowssrs made now. Why don't you and
your mother hold another corcus, and
see what you can do2 IL che would let
you expand yoursel, you night sell ou.
to Barnnm and make fortune BY trav.
elling with Tom Thumb, and take the
old woman along.
Stranger said the rough great man,
and his whole face doomed up with a
mingled expression Of pain and pride
Stranger, l spoke . word here I didn't
mean to . slightly word, like about
my mother would give all the gold
in my pocket to bring her back for one
hour, to look upon this country as it is
now. She had her cabin here when
Chicager was nowhere; here she raised
her boys-she couldn't give EN- larnin'
but she taught US better things than
books Gun give to be honest and truth
full. She taught us to be faithful end
true, to stand by friend and be generous
to an enemy. IT, thirty years stranger
since We dug her grave by the lake side
here, with our Own hands; and with
many a tear and sob, turned ourselves
away from the cabin where we'd been
raised--the Indians had killed our faith.
er long before, and we'd nothing to keep
us-and go We went out to seek our
fortunes. My brother, he took down to
81. Louis, and got married down there
somewhere and I just went where the
wind blowed, and whom had scraped
money enough together, oum back and
bought few acres Of and around my
mothers old cabin for the place whore
I'd lain her bones wss sacred like. Well,
10 the course Of time 1t turned up right
in the middle of Cbisagsr. I couldn't
stand that-I loved my old mother to
well to let the omnibpsses rattle ovor her
grave, SO cum back about fifteen years
ago, and quietly moved her away to the
burying ground and then I went away
to Texas and wrote to an agent after.
wards to sell my land. What cost .
few hundred to begin on, sold for over
forty thousand--and II had kept il till
now 'twould have been worth ten times
that; that's so. work hard, am the
same rough customer, remember every
day of life what my mother taught me,
never drink, gamble nor fight, wish
didn't swear and ohew-but them's got
10 be q kind Of second nature to me spd
the only thing that troubles me is my
money-havn't got any wife nor chill
dren, and I'm going now to hunt up my
brother and his folks If bis boys are
clever and industrious, amt ashamed of
my big boots and old fashioned ways
and his gals is young women and not
ladies, il they helps their mother, and
don't put on more'n two frocks q day,
Ill make 'em rich every one on 'em.
Nov gentlemen faint often I'm led
to tell on myself after this fashion, but
these old places where 1 trapped when
1 was boy, made me feel like q child
sgain-and / feel like telling The young.
sters here abouttb The changes and chauoes
feller may meet in life IL he only tries
to make the most Of himself.
But, boys, said he turning to party
OF young men, there's something better
than money. Get education. Why,
boys, il l had as much larniu' as money,
l could be President in 1857, just a.
easy. Why could buy up half the
North and not miss IL out Of my pile.
But get larnin'; dou't chaw tobacco 4;
don't take to liquor; don't swear. aud
mind your mothers-that's the advice of
real live Sucker; and if you mind what
say, you may be men, land it amt
every fellow that wears q goatee and
breaches that's man BY long ways)
Foller out her oounsels and never do a
thing thatll make you ashamed to meet
her in heaven. Why, boys I've never
done bad thing but l heard my moth
sr's voice reprovipg me and I have
never done good thing and made q
good move. but l seemed to hear her
say that's right, aud that has been the
best Of all. Nothiu' like mother, boy;
notbin' like mother-that's so.'
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
! III H. m