The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1858-10-13
Neatness.

When I was six years DID," says
well known merchant "my father died,
leaving nothing to my mother but the
charge Of myself and two young sisters.
After selling a greater part of the house.
hold furniture she had owned, she took
two small upper rooms in W-street,
and there, by her needle, contrived, in
some way-how I cannot conceive, when |
recollect the bare pttance for which she
worked-to. support us in comfort. Free
quently, however, remember that our
supper consisted simply of slice of bread,
seasoned by hunger, and rendered inviting
by the neat manner in which our repast
was served, our table always being spread
with cloth, which like my good mothers
heart, seemed ever to preserve snow white
purity"
Wiping his eyes, the merchant contin-
ued
Speaking of those days reminds me of
the time when We sat down to the table
one evening and my mother bad asked
the blessing Of our heavenly Father on her
little dsfenceless ones, in tones of tender
pathos, that | remember yet which, if
possible, must have made the angels weep,
she divided the little remnant Of her only
loaf into three pieces, placing one on each
of our plates, but preserving none for her.
self stole around to her and was about
to tell her that was not hungry, when a
food Of tears burst from her eyes and she
elapsed me to her bosom. Our meal was
left untouched, we sat up late that night
but what we said cannot tell. know
that my mother talked to me more as
companion than 4 child and that when
we knelt down to pray, consecrated my.
self to he the Lords and serve my mother" D"
" But" said he," this is not telling you
how neatness made my fortune. 1t was
some time after this that my mother found
an advertisement in the newspaper for an
errand boy in commission store in B
street. Without being necessitated to
wait to have my clothes mended, for my
mother always kept them in perfect order,
and although on minute inspection they
bore traces Of more than one patch yet
on the whole they had very respectable
air: without being obliged to wait even to
polish my shoes, for my mother always
kept box Of backing with which my
cowhides must be set off before l took my
breakfast, without waiting to arrange my
hair, for I was obliged to observe, from
my earliest youth, the most perfect neat
ness in every respect, my mother sent me
70 SEQ if I could obtain the situation. With
light step started, for I had a lonF
time, wished my mother to allow me to dc
something to assist her.
My heart beat fast, assure you, as
turned out of W---into B--street
and made my way along to the numbe
my mother had given me. summone'
all the courage l could muster and steppe'
briskly into the store, and found my wa
into the counting-room, and made know
the reason of my calling The merchan
smiled and told me that there was anoth
er boy who had come in a little before mc
he thought he should hire. However, b
asked me some questions, and then weu
out and conversed with the other boy, VIII
stood in the back part of the office. TIL
result was, that the lad who first apple
was dismissed and | entered the merchant
employment, frat as an arrand boy, the
as a clerk, afterwards as his partner, unit
his death, whom he left me the whole bus
meas, &c. After | had been in his servi'
some years. he told me the reason he cho
me in preference to the other boy, was b
cause Of the general neatness of my Perso
while in reference to the other lad
, noticed that he neglected properly to tu
. down his vest To this simple eircumstan
has probably been owing the 4 eater pa
, Of my success in business"
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