Weekly American. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1858-1858, 1858-01-30
MISCELLANE ECU S.
THE RUINED POTTER.

James Fielding was the son of potter, and
bred up to his fathers trade. He married
young long before he could keep wife-and
with both his parents consent, or rather with
their forgiveness, as they could not help them
selves. For, as they said 1t war very natural
an he might ha' done worse 'twar, to be
sure, the first time an belike he wouldn't do
it agen. And SO they cordially shook hands
with him, and pledged the pretty bride in a
fagon of Burton, and were both present at the
| first childs christening. But the cholera
came soon afterwards, and took off the old man
and his wife This was ths opening scene of
James Fielding's sufferings pestience
and death His wife and himself were soon
| afterwards both seized with the disorder, and
though they recovered slowly, it was only to
find their father and mother, and first child
| removed from their once comfortable home to
the churchyard, and they themselves with
feeble bodies and accumulated debts, which
had run on wildly during sickness. First
James was put into Jail for the doctors BILL
and then the landlord distrained for rent and
turned them on the world and so they were
ruined.
To be in prison, never serves man he
gets habit of shifting and shuffling, and lean
ing, and talking and idling; he has the short
hand in the pocket walk, and the hang-down
look of Jail companion: he is never man
again. James Fielding came out of Stafford
jail, changed character; more clever and less
|
capable Of work-daintier, but not so refined
prouder but not more honorable: the edge
was taken from the mind and given to the ap-
petites nevertheless he was a fond father, for
he shortly became one again, and a loving
husband to wife who doated on him. But a
thoroughly fallen man seldom rights himself
and bankruptcy is a break up for life in the
constitution Of successful industry. James
Fielding labored, but his toll was thriftless; he
found friends, but, one way or other, he let in
everybody who had anything to do with him.
By degrees, he got, as was natural, a very bad
character, and as is generally the case under
such cif fcumstances, without altogether deserv-
ing it. He was an unfortunate, but not an
evil man and we all know how falling bodies
quicken in their descent
STILL he was man born to suffer, and earn
his bread by the sweat Of his brow. Men Of all
countries, station, and fortunes, labor-from
the serf to the lord-and Fieldings destiny
was only that of bis sex. But the gentle,
pretty girl, whom he had taken from her
fathers home to comfort and cherish, to keep
his freside clean, and to nurse his little ones
around him,-her lot was not cast by God for
labor, for toll, for MOL, and anguish yet, who
can tell what arrows ofgrief pierced that wo-
mans heart during her twelve years appren-
ticeship TO wifedom Who shall describe the
womanly miseries, alas, too common in Eng
land Of her daily shifts and struggles, her
pigmy guant looks, her threadbare clothes in
sufficient to protect her from the winter wealth
er, her hard day labor, her sharp endurance of
her chidren's hunger, and forgetfulness of her
own: her long sad catalogue of dstresses,
compared with which the pains of childbirth
and even the death of the child at the breast,
are nothing, being feminine sufferings.
This poor woe begone mother stood before
good curate Godfrey, one Of q noiseless way
faring body Of christian men who make a lit
tie stir beyond their own parish, but are there
constantly felt and heard of; the true disciples
Of the Father Of the poor, the worlds first
teacher Of charity.
"He be goin' fast indeed he be" said Mary
Fielding, speaking Of the potter, who had been