Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1859-12-31
NUMBER ~.
+" MOTHER MADE IT."

! tiiul inland citigs OF, " lSconsIq, an fncfdene
occurred which awakened in my mind train
/ Of reflections which possibly may be written
and read with advantage.
! was hurrying along the street when my
attention was arrested BY the appearance Of
II little boy on the side Of the pavement selling
candy. IIc was not really beautiful, nor was
he decidedly the reverse. Ills age was. .abopt
nine years his clothes were old and faded, =
but well patched. His candy was spread Upon.
n coarse white cotton cloth, neatly stretched
over what bad been japanned server. he
was surrounded by small group of boys,
evidently belonging to different grades Of So
cictv
y, came nearly opposite TO him the Oft
reiterated lntefiude; " Candy; s'r!" fell upon
my ears, and, although opposed 10 the exces-
six" Use If candy, stepped aside to patronize
the light haired, pale, frcckled, homespun little
representative Of trade. purchased Of him,
partly for his encouragement, but with partic-
lilar reference to the friendship Of the little
folks Of the family with whom was tempo
rary guest.
The candy was as white as The cloth beneath
it, being free from the poisonous coIoring in
gradients so extensively used in the eonfec-
tioncry art. tasted it, and found it delicate
fly favored and very nice.
My boy said |, "your candy is very
good let me have n little more"
i Immediately saw that my remark had ava
kcncd in his young heart emotions which, in
themselves, were quite abstract from the candy
trade. Ills countenance beamed with joy as
he raised his large eyes, sparkling with delight,
and observed in reply:
1t is good, isn't it? Mother made it."
In these few words was embodied an uncon-
scious exhibition of character. Here was q
spontaneous outburst of flial affection.
Now this incident in itself, was trif'ing, but
the spirit Of the language carried my mind
back through life more than thirty years, and
at irregular intervals badc me pause and apply
the sentiment to some item connected with my
own history.
Before making the application, however,
wish to disabuSc myself Of the charge which
such application may inc1r of appropriatng to
myself the nobility of character which have
above attributed to the candy boy. Holding
myself exempt from this arrogance, | would
simply say, ain not ashamed Of the profes-
sion Of affection for my parents, and hope
may not outve that profession.
When was a little boy, at school, and car
ricd my dinner in a satchel maize of calico,
some oimy >chOo-matcs carried theirs in FASH
innabe willow baskets, and sometimes tcased
me because carried mine in "poke." felt
vcXed, but rcconcilcd myself with the re4ol-
lection that, if did carry calico poke
"mOther made it," In less than twenty-five
years after that time, one of these same school.
mates was glad to avail himself of the privilege
, Of sending his children to my school to receive
gratuitoua instruction, prolcred in view of bis
cstrcmc poverty. His children came to school
without any dinner. They had no nice willow
basket-thcv needed no calico "poke."
William Foster ruled his copy book with a
pencil set in u fine silver case. EIe said he
would not carry such a great ugly club Of q
pencil as mine. ] compared the pencils. His
! was the handSomest but no better than mine.
had a good lead pencil, hammered out Of q
piece Of lead "Mother made it," and was
satisfied with it. After we grew up to be men,
William Foster came 70 me to calculate inter-
est on a small note at six per cent. per annum;
he carried pencil worth four cents. l had
no gum.elastc ball but had one made Of
wno!lrn ravcllingS and covered with leather.
? Mother made it,"
When in my twenty-second year, left homo
to attend school in l.. There were in school
some fast young men, the sons of wealthy. pa
rents. There were others whose good sense
was not annihated by pecuniary advantages.
Of the former class was one John Strokes, who
wore very fine broadcloth Ny best coat was
not SO fine, the cloth cost two dollars and fifty
cents yard my mother had traded tow check
OF her own manufacture for it, while was
working to assist my father in raising his fami-
y; she paid fifty cents for getting the garment
cut out, and made it herself John Strokes
came one day to my desk, and, holding outhis
arm, compared his coat sleeve with mine, and
inquired ironically where l got such o fine
coat? Iproudly told him Hotter made its"
lie frigned great surprise, and sarcastcally
observed that he had taken it for imported
goods he wished he could get such fine clothes,
and wondered if mother would get him up q
fine coat.
\ short time afterwards, while in tailor.
shop one morning with fellow. student, John
Strokess fine coat was brought in by lad
with instructions to scour and press it. lie
was not in his class that day; he had been seen
the night previous, on Water street, rolling in
the mud, as drunk as Bacchus. lie left the
school in disgrace, and he now lies in drunk
ards grave
| boarded myself while attending school
here. | walked nine miles home ut the close
of each week, and returned on Monday morn
in@ with n loaf of bread under my arm. 1t
would become stale before Friday morning,
but | always rciShed it when recollected
that " -NotheF Htddc it,"
am now so far advanced in life, that my
HIcuuS oeSlu 10 CiliI ne Olu. Dut nave not
lived long enough to know why should not
still respect my mother and. regard her affec-
tionately. She is quite advanccdin years, and
has nearly lost her sight. She sits within
few feet Of me, sewing up rent in my linen
coat sleeve, as | write this; she knows not
what | am writing. She has been a widow
eight years and is still toiling for the welfare
of her children. She has never studied gram.
: mar, nor PHILOSOPHY, nor music. These things
We're sci Ion taught in her younger days..
But she knows their value, ard has toiled hard
many day to purchase books for her chill
: drcn, and support them at school. And shall
: | now curl the lip Of Ecorn, or blush in COM
pany, to hear her substitute verb Of unity
for one Of plurality, or pronounce . word
twenty years behind the Websteriau efaH-
Never-nO, never! The old dilapidated gram
mar in my library might testify against her
style, but its testimony would be indefinitely
more terrible against my ingralitude. rec.
ollect when she rode seven miles one cold win.
tcr's day to sell produce Gnd purchass that
book for mo when was little boy. II re-
quired aSacri6ce, but "NoTuER MADE nj"
Aeirl out West having professed Fslisio vas
, so extremely happy that she waS asera ailerwaTd
heard singing at the top Of hsI yDice thet old