Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1859-06-10

collection that, II did not carry calico
poke, "motbor made It," In less than twon-
ty-fve years after that time, one of those same
schoolmates was happy to avail himself OF the
privilege Of sending his children to my school
to receive gratuitous instruction prohered IN
view Of his extreme poverty. His children
came to school without any dinner. They
had no nice willow basket-they needed no
calico "poke"
William Foster ruled his copy book with a
pencil set in fine silver case. He said he
would not carry such great ugly club of a
pencil as mine. | compared the pencils
His was the handsomost. but no better than
mine had good lead pencil. hammered
out Of piece of lead. "Mother made H. and
| was satisfied with it, After we grew up to
be men, William Foster came to me to get
me to calculate interest on small note, at
six per cent per annum he carried pencil
worth four cents | had no gum elastic ball (;
but had one made Of wooden ravellings and
covered with leather. "Hoiher made H.
When in my twenty-sccond year, left
home to attend school in l.. There were in
the school some fast young men, the sons of
wealthy parents. There were others whose
good sense was not annihilated by pccuiary
advantages. OF the former class was one
John Stokes, who wore very fine broadcloth.
My best coat was not so fine, the cloth cost
two dollars and fifty cents "a yard my moth
err had traded tow check of her own manuiac-
turo for it while was working to assist my
father in raising his family she paid fifty cents
for getting the garment cut, and made it her
self John Stokes came one day to my desk,
held out his arm, compared his coat-slccyo
with mine. and inquired, ironically. where |
got such fine coat. ! proudly told him,
'mother made Il ~ lie eigucd great sur
prise, and sarcastcally observed he had mis-
taken it for imported goods he wished he
could get such fine clothes, and wondered il
mother would get him up fine coat.
A short time alterward, while in tailor
shop one morning with fellow student, John
Stokes 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 previous night on Water St. rolling
in the mud. drunk as Bacchus. lie left the
school in disgrace He now lies in a drunk
ards grave.
boarded myself while attending school
here. | walked nine miles home at the close
of each week, and returned on Monday morn
ing with my loaf Of bread under my arm. Il
would become stale before Friday evening
but always relshcd it when | remembered
that "Mothor made H."
| am now so far advanced in life that my
friends begin to call me old But have no
lived long enough to learn why should no
still respect my mother and regard her afEec
tionately. She is quite advanced in years
and has nearly lost her sight. She sits with
in a few feet Of me, sewing up rent in m
linen coat while write this. She knows no
what | am writing. She has been a widow
eight years and is still toiing for the weltar
of her children. She has never studied gram
mar, nor philosophy, nor music These thing
were seldom taught in her younger days
But she knows their value, and has toilo,
hard many a day to purchase books for he
children, and support them at school. An
shall now curl the lip of scorn, or blush i
company, to hear her substitute a verb G
unity for one of plurality, or pronounce wor
twenty years behind the Websterian era =
Neyer--no never The old dilapidate
p grammar in my library might testify against he
style; but its Testimony would be infnitel
more terrible against my ingratitude. re
collect well when she rode seven miles, on
cold winters day, to sell produce and pun
chase that book for me, when | was litt
boy. 1t required sacrifice, but "MoTHE
MADE IT.