The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1859-11-18

| ~ '"S' SoHiPaicu lue penCllS. LIE
was the haudsomest, but no better tha |,
mine. Ihad good lead,pencil. hammered
out OF peace of lead. Mother made it,
and | was satisfied with it. After We grew
up 10 be men, William Foster came to m,
to calculate interest on small note at six
per cent. per annum he carried pcnc
worth fonr cents. I had no gnm elastic
ball; but had one made of woclleu ravel-
ings and covered with leather. Mother
made it,
When in my twenty-second year, left
dome TO attend school in l.. There were
in school some fast young men, the sons of
wealthy parents.-Thcre were others whose
good sense was not annhilated by pecuniary
advantages. Of the former class was one
John Stokes, who wore1 very fine broad
cloth. My best coat was not SO fine, and
the cloth cost only two dollars and fFty
Gems yard; my mother Lad traded tow
check Of her own manufacture for it while
was working to assist my father in rails
ing his family; she paid fifty cents for get
ting the garment cut out, aad made it her
SELF JOHN Stokes came one day to nv
desk, and, holding out his arm, compared
bis coat. sleeve with mine, and inquired
ironically where l got such fine coat {? l
proudly told him :moAcr made it!r lie
teigned great surprise, and sarcas,ically OBJ
served that he had taken it for imported
goods; he wished he could get such fine
clothes. and wondered if mother would Get
him up 4 fine coat.
A short time afterwards, willie in a tailor
shop one morning with fellow student,
John Stokes fine oat was brought in by a
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 Bac-
chus in disgrace, aud now lies in drunk,
ards grave.
I boarded myself while attending school
here. walked nino miles home at the
close of each week, and returned on Mon-
day morning with loaf OF bread under
my arm. 1t woall become stale before
Friday morning, but I always rcished it
when reccllectcd ,k&t sEothcr made, it:'
| am row SO far advanced in life, that
my friends beginsto call me old But I have
not lived long enough to know why 1 should
no. still respect nay mother and regard her
"ffectionately. She is quietly advanced in
years, and has nearly lost her sight. She
sits within few feet OF inc, sewing up
rent in my linen coat sleeve, as write this !;
she knows not what a'n wiring. She has
been widow eight years, an;l is still toll
ing for the welfare Of her children. She
has never studied grammar, nor philosophy,
nor music. These things were seldom
taught in her younger days. But she
knows their value, and has toilcd hard
many a day to purchase books for her
children, and support them at school. And
shall L now curl the lip of scorn, or blush
| in company to hear her substitute a word
OF unity for one Of plurality, or pronounce
word twenty years behind the Webster
ian ear? Never-no never The Old
d'lap'dated grammar in my library might
testify against her style, but its testimony
would be indefinitely more terrible against
my ingratitude. recollec, when she rode
seven miles Gone cold winters day to sell
produce and purchase that book for me
when | was little boy. 1t Itrequired a
sacrifice, but MOTHER MADE IrI