Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1863-11-06
The Tlnker,s ApnrenfIee.

AAO AAHAOA . AppICut1Cts
In one of the miserable huts Of the
village of Derezart, family, consisting
OF father, mother, and two daughters.
were seated around the iron lamp, sus-
pended by string from the roof. The
woman' span, and the little girl
slept in her fathers lap, while he braid
ed hemp. They were sad and silent, |
during a long time, when the mother, adj |
dressing her eldest daughter, said.
Come, Margaret, wipe your eyes, and
think no more about it. 1t is misfor-
tune, and cannot be helped. Your
brother will come to-morrow-our neigh
Dor James has said So Try to be lit
tie more gay to receive him. Poor dear
child, 1t is now two years since he left
u.s.
Yes, replied the father, q tits use
less to speak of it more; what is done is
DONE
Margaret, instead of being soothed, |
burst into tears She was n large. ro- |
bust girl, of twenty-five years of age, who
had been for q long time betrothed to a
young man of the village The marri-
age was to take place on the return of
her brother; but one of the two cows of
her father had died suddenly, and thus
all her hopes were destroyed, for this
was to be her dowry, aud constituted the
entire wealth of the family. The father
of her lover had forbidden the marriage,
now that she had nothing; and this was
the cause of her sorrow.
The next day great preparations were
made to receive Francois Buckwheat
cakes, milk, and some bits of bacon com
posed the feast, to which many neigh
bors were invited AZ -as
Everything was ready for the recep-
ton when the young traveller arrived, and
every heart beat with Joy, and every
tongue expressed welcome, and all
were gay except Margaret, on whose face
was cloud of sadness, which Francois
did not fail to perceive.
What is the matter, my sisterP said
he.
But, instead Of answering, she turned
away to hide her tears.
Francois wished again to question her,
but his mother led him aside and told
him her misfortune.
Francois Immediately approached his
sister, and said: -
Do not be troubled, Maggy; 1 have
earned twenty dollars; take them and
buy COW in place of the one you have
lost. | do not need money, and if | do,
am not well and strong, and do not
know how to work? Next year I will
make two voyages instead of one, and
now that | am older they will be more
profitable"
Margaret, overcome by his generosity,
threw herself into his arms and wept.
Francois was apprentice to a tinker
and member of all kinds of ware, such
as you hear every day in the streets, cry
ing, Kettles to mend? bring them to
me; melt your pewter spoons to mend
your saucepans
In this, as in other trades, children are
taken by master, to whom they are
bound for number Of years, and who
has a right to their time and toll. They
sometimes establish themselves in large
cities, but in the country there is not
enough work to employ them long iR erf4
Ia@e, stopping only so long as is neces-
saffy TO fnish what they had to do.
In these tours the master or patron
marches at the head, and the children,
to the number of three or four, follow.
each with pack, according to his
strergth-a beetle, bellows, furnace, and
various tools being required whenever
they find work.
If they see farmhouse in the dis
lance, one of the children is sent to de-
mand if they have crockery, kettles. or
spoons to mend, and in the spirit, if not
in the words, of the old song, they cry:
" Sir, have you any kettles to mend?"
" No, no, not any to-day, my child,
thank you
"But Tomorrow
Nor tomorrow, or ever, go along "
Sir, pray let me mend your ket-
tles?"
But | tell you they are not broken. +"
Oh, pray you, for it is not for them,
but it is for myself IF l 90 home with
out sou, I shall be beaten"
If that is all, l will give you twenty"
Oh, you are fit to be a prince"
If in any of the houses they are need
ed, they establish themselves before the
door, heat the furnace, and apportion to
each his labor. If they are needed in
many houses, they erect rude hut. and
the children bring the broken articles
and return them when finished. Their
honesty Is proyerbial No matter how
many or how valuable the articles con-
hded to them, all will be returned to the
mlnutest tarthings worth, and he who
should once fail to do this would never
again be employed by his master, or be
able to find another.
1t night overtakes them far from any
village, they continue their march, how
ever cold and dark, until some human
habitatlon appears. Here they demand
hospitality, which is seldom refused tC
those so poor and honest. They carry
their own provisions, and only wish Il
warm themselves by the fire and sIeer
IN the barn, and will perform any tiHk
ering OF which the family have need, il
return.
So soon as the cock crows they are OF
their way, and every night the little ones
nearly fall with fatigue; for it is in tbs
winter that they travel, when there is nc
other work to be had, and the roads ar,
bad, and they are miserably guarded
from the cold and wet
To protect their feet they have onl,
wooden sabots, and their clothes. if orig
inauy of wool or cotton, have beer
patched with sheepskin until there i
little to be seen of the foundation. Their
food Is dry bread, sometimes a few veg
etables dressed in oil, and on fete dgy
bit of meat When they have Learned
their trade, and have become ekiIlful
they can perhaps earn twenty dollars il
a season, which is devoted b. the pur
chase OF a little land, which Is retafnei
by the family in common uuhl the chill
becomes man, when he takes posses
SION OF 1t by right, and what it produces
joined to what he can still earn, suffice
to his wants and his ambition. TIL
story which we have told at the com
mencement' proves that they are nc
without noble qualities of mind an