American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1865-10-18
Be Clean and Tidy.

De Ul6an anu I1uy.
When / was six years old, says n we'll
known merchant, my father died, leaving
nothing to my mother but the charge OF my
self and two young sisters. After selling
the greater part of the household furniture
she owned, she took two small rnoms in
W--street, and there, by her needle. enn>
trived IN some way-how cannot tel, when
| collected the little money for which she
worked-to support us in comfort. Frequent
ly, however, ! remember that our supper
was simply slice of bread, seasoned by
hunger, and made inviting by the neat man
ner in which our meal was served, tlir TIA
BILE always being spread with cloth, which,
like my good mothers heart, seemed ever to
preserve a snow white purity.
Wiping his eyes the merchant continued
speaking of those days reminds me of the
time we sat down to tile table one evening,
and my mother having asked the blessing
OF our heavenly Father on her little defenoe-
less ones, in tones Of tenderness that | re-
member yet, she divided the remnant Of
her only loaf into three pieces, placing one
in each of our plates but rcserying none
or herself stole round to her and was
about to tell her that | was not hungry,
when food of tears burst from her eyes,
aud she clasped me to her bosom. Our
meal was left untouched we sat up late
that night and what we said | cannot tcll.
| know that my mother talked to me more
as companion than a chill. When We
knelt down to pray | gave up myself TO be
the Lords, and TO serve my mother.
"Bu'," said he, this is II t telling you
how neatness made my fortune. 1t was
some time after this that my mother fund
nm advertisement in the newspaper for an
errand boy in a commission house in B.
street Without being needful to wait to
have my clothes mended, for my mother
always kept them in good order, and altho'
on clese inspection. they bore traces of more
than one patch, yet on the whole, they look
ed very neat without wai;ing IL arrange
my hair, or clean my shoes, for was obs
liged to observe, from my earliest youth
the most perfect neatness in every respect
my mother sent me to see if could obtain
the situation. With light step started,
for had long wished my mother to allow
me to do something TO assist her.
" My heart beat fast assure you, as |
81 e 4
made my way along to the number my
mother had given me. | summoned all
the courage l could muster, and stepped
briskIy into the warehouse, apd found
my way into the counting house, and made
known the object Of my Ealing. The mer-
chant smiled, and told me there was anoth-
er boy who had come a little before me,
who he thought he should engage How
ever, he askad NE some question, and went
tut an talked with the other boy, who stoo
in the back part of the office The result
was that the lad lla6 been dismissed. and
entered the merchants employment, first as
an errand boy, then as a clerk, afterward
as partner uhtii DIS oeatn, WHeH DC lelt
me the whole of the stock in trade. After
/ had been in his service some years, he
told me the reason he choose me preference
to the other boy was because Of the gener-
al neatness of my person; while in refer
euce to the other lad he noticed that he neg
lecled to be tidy. To this simple circum-
stance has probably besn owing the greater
part Of my success in business"