Columbia democrat and star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1867, 1866-10-31
Be Clean and Tidy.

" w hen L was SIX years Oiu, SdyS "0i
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 took two small rooms in NJ street,
and there, by her needle, contrived in some
wav-how cannot tell, when / recollect the
little money for which she worked to sup
port us in comfort Frequently, however, L
remember that our supper was simply slice
of bread, seasoned by hunger, and made IN
viting by the neat manner In which our
meal was served, our table always being
spread with a cloth which, like my good
mothers heart, seemed ever to preserve q
snow-white purity"
Wiping his eyes, the merchant continued:
Speaking Of those days reminds me OF
! the time we sat down to the table one eve
ming, and my mother having asked the
blessing of our Heavenly Father on her
little defenceless ones, in tones of tenderness
that / remember yet, she divided the rem
nant of our only loaf into three pieces, plac-
ing one on each OF our plates, but reserving
none for herself 1 stole around to her, and
was about to tell her that was not hungry,
when flood of tears burst from her eyes,
and she clasped me to her bosom.
"Our meal was left untouched we sat
up late that night, and what we said | can
not tell. | know that my mother talked to
me more as a companion than a child.
When we knelt down to pray, gave my
self up to be the Lord s, and to serve my
mother.
But" said he, "this is not telling you
how neatness made my fortune. 1t was
some time after this that my mother found
an advertisement in the newspaper for an
errand boy in a commission house in B
street
Without being necdful to wait to have
my clothes mended, for my mother always
kept them in good order, and although on
close inspection, they bore traces of more
than one patch yet on the whole they look
ed very neat without waiting to arrange
my hair, or clean my shoes, for l was obliged
to observe, from my earliest youth, the most
perfect neatness in every respect, my mother
sent me to see if could ob:ainthe situation.
With a light step l started, for l had long
wished my mother to allow me to do some
thing to assist her.
My heart heat fast, assure you, as l
turned out of NJ into B street, and
male my way along to the number my moth
er had given me. / summoned all the cour
age could muster, and stepped briskly into
the ware house, and found my way into the
counting house and made known the object
of my calling. The merchant smiled and
told me there was another boy who had
come little before me, who he thought he
should engage. However, he asked me
some questions, and went out and talked
with the other boy, who stood in the back
part of theyoffice.
The result was, the lad was dismissed
and l entered the merchants employment,
first as an errand boy, then as a clerk, after
wards as sartner until his death, when he
left me the whole of his stock in trade
After had been in his service some years,
he told me the reason he chose me in pref
erence to the other boy, was because of the
general neatness of my person; while in
reference to the other lad he noticed that he
neglected to be tidy To this simple circum-
.tance has probably been owing part of my
success in business"