Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1868-04-22

he died while his little bov wos n baLv Rut
he remember. his mother He lived 1ll ,lone
with her in one room. away mn two aig,ts of
stairs. in a house in AN alley off from Gather
inc street. in the great city of philadelphio
Willie SAYS She was "a SIS prcttv little ,notber -
but She had to work very hard to Get money
enough TO buy coal and bread every d,v and
poy the rent Of her room every week Some.
times She would IN ont towasb for Indies and
then little Willie had to he lorked into the
room and stay all aloue tin She came back
At other times She brought home sewing 10
do. and stitched away from enrlv in the
morniny till late at night
, Poor little Willie had nohodv IN nlav
with. and if was hard 10 omuse himself MI
dav. Sometimes he would look ont of tho
window lint il was so bieh that ne conld see
very little unIess he leaned ont His mother
would not allow him to leon ont cnr fear that
he migLt fall Sometimes sbc hrouobt lin,
somc iittlc blocts of wood to rl,,, VIII Gon,
tbe c,.ncntor,. .h,,, ~ tL,, ,.or,,,.f ,L, la.
Ard soneti,ne. bo ,,nt a s,,;n,, ,'.o,,nl r.
chair, AMI drove it for horse, while his
mother sat on the foot of the bed to sew.
3. They had only one chair, so, when it
was Willies playicllow, she had to sit ON the
bed. Wllie's mother used to sing sometimes
over her work, or tell him little stories but
after while she got very white and Thin. aud
scarcely ever smiled or talked.
t. She was sick sometimes too sick to 90
out to wash or get work from the shops. So
she got very little money in those days. and
little Willie was often hungry and cold.
s. When he was five wears old she died,
and poor little Willie was alone with her all
that night. for the people who lived down.
stairs were drunken and noisy. and he wns
afraid to 80 down to tell them. In the morn.
ing he crept down and told the carpenters
wife, mother 80 still all nipht, [ 'fraid. " and
she went up and found the poor Young mother
living, white, and cold and dead. with her
work vet in her hands. Willie does not
know who buried his mother. "Some men
put her in box, and carried her away in a
wagon" But his aunt, his mothers half
sister, came Just before that, and when she
went away, she took Willie home with her.
g Mr. rssss sss ,ss s, Mssr sss~' Mad
an, ~ Ler bnshanI,s wages Ard ~ bo al
received ten doIlnrs = week and afier viii;
can,a ,bar, wore ton ,,ontbs Ia fad ha,;J,
payipe seven dollars a month for rent nm,
bnyip9 eoal for the FIRE. we can easily So,
that thew had 10 eat the coarsest and cheo,es
nod and eould scarcely ever have no,
garment
Little Willie shared with the rest. and
thonch he was often hungry and always rag.
oed Mrs Terri did as well for him as she
could Il was great change for Willie from
tbe neatness and ouiet of the little lonely
room where he had lived alone with his moth
or. and scarcely ever heard voice besides
hers 10 this large and noisy family of chill
dren. who ran in the street most of the time,
and were always dirty aud boisterous. Will
lie was always quiet child. and he never
felt quite at home among his sturdy cousins.
He could not forget his a pretty little mother. -
and the days when she cared for him, and
watched him so tendcrly. He was AS often
hungry then as now, perhaps. bat his heart
was not so starved for want of kind words
and loving acts.
3. When he was seven years old, he. with
his cousins John and Samuel. were hired for
three weeks, by man in the market, to 90
to New Jersey and pick peas. Mrs. Terry
bought them some new Jackets and straw hats
with the money they earned while there
These were the first really 1.eao clothes vii.
| lie remembered ever having; for they had
always before been made from old ones
When Willie was about eight years old. hi,
aunt one day sent him to carry some clothe,
home, which she had washed for gentleman
at the Merchants hotel. ON Fourth street.
o. When he was nearly there. he met Ben
Shane a boy who lived aercss the way from
them when his mother was alive. Ben had d
box, or little chest on his back, which he car
ried quite easily, because it was strapped b,
two strong strips of leather, which wer,
crossed over his breast.
10. Ben knew Willie at once, though h,
had not seen him in three years.
II. Halloo. Willie JONES' aaid he, al
that you?"
II. Yes" said Willie; "but | dom
know your name
l3. Im Ben Shane. Eve seen Won nj
to the window lots of times M in our court
Your mothers dead. amt She ~
ii. yes" answered Willie GLOW d.
Won do. Ben p
10. "Tip.top." said Ben s. You're n III
tie chap, vet. amt you?"
: 1G. " Aunt saws / don't grow much " re
j, nlied Willie "What have Won ,ot in Won
box % he added.
IL. "Why, brushes and bhekin', to b
sure said Ben. Pm a boot-black. yo
know
Is. Are YOU? didn't know that
, 10. yes; been in business for mysel
most Il year DOM drst-rate. Where d
you live now, WiIie9"
20. with my aunt, in Sand alley, O