The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1868-01-18
A Bat Of workadav Biography.

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n Bat of workadav Biography.
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How | got th rough the rest of the night,
| goodness only knows; bot BY the time il be-
came daylight found my way into Smith
1 field, for | felt as if I'D like to be nearer
where my mother was lying. 1t was market
morning, and stood about, watching the
cattle, and the dealers, and the drovers, till
the hospital was opened. Then ] went in
among the patients who were waiting to see
the doctors. One Of 'em near the door was
big, wel-built man, with dirty, but
cheery-l boxing face; he had his hand in a
sling, and was talking to an old womsn with
baby in her arms. Presently be b. xoned
me, and asked me some questio' and be
spoke in such fstherly manner at soon
told him all knew about my and my
mother.
Now I come to think You mI, h known
Joe Stoker be used to work fy- ar peo-
! pie before he set up in a'lirtle way or him
self in Cow Gross. Well, it was him, and
he had met with little accdent-hit his
hand, maybe, instead o. the iron. The end
Of II was that be took me home, and for
year or so worked the bellus all day, and
went to ragged school at night. After
that be began to teach me the trade, little by
I little. so that by the time was fourteen
! could do odd Jobs and work at the anvil
pretty well. But ! never take much TO
books, and they used to tell me | should
never be credit to the school, which, being
ragged school, wasn't saying much for
chap still, went regularly, and tried my
best. Joe Stoker, as | dare say you know,
wasn't bad scholar, and he used sometimes
\ to 90 Of an evening and help the boys over
their figures, and his only child, Mary-who
was about my own age, and as pretty and
I good lass as ever wss-weBt with him to
/ show the gals how to make their own clothes
yeu should ha' seen how hard that gal Of
bis tired to knock to Snock the lessens into
my stupid head. napaged 'rithmetic fair
ish, for Joe was always makin' me count
I the strokes % the hammer, the rivets, or the
number of hours it wanted to Sunday, and
I could chalk letters bit on the wall but
as for spelliR', believe, as s7re as you're
smoking that there pipe, I'D never ha' known
how to spell decent il it hadn't been for
Mrry The nights that Jee didn't 90 out,
used TO polish myself up a bit extra ard
see her across to the school and all the way
there and all the way back, it was spell,
spell, spell, till | got hold OF the words Of
the lesson.
Now always looked upon Joe more as
q father than as q master, and so, when his
wife died, and be took on so as to neglect
his business, aud when be was almost ruined
I, thrC5gh heavy job as be never got paid
for, and when he hroEs his leg and was laid
up ever &C long-all which happened before
was twenty--I stuck all the closer to the
shop, aud be used to say, though not in my
bearing, that Providence had Civ him a
son as be never expected. | don't believe
my own father could ha' treated me better
than he did--or so well, for thst 7aatter-
and did all | could to slow az was not
ungrsteffSahb
It's Just seven wears ago this past Christ
mas, that one morning the postman brings
Joe letter as big as a sweetheart's valentine,
and when we snt down to dinner be took
II down from the mantlesbelf and read it
over and over, AID seemed cast down like,
and more thoughtful than usual Yes, you' e
right, be was alters a bit serious, but be
knew when to be serious and when t. be
cheery, and it amt every one as does. Well,
as was sayin', the letter dida't seem to do
him much good and so, thinking be might
want TO talk il over with Mary whatever it
was-I made an excuse about job being
wanted, and got back into the shop as soon as
possible. He wasa't very long after me, but
could see when be came 10 that something
bad gone wrong. bad q good mind to ask
him about il two or three times, but didn't,
and so we scarcely spoke word all the rest
of the day.
Well. that evening, when the forge was
shut up, Mary and went out for our usual
walR. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays,
we helped a bit at the school, and the other
nights we took a stroll up along the New
River, which wasn't covered up then as it is
nsw. "A never shall forget that night We
waIked for miles without ever speaking q
word. and don't know how much father
ne might ha, gone in the same unsociabls
manner. if Mary hadn't said, t" Harry, shall
ve 20 back - There was nothing partic'lal
In tbat. says you no more there wasn't
bus then could tell by her voice that she
was cryiD'; and | up and asked her whsi
: WA. the matter at home, ~ ! knew Il mus
be tat as made her low-spirited. "Weil,
saws she, s. you'd better know ID first % last;
they're going to turn father out Of the forge
after he's had il so many years, and ies tt
: be pulled down to make railway" Hos
see Joe never had Q lease, 90 be couidn'
make them end him smother place, and 4
. vas too late 20 start sfresh at this time o
life, ne he said, and he didn't like TO Horl
iourneywork again, il be was able, which b
wasn't. All the way we walked home VI
talked IL over and we got nearly back VI
turned round and went over the same gsouni
sgin, for wanted Mary 10 settle IL rigb. oi
haBd. At last it was getting 30 late, tha
We began to fear lest Joe should be angry
fso pulled Mary's arm . bit tighter througl
INV own, and took her little wss hand n
nine. and By the time We got TO the door
!. ihoneh We hadn't spoken for ever % long,
= pretty wcil understood what might do nex
!. For ali Joe's Misfortune, felt hsppis
that than had ever done before, aud in u
l morning / was mp fnll honr esrlier the
, usual, workin' away with al might %
|. singing ike anything. Al, md | wss tbin1
Ing too. -.thinkfsE Row I sasald bfsak = .
lMsry's father. Joe didn,t nons aoHn II
eight O'Clock, and tnens - walked right 7
% the anvil where | wAs working, 80 locke
tine straight III tie fscs. l Looked = theeg
tE sonld Is drop't e. aeksd NJ par1ou q
somethings L9Poss hesew I1oeho4 feoli41
4 for she eb9ppad Re a \ 80 Gai1g - ereot
nip, = Hs1sys Z ssys ~ yo6P1s -
80 la1 - MUss4 - = lnaeo - Z
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