The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1870-04-01
a sT0RT FOR CHILDKEE

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"oLD TwEBDY's" had LUOH
a 5TORT FOR CHILDREN
doubt whether many Of the chill
Ten knew the real name of the maj
who lived in the small brown hOus
on the bank Of Cedar Lake, bat the
all knew him by the name Of "Olo
Tweedy" Nobody knew or SCENE,
to care how old he was or where HI
was born. There he had lived eve
since anybody ouldremember. H,
was harmless, inofensive man. haf
no enemies, and ifthe truth must bt
told had no friends. He was moi
profane nor malicious, not dishonest
or treacherous; but he ,rds law. HC
loved anything better than work
Whether laziness is q part Of @origin.
Ial sin, or only actual transgression,
I viii not undertake to decide. Il
it was the former, Old Tweedy was
as full Of it "as on egg is Of meat; .
IF it vas the latter, nc had much foi
which to be accountable. He would
IS. 5lG half q day in mending any
child's sled, or helping the boy to
fasten on his skates, and he would
spend the whole day in the little
grocery store near by, in smoking
ana talking, sometimes splitting and
sometimes nOddjng.
The great burden of0ld Tweedv's
song was that he 'never had any
luck in anything" His hard-work
ing neighbOrs were always lucky, -
but he never was. Every thing went
against him. If he planted a small
strip of corn, the fences not being
attended to, some strolling cow
would get in, and in one night ruin
all If he had p COW Of his own. she
was sure TO dry up verysoon for
want of food and care, and that was
his "luck.' Tfhe got pig it would
.Gea. ,g agony for
Iosu-sa,, az ia -etout. ..ui ka
him a day or two to get him back
into his rickety pen--and that was
his "luck.' If there came a rain
storm, ne was so "unlucky" as to
have a house "always a-leaking"-
for the want of an hours work. His
garden was an "unlucky spot, +"
aIwaps full of weeds, and nothing
else. IF he wanted his wood cut up,
his axe was sure to be dull, and his
grindstone broken. His very razor
was an "unlucky" one, and would
taSr and pull, and draw beard and
tears at the same moment-for the
want ofsharpening. Hence it was
that everything he had or touched
seemed to be "unlucky.' His pa
tient and kind wife caught q terrible
cold in the leaky house, and was in
consequence laid up with the rheu-
natism most Of the time-which was
"very unlrcky."
Now it came to pass that Old
was, of course, very poor.
He came to Saturday night, and he
had no food. So, the grocery moi
being open, he had to fish in the
pond all next day. II was his aporb
barrel" he said, the only pork bar
.rel such poor bodies had
Old Tweedv had one treasure
.one idol of his heart. It was q
beautiful little girl about ten years
.old. Every one said that "AIary is
lust like her mother and not q bit
like her father" Old Tweedy was
too iUdolent to care what people
Isaid; he only knew that, IN his eyes
there was not q being on earth-anC
Ihe couldn't imagine one in heaven
so perfect as 'my little Mary"
Dir. CIough, the school master
from the town Of Sunrise, opened {
ISahbath-school in the school house
lon the other side Of the lake. AND
little Mary wanted to 90, and she die
lgo. At first her father rowed he
lover in the boat, and sat and smoked
Itill the school was closed. After ,
while he would listen TO the siugin.
loG the children, which he could plain
liz hear. Then ne went a little near
Ier. then stood at the door, and theI
! l8Ir. Ciough saw him, and spoke o
little Mary aud her good lessons, an(
ltEen he got him into the room 9n'
lgaye him his own chair near tn
ldoor. so that ne might feel that h
lcould dodge out If anything fright
iful should happen BUT nothing
lfrightful happened; and 50 he con
Itinued to 90, and ct length began t.
listen and to think, and sometime
great tears would roll down his face
Then one night he woke up and hear
little Mary praying for her idea
father" 1t was to much! OIL
ITweedy was moved IS he was neye
moved before. The prayer Of hi
child, and the Spirit Of God, in an
swer to that prayer, filed his sou
A long agony of weeks followed. H
Ileft going to the grocery; he stOppe.
fishing on the Sabbath; he began t
work; his house was mended; tn
lcow was different creature; the pi
stopped squealing,and themother 60
better. He lost all his bad luck,
lbut instead of it he had industry an
thrift, and a happy home, and tn
bright face of happy Mary, and tn
blessing of God.