Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1871-03-03
TOM JOINERs "GOOD ANGEL.

LIE following narrative is told to the
reader in nearly the same words as il was
told to the writer, by as fine a Specimen of
tho British workman as ever stood In n
workshop. -
:, 1 couldn't even say my A B G at that
tlme--could |, Mary P-and as to book
learning, was the OILY one in our shop
not aole 10 read TIC newspaper. | was
almost ashamed to listen to them, and nj.
ways kept out of sight when thew were
reading. AT breakfast time they wonId
All be sitting down on heap of shayings
ana saWlust in one corner of the shop,
reading and talking, while | would stay
III tne next room pretending TO work but
stopped there not to work, but to think,
and the only consolation l obtained was
the knowledge of my ignorance. You
mlghtehave seei me erouching behind the
door, with my ear against the crevice. lis.
tening untill felt thoroughly ashamed of
myseH and my lack of eduoation. But
then, thonght ], there is not a man in the
workshop who can plane or .join, or
cniSei, or cut better than | can, and do it
without the aid of books so you see that
although l enyied them when they were
Eeading, hadn't the courage to take
kindly 70 learning.
Nn,"I said, if man comes to be
liy sniTy years of age and knows his trade
yeil' without having any book learning,
" us Is sure to get on in the world"
tnst was the way put it to myself.
spelieve that is the way with hun
ds ofothers. Some say learning makes
man proud-not bit of it-nor does IL
make him over-ambitious. | am quite
content with my present situation, aud do
not intend putting myself very much out
OF the way to get rich faster, for believe
thew who uvutf
their breath.
What did I do with myself of an
evening? Sometimes, when L could afford
1t, went to the theater, and sometimes f.,
the music-halls, and when | couldn't aff ,rd
II, only went to the nearest public house
% drink, five. or six glasses of alp and
smoke my pipe in. compeny ryith a lot of
others. My opinion of ttIeaters i 9bis
They may be innocent enough TO those
who can pay to go % the best parts of the
house, for all Know, or they NAV not;
put l 40 kno" that never received anv
goou IN tne gallery, mixing with SO MANY
vi an soi IS, and | very often caught a
severe cid coming from the almost suffo
oS',ngs "a heat, into the pure, cold, night air
OF tne naked heavens. 1t would never do
lJr man in my trade to frequent thea.
ters; he can't get up early the next
morning, and, in consequence, he very
often loses his situation.
was going to tell you how l came to
De foreman in the shop where now work.
L shall come to it presently: When mar
ried Mary, didn't know b from a bull as
the saying is; and on taking her the first
week wages, she said, holding up a shil-
ing, am going to put. by shilling
: every week lo buy papers and books for
you when you can read"
come said |; How long did it take
you to leaTn?n
Not great while; about twelve
months. | think"
:, 1t seems to me, Mary, that's long
Lme; But why should learn to readg'
asked, for didn't like even Mary to
know that aodRted to learn, and was too
proud to commence.
a." Never mind" said she, playfully;
you shall buy spelling book to night,
and will teach you myself"
Nonsense, Mary, you've quite enough
70 90 to attend to the house, to say moth
ing OF your dress-making trade"
=" can find plenty of time to teach you,
Iom, and she came up to me, and laid her
hand so lovingly on my shoulder, and fell
to coaxing me in such pleasant manner,
that could oppose her wishes no longer
ana went straight tosthe booksellers shop
Ior the spelling book; and that very same
night Mary gave me my first lesson.
never had ns1ny hours to spare, and
haven't now; so you must not expect that
L know great deal; but | can and do
read and understand my Bible and the
newspapers, and on Sundays, when we go
10 church or chapel, l can always join
heart ana soul in the service, because
now Know what it all means. We read
the Bible together every evening, Mary
and | she reads one chapter anu | the
next, and we should do so IN the morning
also, but you know how early go to work
long before she is awake
About month after we were married,
whom should meet but very old mate
OF mine, Jack Ruggles Twas Saturday
night
Well, Tom," said he, show are you'll
haven't seen you this age.
"Middling, Jack; nothing particular to
complain of
Still at the old shop?"
Yes and likely to stay there, if mind
what | am about"
THAT'S the sort. Pye heard you were
marrieiLis it truey"
sit is," said l.
well, come and let us have glass
over it, -- ~
didn't make any objections, although
would rather have gone home to Mary. l
didn't Like to refuse, or he would have
said l was under petticoat government
That's what they always say when they
see newly y-married man wants to get
home to his wife, and they want him to go
drinking. We went into the "Slow and
Easy" and called for pot Of beer, and
then several of our chums dropped in,
and, / am sorry to say, drank more than
was good for me. | got drunk-dont look
so grave-'twas for the last time. thought
of Mary at home expecting me, and won
dering whatever had happened. What
would she say9 Could she fancy / was
getting drunk at the "Slow and Easy?"
, No-never!
, Instead of giving me the courage l was
lacking, this thought made me drink the
harder to drown it. In the days when
was courting Mary | never drank any
thing intoxicating until after | left her so
she did not know-for / never drank at
home-that | was not q total abstainer.
She told me afterwards she always thought
/ was one, or she would never have mar
rled me.
We stopped at the Slow and Easy"
drinking for five hours in fact, until half
past eleven; and than were turned out by
the landlord-probably because we were
too drunk to drink any more. Just as we
were pushed like dogs into the street.
against whom should stumble but Mary
and my master both hurrying to the police
station to inquire whether any one like me
had been seen during the last few hours.
They were afraid l had met with most
serious accident
II l were to live a thousand years l
should never forget the amazed look of
scorn and contempt Mary cast upon me.
II made me mad-mad swore at Mary,
and called her such bitter names as |