The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1871-03-11

the tale OF our undOlDg was on every tongue
and all its particulars, and more than al
were not long in being conveyed to u;
For a tale of distress hath the power of tax
I ing unto itself wings, and every wind {
heaven will echo it, let it come whence
may, aud let It 20 where it may. lbeheld
and heard my mother doomed to recelv
the 1olcful congratulations Of her friend
the prompt expression Of their sympath,
for her calamities 1t was the first time
and it was the last, that many Of them eve
felt for human woe. But there are peopl
in this world who delight to 90 abroad witt
the tidings Of tribulatIon on their tongues
aud v hose chief pleasure is to act the par
Of Jobs comtorters, or, L might say, OF hi
messengers.
We learned that my father bosom friend
the professedly wealthy and pious manutae
turer, had been declared bankrupt, AM
that my father had become liable on his ac
count to the amount Of two thousand pounds
His unguided generosity had previously
Compelled him to mortgage his property, anC
this calamity swallowed it up. NeveI
will l forget the calmnoss, ] might call j
the philosophy, with which my mother re-
ceived the tidlngs.
II am glad" said she to the individual
who first communicated to bcr the tidings
" that my children will have DO cause tC
blush for their father misfortunes and
would rather endure the privations which
those misfortuues may bring upon Us thar
feel the pangs Of lis conscience who has
brought them upon bis friend. II
Nv father sank into a state Of Iesponden.
cy, from which it required all our efforts to
arouse him; and his despondency increased
when it was necessary that the money for
which he bad become liable should be paid
The estate, which bad been 10 the possession
of his ancestors for hundred and fifty
years, it became necessary 10 sell; and
when it was sold, not only to the last acre,
but even to our household furniture, it did
not bring a sum sufficient to discharge he
liabilities which be had incurred. Well DO
[ remember the soul-harrOwng day on
which that sale took place My father went
out into the tieidS, and, IN a small planta
ton, which before sunset was no longer to
be bis, sat down and wept. Even my
mother, who hithertc had borne our trials
with more than mere torIitude, sat down in
a corner Of the house upon The humblest
chair that vas in it, and which she perhaps
thought they would not sell, or that it would
not be worth their selling, and there, with
an infant child at her bosom, she rocked her
bead 10 misery and her secret tears bodeWed
the cheeks Of heE babe.
That night my father, my mother, and
their children sought refuge in a miserable
yarret IN Carlisle. |, as | have already
said was the eldest, and perhaps the change
II their circumstances affected me most
deeply, and by me was most keeuly felt.
Through yielding TO the influence of
r,5l.l-s that were 200 susceptible, my father
bche.d his family suddenly plunged into
lestitution 1t was a sad sight to behold
my brothers and my sisters, who lad ever
been used to plenty, crying around him and
around my mother for bread to eat, when
.hey were without credit and their last coin
was expended. My fataer did not show the
extreme agony of bis spirit before his chii-
lreu, but be could not conceal that it lay
ke cankerworm ia his breast, preyng
mon his vitals. His strength wIhered away
ke leaf in autumn, and what went most
deeply to my mothers heart was that be
seemed az If ashamed TO look Bis family in
ihe face; and he appeared as one who had
a crime which he was anxious to
conceal.
My mother, however, was oman among
ten thousand Never did the slightest
murmur escape her lips to upbI aid my father
for what he had brought upon Us; but, on
the contrary, she daily, hourly strove to
cheer him and to render him happy-to
make him forget the past. But It was a
vain task. Misery haunted him by night
and Nv day; there was despair in hls very
smile, and the teeth Of self-reprOach entered
his soul lie was a man who had received
mde than what is called a common educa-
ton, and a gentleman who had been bis
schoolfellow, and known him from his
childhood, and who resided much abroad,
him to be bis land steward.
The emoluments Of the office were not great,
but they were sufficient to keep bis family
from want
Under the circumstances in which they
were now placed, / was too old to remain
longer a. a burden upon my parents.
therefore bade them a fond, heartrendine
farewell, and with less than four pounds il
my pocket, took my passage from White
haven to Liverpool, from whence | was t
proceed by land 70 London. Liverpool wa'
then only beginning to emerge into it'
present commercial magnitude and | car
ried with nc ettels to two merchants there
the one residing in Poole Lane, the other II
Dale street Both received me civillT, anC
both asked me what | could do. 1t was
question which believe had never occurred
to me before, nor even to my father, up t,
tie period Of my shaking hands with hin
anl bidding Elm farewell. ! besitatct
for few seconds, and | believe that upol
both occasion stammered out the word
"anything"
"You can do anything, can you I" san
the first merchant, sarcastically. " Thel
you are a great deal too clever for me, an,
| suspect the situation of a servant Of al
work viii suit YOU better than that Of clerI
il 4 counting house. Pray, are you ac
quainted with keeping books :'
| replied that | was not
# Then, added he, "though you can d
everything, that is one thing which i'm
you cannot do; and as it is the only thin
that would be of service to me, shall nc
be able to avail myself Of your otherwis'
universal attainments."
The cold, the sarcastic manner Of thi
gentleman made n very blood to freez
within my veins cold shivering-
might call 1t the mantle of despair-cam
over me, and my heart failed within m'