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

a " ] am continued he, ''the tirst-b 3
numerous family, and am twenty -fou
7 years older than the youngest Of my parents
IS children. My father was what is calle,
d a statesman in this part Of the country; b1
which yoa are not to understand that h,
was in anv way connected with politics Of
had any part in governing the affairs of tht
d nation, but, simply, that be was the pos
il SCISSOR Of an estate containing some eighty
acres, and which bad descended to him from
bis ancestors unimpaired and unenoumber
ed He was kind husband and an indul
gent father, but be was provident as neither
4 A betteT-hearted man never breathed lie
was generous even to the committing of 2
crime against his own family and the mis-.
fortune, the error | might say the curse o.
bis life, was that he never knew the value
Of a shilling. 1t has been said that | pos.
D sess Ivy fathers failing in this respect but
through bis example at all times as warn
ing before me, | have been enabled to reg
ulate it and to keep it within control!able
limits You have often heard it said.
Take care of the shillings, and the pounds
will take care OF themselves :" but this will
not bold good in every instance, as was the
case with my father. He appeared to be
one Of those who did not stop to consider
the value between pound and shilling.
He was naturally man Of strong intellect
and sound Judgment, but his impulses were
stronger still. He was a being of impulses.
They hurried him away and be stopped not
to consult with calmer reason. With him
to feel was to act. He generally saw and
repented bis error before another had an op-
pOrtunIty Of telling him Of it, but never be-
fore it was too late and these selt-made
discoveries never prevented him from falling
into the same errors again. In the kindli-
\ ness of bis own heart he took all mankind to
/ he good be believed them to be better than
than they reall~ were or rather be believed
no man to Re bad man until he had found
him 70 be 50.
Now. sir, when | say that in this res
pcct ny father exercised too much both Of
faith ana charity. thou must not think that
| an Shut up here like a cynic IN this
mountain solitude, to intilct upon every
passenger my ratings against his race On
The contrary, have seen much Of the world,
md experienced much of lis butfetingS, Of
It's storms, its Calms aud its sunshine. |
have alse seen much Of men; aud have
seldom, would almost say have never
met with one who had no redeening quail
ity. But, sir, | have seen and felt enough
to trust no man far until | have proved
him Yet my father was many times der
ceived, and he trusted again and if not the
same parties, others under the same circum-
stances. lie could not pass a beggaT with
out relieving him; and where be saw or
heard that distress or misery existed, il was
enough for him--ho never enquired into
the cause.
He was bringing up his family, not Ger
tainlv in atHuence, Int IN responsibility
but his unthinking generosity, his open
hand and his opeG-h -heartedness were fire.
quently bringing him into trouble One
instance | will relate it took place when
was a lad Of eighteen. There resided in our
DeighborhoOd an extensive manufacturer
who employed many people. and who was
reputed to be very rich. He was also
man Of osteutatious pety and, young a. |
then was, his dragging forward religion in
every conversation and upon all occasions
led me 10 doubt whether he really had any
thing Of religion in bis heart There were
many, also, vino disputed his wealth But
ny father and he were as brothers We
perce, Cd that be had gained an ,scondancy
over him in all things, and often did my
mother remonstTate with him for being, as
she said, led Dy stranger and caution him
against what might be the consequences;
for | ought to inform you that thc manufac
turor had been but few years IA Cumber
land, and no one knew his previous history.
But my father would not hear the whisper
Of suspicion breathed against him.
my mother was a native Of Dumfries-
shire: her ancestors had taken a distin-
guished part in the wars of the Covenant
and one evening | was reading to her from
her iavorile volume "The Lives of Scots
Worthless, r when my father entered and
sat down in a corner Of the room in silence
and evidently 10 deep sorrow. He leaned
bis brow upon his hand, and his spirit seem
ed troubled
William" said my mother, addressing
him, why do ye sit there What has
happened? There is something putting ye
about"
Hc returned IN answer to her inquiries,
and approaching him and taking his hand IN
hers, shc added a-.
"Oh, there is something the matter, Or ye
would never at in that way and have such
a look. Are ye wcel enough, William or
what is it ="
" Nothing Nothing " said ~. But
thc very manner ID which ~ said il and the
trembling aud quivcrins of bis voice
were equivalent to saying Something
something
"Oh, diuna ye say to me. nothing II
Sail -hc; for there is a something, and
that is evident, or yo would never st as ye
are doing"
He struck his clenched hands upon bis
brow and exclaimed" DO not torment me
do not add 70 ny misery y.
William William - cried nv mother
there is something wrong, and why will u
hile il from me Have | been your wif,
tor twenty years, and ye say torment "
uyw by my anxiety for your welfare o
J William, | am sure | didDa deserve thi:
] treatment from you; neither did
, think that We we're capable Of actiue
in such a manner What is it that is trOub
; ling yeH
Nancy" said be, Il never was worthy
I Of such wife But neither look on II,
: nor speak to me with kindness hav,
brought you to beggary have brough
my family to beggary and have brough
myself to everlasting misery and despair
d II D, my dear, said she, " dinna talk il