The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1871-02-18

hObuCTs
Then, mother" said John, what Il
teacher told us to day is not true. He sal
God placed Us where He knew it was be
for us, and we should be content and d
our duty in that situation in life to wbic
God has called US"
" 1t is true, John, % replied his ,Dotbe
" there are some who, try and struggle q
they Will, never seem to get along. If the
appear to be doing well for while, sick
ness or some unforeseen misfortune ovey
takes them and they lose what they ha
gained, but this is the exception. Tb
rule ls, that those who make strong ef3or
20 better their circumstances in life gener-
ally succeed IN accomplishing it. But, m,
dear Boy you are too young to troubl
yourself about these matters. It will b.
time enough for you to think about then
when you are older"
$ know, mother, am young in years
but want and work, and the knowledge o
the struggles and the efforts You have 4
make to keep us from starvation, have made
me grow old, and / think about thess
things great deal, and / do want 30 muct
to be big, that can work for you and my
self, and buy good house with nice warn
ParlOr, and an easy chair for you to sit in,
and a silk dress for you to wear, and rock
Ing chair for Mary to sit in when she comes
to see us; and mother, / mean to tell her
what you say, for she thinks about these
things as much as do
Just then came knock at the door, and
Mrs. Maynard, upon going to open it,
found Mary there, who had come that efen
ing, as she had often done before, for the
widow lady's assistance in learning diff
cult lesson.
"Oh, yes" said John, had forgotten
the lesson. We have been so busy talking
about what the teacher said, that l had not
thought of anything else and, Mary, it
was not true. Mother says God does not
make US poor and then keep us poor. We
can make of ourselves just what we please,
and | tell you mean to be rich sometime. )"
4" Well, Jobn," replied Mary, "hard
work will never make you rich, for father
las always worked hard, and it has not
made him rich. He Tells US, too, that early
to rise is the way to be healthy, wealthy
and wise, but early rising has not made him
wealthy, and never will"
~ tell yo1 what it is" said John, 81
mean to watch those who were once poor
and have made plenty of money, and see
bow they do"
"Well, think you will find they did
not work hard, and they did not rise early
either, replied Mary"
Mrs. Maynard listened with surprise to !
these two children, for they were as yet {.
tender years. She had no idea that tley
had observed and thought as much and so
correctly, and she felt some alarm at the
direction their thoughts were taking.
my dear children" she said, 'you are
partly right and partly wrong. II is only
by honest industry, patient perseverance,
and a judicious 6utlsy Of their earnings,
that men gain competency. We are en-
1owed with an intellectual as well as a
physical nature, and men often remain poor
because they use only the muscular power
and make no use of their intellectual facul-
les. They work bard for little money,
md they use that money as fast as they
earn it. They live in the present and take
10 thought for the future and although
hey have tOlled hard day after day, they
are no better of now than they were years
.go."
"But, Mrs, Maynard, said Mary, "how
,an they help it p? My father works all the
year round, and | am sure he buys nothing
except just what we need, and then he
;annOt get enough to keep us cOmfOrta-
bic, for ! have to go to school without
gloves, and my hands get SO cold l some
time have to cry because they hurt me
so."
"Well, Mary, we will attend to the les
son now, and when you are older we will
talk more about these things"
But Mrs. Maynard had sown seed in
Marys mind that evening which was soon
to bear fruit
When Mary reached home she found her
mother alone The other children we're in |
bed and as.eep, and her father had gone
out to buy provisions for the next day. She
took off her hood and shawl, and sat down
in silence in front of the warm stove.
MARY" said her mother, "what makes
you so sober tonight"
IL have been thinking, mother" replied
Mary, ''of the difference between our lives
and DR.. Stamford's, and why there should
be such wide difference, and | have been
wondering if it is really necessary"
"Wby, Mary, my child" said ber mo-
ther, who put such things into your
head"
The children in scheol are better dressed
than l am, replied Mary, land they think
/ am not as good as they are, because l
wear such plain clothes and have no gloves.
They tease me about being so poor, and
mother, if | could get an education in
any other way, / should never want TO
90 to school again"
why, Mary, ! never troubled myself
about such things. My folks we're poor
people who worked bard for living, and
married poor, hard working man, and
always expect to be poor. | have never
looked for anything else
But, mother, would you not like to
i've in good house Of your own, have
good clothes tc wear, and rienty of good
things to eat
"Indeed / should, but l never expect
them"
Mother" said this wise little philos-
ophtr, ''does not never expecting to have
them keep you from obtaining them ? "
Before her mother could answer, Mr.
Bonner wall d in, and as Mary stood
lust little in awe of her father. she
stepped into her bedroom without waiting
for her mothers answer But the word:
Of Mary had started a new train 0
thought in Mrs. BOnner's mind, and sh'
repeated the conversation to her husband
George Bonr' r, like great many 9th
| l. IL II L.