The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1872-10-04
let me see what we can do. \

| pay slIICt dlttilliOli.
II ain one Of natures schoOlmas-
tiers. " said he, "and can teach you
your letters in al hour"
BY this time was wide awake, you
may be sure.
do you see that letter? It Is A.
Now, sir. do Won take that paper and
prick dot over all the AS you see. :"
|. did it. In this way he taught me
Tall the yowels and consonants. When
my parents came in from the field |
had pricked the whole alphabet into
my memory in 4 way never to be for
gotten. Dnring the evening the man
eonverSed very freely with my father
in regard to his spiritual and worldly
condition. My parents readily con-
.essed their neetfof religion, but az to
education, my father said his parents
re'p net ec'icaed, ad they got hroagt
The w0Ed.
"But," said the stranger, "'f they
had been educated. do you think I
should have found you in this log hut,
digging potatoes after the snow has
fallen, aud that. too, aided by your
pJt? No, sir; YOU would lave made
steam engine ont OF your cad first"
The stranger was an itinerant min
ister. We had prayers that night.
and as 1t was the first time in my life
| had heard prayer, the mans fervOr
Impressed me very sensitly, as you
may suppose.
As we were closely pressed for quar-
terS, the stranger bad to share my
straw bunk, and he did not neglect
the additional opportunity to urge me
to make man Of myself.
IF you will learn to read, " said he
and yon can. now that you know your
letters, | will send you a newspaper
every week."
This generosity won my heart. The
next morning he obtained my fathers
permission for me to 60 to the post
office every Saturday, in consideration
of my general good conduct during the
week. AS the postotiice was several
miles distant, and | should be obliged
to go on foot, it may seem strange
that | regarded this permission as a
very kind condescension on the part of
my father; but. indeed. | never was
so grateful to him for any act of his
life.
| can never recall. without smile.
the excitement attendant upon my
first post-otlice trip. III did not run
every step Of the way, it was because
my breath did not hold out. 4 don't |
suppose there were a dozen houses in
the village where the Office was locat-
ed; but remember how impressed | |
was by the hustle of the little country
hamlet. 1t couldn't be supposed that
asked for that paper as | would ask
for anything else, My very heart
stopped beating when the lUstmaster
looked out, with a pen stuck behind
his ear, and asked me what | wanted.
"Is there a paper here for me?"
said [.
"Who for?" he asked.
"For me-
swell. who is me?"
''rell him your udate," saida pleas
ant looking woman, who seemed to
be waiting for something, too.
My name? was not sure | had
any. | was always called Tim at
home. So | called out "1im!"
We'll, you ought to have heard the
loungers about the place laugh, then.
Even the nice lady joined in it.
"rell him your fathers name,
said she.
Hes old Tim. and I'm little Tim,'
said |, feeling as if | must begin to
cry.
There was another shout.
ITS Timothy somebody" said the
lady. please look for Timothy,
md perhaps you will find it."
Then she put her hand kindly on
my shoulder, and patted it a little.
Here's a Timothy Scraggin, " said
HE postnau. holding hpa paper, and
pecping into the wrapper.
Then remembered hearing a man
That got mad at father, call him "0M
Sc,Ugqia"
That's it, said /, and | darted off
like a pickerel.
When | GOT away from the village,
sat down on the ground. and tooka
rood look at my treasure. | hope
may he rs happy again, but |
lmatrail never Shall. After | had
carefully examined every part Of the
paper, / studied the wrapper. 1t was
NY name, for the postmaster had read
master Timothy Seraggin. 10
.hink of my being addressed Us D,aSte,
md that my name was written out in
ull. Just then, | looked at my naked
eet.
"A boy that takes apaper, thought
[, fought to wear shoes"
Two weeks from that day, fathrr
odd potatoes and bought me the first
lair Of ae,c shoes ever wore.
The nextday being Sunday, mother,