Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1872-11-02

10 TlSc.
"Out."
"Are they around ~
Digging taters."
"iather late Tor that, isn't it %
rtatber."
Go you think I could get bite here P
"Guess So"
"Could | stay here tonight p
"Guuss so.
The man unbuttoned his coat, and seat
ed himself, letting his boots dry before
tie Goals.
After little while he rallied again, as
II unaccustomed to be quiet.
"Where is your mother, my boy p
"Digging tatters."
"And you taking your comfort before
the fire p, he asked, in surprised tone
l explained to him that | was obliged
to come IN on account of my feet, and
then, for the first time, he seemed to not
ice that they were naked,
"llave you no shoes ?"
"No sir"
The man raised his head and gave a
sharp look around the room, his eyes
wandering over the shelves, as If missing
something. Thinks to mysel hes hungry.
"IIave you anything 10 read here p
was the next question.
"There's part of testament on the
high shelf"
"Anything else"
"There's some almancs somewhere, but
pretty much gone"
Anything else Books, for inst
ance ?"
"Guess not"
"Or newspapers ?"
Now that had actually never seen or
heard ofa newspaper in my life, SO | said
sheepishly, "Guess not"
The man gave me sharp glance from
his keen black eyes. "You guess not
Don't you know My lad, if you are to
guessing through this world you will
have bad time OF it,"
81 don't know what a newspaper is"
said ].
: The man looked at me with express
sion Of pity that could not understand.
Then he rumaged III his overcoat pocket
and produced one, which he handed to
me with the remark, "The next best
thing to the bible is a newspaper"
| was OH my feet i'll an instant. |
spread the sheet on the bed and never
shall | forget the delight with which /
examined it. | could not read a word
did not know my letters even; but there
came, without looking at that paper,
such longing to read it, that absolute
ly plunged both knuckles into my eyes
and uttered sucl, lubberly howl as
brought the stranger to my side.
whats the matter ?" he said.
81 can't read" said l.
"Don't you know your letters p
IN sir"
bring the paper to the fire, and let
me see what we can do"
Then he took pin from the inside of
the lapel of Lis coat, and bade me pay
strict attention.
81 am one of natures schoolmasters,"
said he, "and can teach you your letters
in hour"
BY this time l was wide-awake, you
may be sure.
"Do you see that letter? 1t is A. Now
sir, do you take that paper and prick
dot over all the AS, you see."
did it. In this way he taught me all
the vowels and consonants.
When my parents came in from the
field, had pricked the whole alphabet,
in my memory in such a way never to be
forgotten. During the evening the man
converscd very freely with my father in
regard to his spiritual aud worldly con-
dition. My parents readily confessed
their need ofreligion, but as to education
my father said his parents were not edu-
Gated, and they got through the world.
"But," said the stranger, "if they had
been educated, do you think that | would
have found you in this log hut, digging
potatoes after the snow had fallen, and
that, too, aided by your wife ? No, sir /;
you would have made steam engine
out of your head first"
The stranger WAS an itenerant minister
We had prayer that night, and it was
the first lime in my life had heard a
prayer, the nan's fervor impressed me
very sensibly, as you may suppose.
As we were closely pressed for quar-
ters the stranger had to share my straw
bnnk, and he did not neglect the addi-
tional opportunity to urge me to make
a man of myself.
"If you will learn to read," he said,
Sand you can, now that you know your
letters, l will seEd you paper every
week.
This generosity won my heart. The
next morning he obtained my fathers
permission for me to go to the postotfice
every Saturday in consideration OF my
general good conduct during the week.
AS the postotfice was several miles dis
tant, and / should be obliged to go on
foot, it may seem strange that regard
ed this permission as very kind conde-
scension on the part OF my father; but,
indeed, never was so grateful to him
for any act of his life.
can never recall without a smile the
excitement attendant upon my postoffice
trip. III did not run every step of the
way, it was because my breath did not
hold out. l don't suppose there was a
dozen houses in the village where the
postotfice was located but | remember
how impressed l was by the hustle OF
the little country hamlet. 1t couldn't be
supposed that l asked for that paper as |
would ask for anything else. My very
heart stopped beating when the postmas-
ter looked out, with pen stuck behind
his ear, and asked me what wanted.