Knoxville Whig and chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1875-1882, 1875-03-03

chap without danger of being accused
of an unusual amount of self-appreci
alton | was quick to learn every
thing, the bad as well as the good. My
employer used profane language. |
picked up the oaths that he dropped
with the naturalness that surprised
even myself. The boys in the office
all chewed tobacco. This was little
the hardest job l ever attempted, but
after two weeks of nausea aud indie
scribable stomach wrenchinys, | came
of victorious, and could get away with
my paper day with the best of them.
One afternoon | was sent with
note from my employer to house in
he upper part of the city. l hadn't
anything to read, but had plenty of
tobacco, and with that proposed to
entertain myself during the two or
three hours l must spend in the pas
sage. For some distance | did not no.
tice who were beside me, but by-and-
by lady said very softly aud silent.
lrntly: &" Would you please, little
boy, be more careful? | am going to
party this afternoon, and l should
hate to have my dress spoiled
| looked into her face. 1t was the
sweetest face | ever saw. Pale, earnest
aud loving; to my boyish heart it was
the countenaUce of an angel.
There was very little that / could
say. | managed to dispose of the to-
baccO, however, and wiped my mouth
very carefully, all of which | felt GER
tain she saw and mentally commented
upon.
Have you a mother little boy ,"
she asked in the same tone.
4, a L
felt my throat filling up, aud knew
must swallow mighty fast to keep from
sobbing."
a You have a father, then, I sup.
pose?' she kept on.
No, ma'am, no father
Brothers and sisters ~
Neither, ma'am.n
Then the little boy is all alone in
the world? %
" Alone, ma'am.n
How long has your mother been
dead ?" and the dear woman looked
away from my face, and waited until
| could speak.
1.-TWO years. / answered.
"And you loved her." came next.
Dearly" was all I could say.
She was silent moment, and then
get it:
" And what do you think your dear
mother would say-how do you think
she would feel-to know that her lit
tie boy was guilty of such disgusting
habit as this ?' pointing to my cheek
where the telltale guid had vainly
ttied to stand its ground. " | must
leave nOw,n she continued " but here
j. my card, and if you come to me
'n",r amy evening l shall be glad to
-ee , "u, aud perhaps We eau he of -er-
We" coach other
~irr COVE me her little gloved hand,
nud ,u "tN dying day | shall never for
ct tue -'.i,-atiOn of that moment. |
cou q uat bear To part with her; with
oar her | felt that / could do nothing
with her, / could grow TO Il mans es-
ra'e--.. man in the true sense of the
vFur9. From that moment tobacco
never rassed my lips.
As soon as | could summon courage
| called upon that lady. Well do /
remember how my heart beat rs |
waited in the elegant parlor foI her to
come down and how awkward / felt
as | followed my guide to the sitting
room. Here she got at every point of
my life, and before | babe her good
bye it was arranged that / should
spend two evenings of each week at
her house, and study on these occas-
ions Just what she thought best. No
lover ever looked forward to meet with
the mistress of his heart and more ar
IDENTIFY than | did to these meetings
with my friend.
| grew careful of my personal APP
pearancp, careful of my conversation,
and strOve in every way TO be worthy
of this noble friendship. Two years
passed in this delightful manner-two
years that made me. My friend not
only attended to my studies, striving
ali the while to sow the right kind of
spiritual seed, but she procured me a
situation with a particular friend Of
| hers where l remain to this day. No
| body but God knows what | owe this
woman. During the last three months
/ of those two years | noticed that she
grew constantly pale and thin; she
never was betrayed in speaking of her
/ seIf sometimes when | would ask
her il she felt worse than usual, she
would reply:
"Oh, no! am only little tired
that il all"
One evening she kept me by her sofa
much longer than her custom, while
she arranged lessons and laid out work
enough, it seemed to me, for months.
Why 50 much Tonight m' ! inquir-
ed, conscious that my heart ached
and vaguely suspecting the cause.
Because, dear" she answered,
do not want you TO come for the next
week, and / am anxious that you
should have sufficient work to antici-
. tafH 49, yell az Ia keen Won husv