The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1875-09-09

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he had an opportunity.
As we went along pointed him out
good many medicinal plants and en-
lightened him somewhat on their rela-
tive commercial value. All this he took
in greedily, and when | paused he
asked
''How do you manage to know 'em
anq'' -. s.-
/ tried to explain to him that the
knowledge he thought so wonderful
could be acquired. by study.
"Could l learn it?" he eagerly de-
manded. RI, ~
sPossibly, after you know more of
other things However, if you would
like to try, l can help you. III be here
again, and if you will show me the 9th
er old quarries YOU spoke of just now |
will not only pay you for your trouble,
! but I'll give you a child's book on bota-
ny, that you can understand if you have
a little perseverance and patience"
'EWiif you, then? When r. you
comm back?'' -
''Next Wednesday, unless something
happens to prevent me. - D..
''I'll be on hand That's our house
over yander; but III be on the tow-path,
lookin' out for you y h.. -..-1u .... f.
The next Wednesday took the ears
to Norristown, the extreme limit then
of railway journey in that quarter,
crossed the bridge, and walked up the
river-bank to Valley Forge. met the
boy, on the watch, before l got there.
He frightened up when he saw me.
ssHave you got it?" he asked.
l nodded afirmatively, and he led
the way, with a skip and jump, to the
quarries wanted to see. As was en-
gagged turning over the fragments of the
rocks he was busy examining the book
which | had meanwhile handed him.
/ Presently went to where he sat. "a
.'Wel !" said lean you make it
out?'' ..l-..-,s
ga little; but it's mighty hard. -
OF sat down on a huge bowlder, and
went through several pages with him.
| found he was very quick to catch the
pronunciation of the technical terms;
and, taking up buttercup which grew
near, / taught him the names of the
parts and (the little book being after the
LinnGan system) the modes of deter
mining the genus and species. |
found him very quick, and, paying him
for his service, dismissed him.
Ny bag was rather too well filed to
carry in comfort; so | went to the vii
lage store, to have the specimens care
fully packed in box, to be sent to my
address in town. While there Imade
some inquiries about the bOy-William
Miner, as call him, not giving his
real name, for evident reasons. The
shopkeeper told me that Williams
father, quaITyman, had been killed
four wears before by the premature eX-
plosiOn of blast in one of the quarries
/ had visited. His wife, an Irish wo-
| man, from the County Tyrone, was
well liked in the neighborhood and was
an industrious, decent person. The
boy was well enough, but nuisance in
asking questions. He always wanted
to know how every thing was done and
where every thing came from; but was
easily put down, and his curiosity
seemed to be suspended for a while af-
ter Snub.
went home, and my box of miner
ais arrived in due season. My mineral
ogical explorations took different di
rection after that, and soon forgot all
about William Miner and the 60 Child's
First Lessons in Botany"
think it was four years after that
that | was in a drug house in Philadel-
phia, inquiring the price of certain
article desired by friend in the cOun-
try, when heard the senior partner in
quire of Il clerk:
g Have you shipped that lot Of yell
low dock to Prout?'
" No, sir was the answer.
ssThere isn't enough in the store. The
Root Boy is to furnish us three hundred
weight to-day, and We'll close the pack
ing and send it all in one lot. There it
is now, and there he is with it ~
:" I'll be bound for him, > said the
partner. - He always looks sharp for
! the cash.
And in stalked a tall, slender boy of
sixteen or seventeen, and without a
word handed the dealer paper.
- Well, Miner, - said the old gentle
man, 81 needn't look at the goods.
You're always up to sample. Here is
an order on the cashier for the money"
Miner took it, glanced at me, and
then recognized me. -.
{" Why, Doctor, +" he said, 4" how do
YOU do? You don't remember me, per-
haps.' ... .H
IL do, said | for there was no mis-
taking those eyes. ''You're regularly
in the root business, l see. How do
you make out?'
every well, Doctor
''Do you live at Valley Forge now?''
"Ohi no. My business won't per-
NIT it. | live in town now andmy moth
er keeps house for me. -
$50 you have house.'
"Oh! yes, yes A little one, up an
allev-four rooms in it. But that's
enough. -
| walked down the street with him,
and he told me his history from the
time | had first seen him. He had
mastered the elementary work L had
given him, and obtained another on the
subject. "Every body helped to shove
him along he said; and 50 he became
quite a respectable botanist. He man
aged to make enough by collecting
roots and barks to maintain his mother
and himself, and all the enterprising
and ragged boys of his own former
pattern whom he could pick up employ
ed as journeymen, and was doing Il
!, thriving business in simples.
"And," said he, 81 have over a
hundred and fifty dollars laid away in
the savings-bank. q"
"Good, - was my comment. ''It is
. the nucleus of fortune. "
I'm studying Latin and chemistry,
Doctor; and we've rented our second
story room to a Frenchman, and | take
out the rent in French lessons. I've
wanted to come and see you; but |
, didn't know whether you'd like it..
''Drop in whenever YOU choose,
, William, and if / have leisure III be
glad to see you
, And so we parted.
| l saw him occasionally after that,
and found he was getting along very
well. Trade was at times slack with
him; but he was very industrious and
r prudent, always lived far within his
/ slender means, and took good care of
, his mother. They removed, at length, /,