Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1875-06-18

PtNy ~ . 1iisAObASiJ lOu1 OoliSCO. W pray
in secret; able to go to the week
night service only by stealth, and re-
turning often to be loaded with abuse
from the unhappy, drunken father. /
well remember one of my mothers
n ayers. 1t being the wakes of Roch-
dale, had risen early to have long
play-daY. | was not aware that any
one in the house had risen before me,
and was softly creeping down stairs,
fearing to disturb any of the family,
when heard q low voieeI1 sat down
on the steps to listen. 1T was my
mothers voice; and she was praying
for all her children by NAME | lean
ed forward and held my breath, lest
| !. should miss one word. | heard her
say: Lord, bless John. keep him
from bad company and make him a
I good, usefutmanf Her words went
TO my young heart; and they aFering.
ing in my ears to this h0af. ysLOrd,
bless JOhnH That short PRAYER, utter
ed by my mother when she thought
no one heard her but God, has been
to me precious legacy.a yz,r1a
Another heavy triafof ehiidhoodll
stands out a striking contrast to the
comfort and prosperity of later years.
John Ashworth had wen, by Just
one single ticket, the highest prize
in the Sunday-schooI. It was the
custom on Whit Friday for teachers,
scholars, parents and friends to meet
tOtea, and to witness the distribu-
tioh OF the prizes. John. Ashworth
would have, In their presence, to go
to the platform to receive the prize;
but it was likely enough that he |
would have to go with naked feet,
for neither shoes nor clogs had he. |
On the Thursday evening bespoke |
to his mother about it. The rest can |
be best told in his own words: -4She |
made no answer atithe moment, and |
Irepented having spoken. ad* - AT
length she said: Il knOWyoU are GO
ing to have the first prize at school,
my child, and I have done all / could
t6asend you there decent. have
tried to borrow a shilling from. the
pnblican's wife, where your father
takes SO much of the earnings;u bat
she scornea me, and refused TO lend
1t me: l have been, to several OF my
neighbors to ask them to lend me
the money; but our %ell-known pow
erty-seems to have separated rs from
all ,help.'re* - = But we have a
very near relation mother who
dresses Ike a gentlem&n.oeFhev say
he has as many Sunday waistcoats
as there are months in a. year. You
know he called asfew DAYS since to
let us look at the finenaclotfI he had
bought for a new overcoat; and he
told us he had given three guineas
for it., Shalt | go and ask him to lend
us two shillings2' 4i-a-5 s.a'-s .saa-
you may goy but I don't think
you will get il; and it Is two miles to
his house, Away Z went. I was soon
there, for / could f1nswiftly. But
when + got to The house my courage
failed me. l stood for "a time near
the door,frst on one foot and thenthe
other, warming them by turns with
my hand, for the night was wet and
cold. At length the proud mamsaw
me, came to the door and INQUIRED
my errand. will you be so kind as
to lend mother two shifIings to buy
me A secondhand pair of cIogs2s BGl
have nothing to put oRomy feet; ;'andi
i am going to receive my reward to-
morrow at the SCHOOL, I hope you'll
will lend itshlef.:' Tell your mother
that when she has paid me back thej
eightpence she borrowed sometime7
since, / will theA,talk about the two
shillingsy and anotstil fttfen:sa NeYer1
mind your feet toes were made be-
fore clogs. On returning home my /
mother saw by my eountenaBce that
! had not got the money. Our looks
of,sorrew Inet5aeLittle wasosaid, and
/ went quietly 20 bed eFhe following 1
hay-Is washed NY feet for a long
time.zslWs WsssdeteEmined that If 4
could not get anything to cover my
ten toss 4-FwOuh1 nSke SthehnP look
clean. / Wss at She sch6of Before the
time, and sat in one corner alone
Soon the people began to gather; on
the platform there stood d large ta@
bic, covered with white cloth. On
the cloth the prizes were arranged
with as much display Cas- possible.
One of the superintendents, (the /
present Sir James Kay ShuftIeworth) B
mounted the platforms and made al
speech, eulogizing the scholars for
for their good conduct during the
year7 and holdingap to view the va Il
rious rewards while speaking. When
he came to the first prize be called II
Out nv fiahie; land 'iGSitedi HiSA On 10 oN K
the platform amidst a loud elapping
Of hands. Oh, how my heart did beatl /
I fell az tbat moment as though III
would have: given 20t, if r had pos II
sessed it, for something with which
to cover my feet. si:I.arose from my \
corner, and threading v5iway Il
through the people as softly as
though 1 were CatsI. walked blushva
ihglS onto the platform, and receiiv-
ed my reward ofSmerit amidst the
repeated, clapping of the audience,
But WheniE got back TO my place, I 4
sat down and cried as though my 4
heart would break, because l was
such a poor boy, and because
thought some of the other boys sneer-
red at my poverty" Il
Who in that company that day
had predictive power. enough to see
in the barefoeted Iadthe future benz
efactor Of the poor outoasti Not one
and vet it was through these hualil-
iations and sufferings God vas fipen-
ing him in sympathy and other quail
tiles for his work.
1t is pleasant to meet Nith the re-
cord of change in thesfs sf ere he
passed away. John Ashworth men
tio6s that the aiF-built castles Of the
night on which he went TO bed with
out AshiFi Beealisc Z realities-a house,
garden, and GreesI We ailkis own.
Oht of his abundance he ministered
to his PARENTS and ssmade s practice
to.see them once n fortnight. He
sags fiQp'Ops of, these visits, on 'iu'