The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1875-06-18


: gave heri ilerry 30. lnoi.'.y o" buy clothes
, for Iny brothers aui -:-jers, and to get ii
! 81 ol mahogany dr;s r.Fs, an eight day
clock. and nu,Iin curtains TO the win
aow. / then fell asleep, a man Of great
Importance, and awolse in the morning
without "A shirt -
The poverty involved modification,
against which only brave spirit could
successfully NOV" cuntrnded. The pima
fore which the mother was preparing for
the Sunday morning on that unhappy
Saturday night, turned out almost as
great cansr f"r shame as a convict's
dress.
81 never shall forget that new pima
fore The wool sheets had at that time
stamped on them, IN large black letters,
the word wool My mother had got
one Of these old sheets as n gift from the
warehouse; but it was so far worn that
SIC could not make any pinafore with
out either putting on n patch or cutting
through the letters. She chose the less
evil. thinking She could wash out the
letters; but though she washed, and
wasIIed, and washed again, she could
not destroy the remaining half of the
word. put my arms down the sleeves,
and was stretching the front when saw
the letters. My little spirit sank within
me i'm bitter sorrow. | looked into my
mothers face, but when saw the tears
in her eyes ] instantly said: ''Never
mind, mother, never mind. 1t will do
very well 1t covers my patches, and
when ! get to school will set on the let
tiers, and then no one will see them.
Don't cry, mother, we shall be betterolT
vet Away went TO the Sunday school
with bare feet, and n pacI-shecf pinafore,
with half tlIr letters wool down one
side, to take my place IN the third Bible
class, among boys who were much bet
ter dressed, and who did not like to sit
beside me on that account | well re-
member the place where sat that day
how put my bare feet under the form
10 prevent my proud class mates from
treading on my toes. The feeling that
| WAS Door distressed me. But | knew
that If | did not continue to 90 TO school
my mother would be grieved, and |
could not bear the thought of growing
her To think 1 had left her in tears
made me sad; but when | saw her come
to the service, and saw her look down at
me from the gallery and smile, all was
right again. Icould smile in return, and
join in singing God's-prai>es, and hope
for better days" Some in ihe locality
may like to know that This occurred at
the Sunday School at BamGord
There can be no Doubt that, under
God, John Ashwood owed almost every
thing to his pious mother. His father,
alas! was an unhappy drunkard- he
himself tells the mournful fact, so we
need not hide it; but there came to be
in aftcr-years evidence of his penitent
turning unto the Lord. Here is n beau
tiful portrait of his mother in the sons
own words: "If every mother under
stood tlre full meaning Of those bcauti-
fnl words, Il was glad wEea they said,
let us 50 up 10 the house of the Lord
| believe my mother did. Nothing as
touislcd me more in hcr character than
To see her quiet, steady, Christian con
duct. Yet a huudr"dth part Of The trials
she had constaa.ly endure would have
caused thousands 10 sit down in hopeless
sorrow. now believe size never went
to the sanctuary without n petition, for
she never went without n trouble. And
| also believe she left many q: heg troub-
les lrhsn9. s:.'t.adsc GOI fulfilled his
promise Ia delivering her And the day
she smiled on hcrPoCr ragged boy out of
the gallery, j thought Size smiled through
her tears" She is described a. al pray
ing mo!l,el. ;.dt obliged 10 pray in secret;
able 10 go TO the wcek-niSlit service only
by stealth, and returning often to be
loaded with abTsc from thc unhappy
drunken father. "a we'll remember one
% my mothers prayers. 1t being the
wakes OF Roehdalc, | had risen early
to have long play day. I was not
aware flat any one In the house had
riGen before me, and was softly creeping
down stairs, fearing to disturb any Of
the family, when f! heard "a low voice.
sat down on the steps to listen. It
was my mothers voice; and She was
prayingfOr all her children by name. 1
leaned forward, and held my breath, lest
should miss one word. Ehcard her say
Lord, bless John. keep him from bad
company, and make han good, useful
man. IirT words went 10 my young
heart, and they are ringing in my ears
to this honr. Lord bless Johnp That
short prayer, uttered by my mother,
when she thought no one heard her but
God, has been TO me precious legacy"
Another heavy trial Of childhood
stands oa5 a striking contrast TO the com
fort and prosperity OF later years. John
Ashworth had won, by Just one single
ticket, the highest prize in The Sunday
school. II was the custom on Whit Fri
day for TEACHERS, scholars, parents and
friends 10 meet 10 tea, and witness the
distribution OF the Priz"s, John Ash
worth would have, in their presence, to
go to the platform to receive the prize;
but it was likely enough that he wouId
have to 90 with naked feet, for neither
shoes nor clogs had ha. On the Thursday
evening he spoke 10 his motherabout it.
The rest can be told in his own words:
''She made no answer, at the moment.
and repented having spoken-At length
she said, i know you are going to have
the first prize az the school, my child.
and have done all that could to send
you there decent. l have tried to bor-
row shilling from the pubIican's wife,
where yonr father takes so much of his
earnings, but she seorried ne, and she re-
fused TO lend it to Inc. have been to sev
eral of my neigLbors TO ask them to lend
Inc the money, but our welI-known poy-
erty seems to have separated us from all
help Bat we have a very near relation
mother, who dresses like n gentleman.
They say he has as many Sunday waist