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


set of mahogany drawers, and al
| leight-day clock in amahogany case
holiday shirt for the Young men
and a printed dress with large
tiounce for the young women. MANY
of5the flannel weapefsT III our village
could boast these possessions; and
they held up their heads above 9th.
ers not so fortunate. But the reaI
aristocracy were those who used ia.
blecloths5 had knives and forks to
eat with, and displayed a muslin
window-blind on Sunday. One fam.
lily had room they called a parlor,
the floor of which was covered with
carpet; secondhand table piano
al$o figured largely, which was look
ed upon by us as a mark of great
wealth aid 1respectability.s This fam
lily held quite a distinct position
none Of us ever presumed to be on
speaking terms with ''such folks"
Facts in detail are more impressive
than any general description, however
careful and comprehensive, and the
following incident in his own words
wilhgfge aciear though painful idea
of the deep poverty in those earlier
years, of the love which tempered it,
and of thew in wticf Kim Ash
Worth was prepared for the work OF
sympathy and mercy in which he af-
| terWar,lS enOaUed
Gone Saturday evening, l was
playing with my companions, when
| my moihergsutIyT laid her hand on
my head and requested me to go with
her into the house. took up my
marbles and quietly followed her. -
What do you want me for, moth
er? Il is not time to go to bed yet;
let me play q little longer, will your
4 know it Is soon to call you from
your play, but l cannot help it; your
trousers wanC mending; and l want
to wash your shirt; for though we
are poor, we ought 70 be clean. 1
intended to get you pair of clogs,
but 1aTnSnotable, i am making 7yol
pihafore out of part Of wool sheet
it will cover your ragged clothes,
and you,wilf then look a little bet.
ter. tss .,SejifI - $40 gsd has g1ss3 .oas
-, -. GLa-1I -E7 soy 80 - -1- -.-l
The quiet way in which she spoke
and the sad look which accompanied
her words, subdued my objections. l
silently walked up stairs to allow her
to begin washing and patching; ana
while my play-fellOws were still
laughing and shouting in the street,
l erept naked into my humble bed
not to sleep, but to think and weep.
My mind wandered far into the fu-
ture that might. 4 What air-castles l
did build! l thought 1 grew to be
man, entered into business, made
money, built a new house with
white door and brass knocker to it,
planted trees around yit,7aHI had a
lawn and garden; bought myself
new clothes and twenty shirts
bought my mother new crimson
cloak and new bonnet, and gave
her plenty of money to buy clothes
for my brothers and sisters, and to
get set: of9hahoganSI idrawers, an
eight-day clock, and muslin curtains
to the window. Ithen fell asleep
man of great Importance, and awoke
in the morning-without a shirt!'
The peEepfy ipYoTTsd mord6ea-
tion, against which only brave spir-
it could successfully have contended.
The pihaf6re which the mother was
preparing for the Sunday morning
on that unhappy Saturday TnIghIe
turned out almost as great cause for
shame as convict's dress.
l shall never forget that new pin
afore. & The aw0oi-sheets had at that
time stamped on them,in large black
letters, the word wool. My mother
hadfgOrone Of these oId sheets as a
giftffom the Warehouse; but It was
SO far worn that she could not make
my pinafore without either putting
on sipateh |! or cutting tht6ugh the
letters. She chose the less evil, think
ing she could wash out the letters;
but though she washed and washed
and washed again, she could not de-
stroy the remaining halfeftbe9word.
i put my arms down the sleeves,
and was stretching, the front, when
saw the letters. Ny little spirit sank
within me in bitter sorrow. / look
ed into my mothers face, but when
! saw the tears in her eve, instant
ly5saidE fneyer mind, mother; never
mind. It will do very well. 1t COW
ers my patches, sland EWfeH + get to
school l will sit on the letters, and
then no Mg win 6EmIGD6h't
cry, mother; we shall be better off
yet Away IFweBt Ae1tIe Sunday
school, with bare feet and a pack
sheet ,aipafoTe, with half the letters
wool down one side,to take my place
In the third Bible class, among boys
who were much better dressed, and
whu did not like to sit beside me on
that account. / we'll remember the
place where l sat that day-how l
put my bare feet under the form to
prevent my proud classmates from
treading on my toes. The feeling that
| was poor distressed me. But /
knew that if l did not continue to
90 to school my mother would be
grieved; and I could not bear the
thought of grieving her. To think l
had left her in tears made me sad; /;
but when saw her, come to the SER
vice, and saw her look down on me
from the gallery and smils all. YES
right again: / could smile in return
and join in singing Gods praises,
and hope for better days" Some in
the locality may, like to Fknowlthat
this 6n6hhed at The Sdndaylsehool at
Bamford.
There can be no doubt that, under
God, John ,AFhworthF owed almost
everything to his piOasmOther. His
father, alas, was an unhappy drunk
ard--1he himself tells Che ifiouiIifui
fact, so we need not hide it; but
there came to- be in after years an
evidence of his penitent turning nm
to the IIoIi & GHeEsisla beaGtifal'PelN
ttait of his mother in the sons own
words, WIf ever mother understood
Vthe f,1li rtusahing 0fltk0ke Jbsa'iSifsIll
I.1.-s1GI ,yas clad when they aaid