Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1877-05-09
think that l must work out all my life

|
courage, perseverance and will to do.
Let me tell you story. Mary Barnum
and her brother were left orphans.
She was sixteen, he fourteen. The
father had been a shiftless, inefficient
sort of a man, and had laid up moth
ing for the future, so they were
obliged to support themselves. For
tunately for her, she knew how to do
housework, and anyone who secured
Mary secured treasure. So she went
to work. She sent her brother to
school. AT the age of sixteen he went
to learn trade. Soon after she came
to me.
Il am tired OF doing Homework,
dinners, and now am going to school,"
she said.
"Going to school. What are you
going to live upony'
"Fll earn my living"
And she did. She worked at one
place for year She earned twenty
shillings per week. She spent fifty
cents a week, so that at the end of the
year she had Sl04. Now she was
ready to start for school. She selected
the best school in the State-the State
! Normal. She rented a room for fifty
cents week. The school term for the
year is forty weeks. Twenty dollars
of her money was gone. Some few
friends seeing that she was determined
to go to school, furnished her room
very plainly and cheaply.
She then resolved to live on one dol
lar week; this necessitated the strict
est economy. Thus sixty dollars of
her money was spent. That eft her
but fortyfour dollars with which to
pay her tuition, buy her books and get
| the needfuls.
To be sure, she was not noted for
the number of her dresses, nor was her
hair frizzied and pulled in Just the
latest style. nor did she appear at
every social; but one thing she was
noted for, perfect lessons. She gave
attention to her studies 50 that at the
end of the year her scholarship was
such that she received a training GER
| titicate, emitting her to teach without
public examination. Whatever she
undertook she did we'll Her motto
was: Whatever is worth doing at all
is worth doing we'll"
The next TWO years she taught, re-
ceiving $500 per year. At the end of
the two years she managed to save
$780, to send her to school the remain
ing two years. With the utmost econ
omy, it served her purpose. She had
SO little left that she had not enough to
buy new dress in which to graduate.
But when the bouquet was thrown
her at the close of reading her essay,
| hardly think she thought as to
Wheeler her dress was new or not.
! Afterward ! heard the Governor and
the State Superintendent congratua-
ting her.
The next year she was offered an ex-
cellent situation in one of our union
schools. But, her health having suf-
fered during the last term she was in
school, she went out doing housework,
instead of accepting the position. Did
it degrade her any? No; she did her
work just as faithfully as is it were
the chosen business of her life.
At the end of six months, her health |
being established, she commenced
teaching. She was a successful teacher
Where is she to-day? The wife of
an eminent professor in one of our
Western colleges.
| know another lady who borrowed
the money to carry her through school
and paid it after she commenced teach
ing. To-day she is one of our most
successful writer's.
Another who had no means of her
I'D a WI , 90
He had not much ready cash, but he |
gave her enough provisions from his
farm for herself and a little girl
boarder. For the board of the little
girl she received five dollars per
week. That five dollars per week
carried her through school. After
graduating she taught. Her health
failed, and the physician advised her
to give up teaching and go to doing
housework. Fortunately for her, she
knew how to do homework.
She had piano, and was very fond
of music. SO her next thought was,
could she not find some place where
she could earn her board and little
more, and take music lessons? She
went here and there to find such "A
place. She succeeded at last, and was
offered one dollar a week. She ac-
copied the situation and did her work
SO faithfully and well, that the lady of
the house paid her two dollars instead
| of one. She told her she earned it.
! Was not that better than to have sat
down and folded her hands and be-
moaned her fate?
At the end of the year her health
was established, and to her other at
! tainments she had added that of mu-
| Ii Ia ntn1n fhirnl. che Lost ono rrn,rn nn-