Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1878-11-21

| Cross, about the year 1880, dwells Mr..
Thomas Fowler. master brIcklayer.-
He had married, in 1915, Mrs. Marga-
ret Johnson, . wia8w: and had become
the protector OF her little boy. Benja-
min, then about year and a halt
old. oia sa
Benjamin is now in his sixth year.
He duly attends the parish school in Sc.
Martins Church: Tor his father was ga
grave minister Of the gospel" and his
mother is anxious that her only child,
poor although BE must Be. shall lack no
advantages OF education. We see the
sturdy boy daily pacing 10 school. through
the rough and miry way Of that half-ru-
raj district. In bis play-hours be is
soon IN the fields, picking blackberries
in Hedgelane, or flying his kite by
the Windmill in Saint Giles's. His
fsther-in law is a plain, industrious,
irusty man-not rich enough 10 under
take any OF the large works which the
luxurious wants of the town present;
/ and oGtimes interlered with, in the due
course of his labor, by royal proclama-
tions against the increase Of houses,
which are 1gidIy enforced when hum
bic man desires to build cottage. But
young Ben has found friends. To the
parish school sometimes comes Master
Camden; and he observes the bold boy,
always at the head Of his class, and not
unfrequently having his "clear and fair
skin" disfgured by combats with his
dirty companions, who loiter about the
alleys OF Saint Martins lane. The boy
has won good Master Camden's heart,
and SO. in due time, he proposes to re-
move him to Westminster school.
Let US look at the Shadow of his
Mother, as she debates this question
with her husband. at their frugal sup
per. 1.-The boy must earn his living"
says the bricklayer. "He is strong
enough to be OF help TO me. He can
mix the mortar: he will soon be able to
carry the hod. Learning! stuff! he has
learning enough, for all the good it will
do him." "Thomas Fowler" responds
the mother, "if I wear my fingers to
the bone, my boy shall never carry
the hod. Master Camden, good man,
and a learned. will pay for his schooling.
Shall we not give him his poor meals
and his pallet-bed? Master Camden
says he will make his way. lowe tito the
memory of HIM who is gone, that Ben
iamin shall be scholar and perhaps
| for his opinions, as his father was.-
These are tickIish times, Margaret-the
lowest are the safest. Ben is passion
ate, and obstinate, and will quarrel for
a straw. Make him a scholar, and he
becomes Papist or Puritan-the quiet
way is not for the like Of him. He shall
be apprenticed to me, wife, and earn his
daily bread safely and honestly
Night after night is The debate renewed.
But the mother triumphs. Ben does go
to Westminster School. He has hard
fare at home; he has 10 endure many a
taunt as he sits apart in the Abbey
cloIsters, intent upon his task. But
Camden is his instructor and his friend.
The bricklayer's boy fights his way to
distinction.
Look again at the Shadow Of that
proud Mother as, after three or four
anxious years, she hears Of his advance
ment. He has an exhibition. He is to
remove to Cambridge. Her Benjamin
must be bishor. Thomas Fowler is
incredulous-and he is not generous {:
"When BENJAMIN leaves tEis roof he
must shift for himself, wife" The
mother drops one tear when her boy
departs; the leathern purse which holds
her painful savings is in Benjamin $
pocket.
II is a summer night of 1890, when
BENJAMIN Jonson walks into the poor
house Of fHortsshornlane. He is travel
stained and weary. His jerkin is half
hidden beneath dirty cloak. That jer-
kin, which looked sosmartin mothers $
eyes when last they parted, is strange
lv shrunk-or rather, has not the spare
boy grown into burly youth, although
the boys jerkin must still do service (!
The bricklayer demands his business;
the wife falls upon his neck. And well
may the bricklayer know him not. His
face is "pimpled;" hard work and irreg-
ular living have left their marks upon
him. Exhibition has been insufficient
for bis maintenance. His spirit has
been sorely wounded. The scholar Of
sixteen thinks he should prefe. the dai-
lY bread which is to be won BY the labor
of his hands, to the hunger for which
pride has no present solace. Benjamin
Jonson becomes bricklayer.
And now for two years, has the moth
er-her hopes wholly gone, her love
only the same-to bear up under the
burden Of conflicting duties. The young
man duly works at the most menial
tasks Of his business. He has won his
way to handle a trowei; but he is not
conlormable in all things. "WiIe, "
says Thomas Fowler, ''ihat son Of yours
will never prosper. Can not he work
and can not be eat his meals-with-
oUt Greek book IN his vest This
very noon must he seat himself, at din
ner hour, in the shade Of the wall in
Chancery-lane, on which he had been
laboring; and then comes a reverend
Bencher and begins discourse with him;
and Ben shows him his book-and they
talk as if they were equal. Margaret,
he Is too grand for me; he is above his
trade ''Shame on ye, husband -
Does he not work, honestly and deftly
and will you grudge him his books :'-
"He haunts the play-houses; he SITS in
the pI.-and cracks nuts-and Kisses or
claps hands, IN way quite unbeseem-
ing bricklayer's apprentice. Marga-