Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-12-28
Tom regarded him as he glanced up side
ways into his face fiattered the gentle

America success is to the determined
| and brave If you study as / did YOU
may possibly rise as neutrality-suspicious.
higher!'
"But | haven't any Latin grammar,
sir" said Tom.
"No2 Well would you like onew eyes,
ST." cried Tom, with flashing ewes.
"Well, my lad, I shall come this way
again, and will leave one at the school
house for you.''
"But haven't any money"
Never mind; you can pay me when
you get to Congress-"
''Thank you said Tom: won't for
get it, sir"
The gentleman looked down at him
with aQuiZZical smile, and the two rode
on in silence until they reached the school
house
"Please don't forget the GRAMMAR
suggested Tom, as he lifted the old cap
again.
"Not l. returned the gentleman. "a
man who cannot keep a promise should
not make One-hcy, my lad?"
Nell tossed her head, and the boy soon
lost sight of the driver Then he looked
down at his shoes, at his coat, and his
old cap as he hung it on peg in the entry,
and silently contrasted them all with the
tur-trlmmed over coat and outfit of the
stranger. ''Never mind" said Tom to
himself, II will have them too, when I
am member of Congress-
At the end OF two weeks bundle of
books were left at the school house.
There was not only Latin grammar,
but a we'll worn COPY of "Virgil;;'
"Esop's Fables" and sundry other VOL
umes such as Tom had never seen.
Pine knots we're plentiful where Tom
lived, and he Sat up until midnight all
the rest Of the winter bordering over the
mysteries of these books.
AS good luck would have it, the school,
master, who boarded around with his pu-
pills, had not eaten the rations due him
at Toms fathers. When he arrived he
entered warmly into the lads ambitious
projects, and as he had smattering OF
Latin himself, was qualified to aid his
pupil.
Although the schoolmaster was allowed
the use OF a tallow candle, he vastly pre-
tered the more brilliant light Of Toms
pine knot; so that as often as the long
winter evenings set in, the master and pu-
pill might be seen (and were seen) sitting
before the large REPLACE with their heads
buried IN the pages OF the books, along
which they plodded slowly, but to such
purpose that at the end of the winter
Tom could read his fable and solve his
problem in manner crdeitable to him.
self and master.
It was uphill work with poor Tom,
but he never lost what little he gained,
complished tell in the future.
| One day his father brought home a
stranger, and told Tom that he was ap-
prenticed, during his minority, to this
man, who would make him blacksmith.
"But l am not going to be black
SMITH! cried Tom in a PASSION: "I'm
going to Congress'"
'The more need that you should learn
to shoe the horse that carries you there"
replied the father with a shrug.
Tom packed up his worldly goods, not
forgetting his books, and >trudged away
to a distant village, where he pared horses:
hoofs by day, and studied and read at
night by stealth, for he was not allowed
| utlLucI kuOL uOT Cduulc.
Six months the poor fellow was faith
full to his duty; but one night when his
master had thrown his grammar into the
fire, and upbra1ded him for his disobe-
dience, Tom took leave of the workshop
He made his way, barefoot as he was,
over boys and bIiers until he ventured
into the main road, and by dint of beg
ging ride now and then, reached the
city, where as Ben Franklin had done
before him-witn his roll under his arm,
he sought and obtained employment
Perhaps the happiest day Of Toms
life was when he found himself in the
antiquarian bookstore with plenty of
leasure, plenty of books: and nothing to
fear from friend or foe. It was wonder
full how he read-and read The parchcd
earth does not more greedily devour the
Summer rain.
When his intellectual thirst was par
italy satisfied he began to work. He
saw the ladder he had to climb, and, seiz-
ing the lowest round, he made his way
steadily upward. We all know by what
steps an ambitious man makes progress
by patient toil--by selt-denial-b
courteous deportment-by the acquisi-
ton of knowledge.
Years passed by, during all of which
Tom had looked in vain for his early
friend, the stranger. In his tlmid awk
wardness, he had not thought to ask the
name of his benefactor, and the only op-
portunity to do so had been lost.
We'll, years slid away, and Tom was
elected member of Congress from the very
county where he spent his struggling
boyhood. He went to Washington, not
in cowhide shoes and butternut colored
homespun, but dressed something as i'm
aginatlon had pictured, as he looked af-
ter his benefactor on the eventful day of
the sleigh-r1de. A nobler looking man,
the ladies in the galleries said, never had
appeared upon the floor than this Yam
kee member, who, if he spoke through
! his nose, always drives his arrows home
TO the mark.
One day there appeared in the House
the venerable form of an ex-member,
whom all present delighted to honor. 1t
needed but one glance at that genial face
for Tom to recognize in him the giver Of
the Latinl grammar. He had come" he
said, Ito listen to the gentleman who had
so manfully defended the right, and to
wish him Godspeed!"
"If," said Tom, with his old modesty,
off it had been m y coed fortune to do
anything for our country in the hour Of
her peril, I owe my ability to do so, in
great measure to yourself.
"To me!' echoed the astonished gen.
tleman: to me; do not recollect ever
having had the pleasure Of meeting you
1,efnro IN ~ 1ifo y