The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1879-12-07
-Coanmercial 10 Printing
How Tom Became
Congressman.

There was a little fellow among the
New England hills, years ago, as there
are many now, whose parents were
poor. He could not remember the time
when he wore shoes and stockings in
the summer. Sometimes in the winter,
when he was obliged to walk three
miles to school, and wade through
snowdrifts that did not melt until the
last of May, he did wear such as his
father had rejected, and a pair Of shoes
that slipped up and down every step he
took. Nevertheless they were shoes
and stockings; and he was infinitely
prouder of them than any king living
is of his crown.
One day, as Tom was plodding along
with his old slip-shod shoes, putting
from exertion and blowing his blue fin
gers to keep them warm, there came
dashing down the hill a sleigh such as
the youngster had never seen; no, in
deed, nor even dreamed Of. And the
horse! Tom stopped blowing, SO in
tense was his admiration of the elegant
creature that came foaming and toss
ing its daintily arched neck right and
left.
Tom sprang aside at the very last
moment, and as he sank up to his chin
in the light snow, tore off his old cloth
cap, from his head, and bobbed up and
down as if he were in the presence of
the president.
"Jump on behind, my lad,n shouted
the rider; Jump on behind And Tom
did jump on at the peril of his life, and
away they went, tearing along with
great speed until wei went the sleigh,
and out went riders and buffaloes, and
things generally.
Tom sprang to the horses head, and
clinging to the bit, the tips of his great
cowhide shoes touching the snow. asked
if the gentleman was hurt,
mot a bit of it, my ladl'' said he,
shaking himself free of the snowl .'only
warmed up a little. What's the dam
age?n
Nothing, sir, that l see," returned
Tom, his handsome face glowing with
good humor as he yielded the horse to
its owner.
swell, then, my lad, get in, and we
will try again. You are going to school,
L sec, " added the stranger, as he gath
cred up the reins.
Eyes, SIR"
"How far?"
''Guess it is about two miles from
here"
The gentleman turned and looked
INTO his face, and then glanced all over
TOMS figure, even to his feet.
"Hs sees my Shoes" thought Tom,
proudly, to himself, giving his feet a
shove forward to make certain that
they should be seen.
The gentleman did see them, and
smiled in spite of himself as he glanced
to Toms face.
He then kindly pulled the warm furs
around the boy, and, pulling his car
over his eyes, shouted, $50 along,
NeIl!' And the chestnut mare, now
thoroughly sobered, meekly commenced
the ascent Of what was known there
abouts as the long hill. She was evi.
IDENTIFY accustomed to having her own
way, for she awaited herself Of every
little chance to rest, and did not allow
herself to be pressed forward until the
whip was applied.
Tom wondered what had posse ssed
the creature a few minutes before. He
scratched his head on the right side and
then on the left, and finally, his Yam
kee curiosity getting the better of his
dlfidence, he asked:
"If you please, sir, what was it that
made the mare run?"
ga stump" returned the gentleman,
with a smile. Nell is a little aristo.
cratic, and SHES at all such plebeian
things. She does not know that a STUMP
was the making of her master"
Tom scratched his head again, and
| Wli6kiOo OH oS0As 4uCh Oub CdulO Vic
question: "How could a stump be the
making of a MANI"
my lad" answered the stranger,
marking the white surface of the snow
gently with his whiplash, ~ was a poor
boy, and my father could not afford tc
send me to school. We worked very
hard, but 1 used to study evenings by
the light of the fire, and learned the
whole of the Latin grammar by the
light of one pitch knot"
For a moment Tom sat perfectly still,
Then he asked, as if ashamed Of his ig.
norance:
"Please, sir, what's a Latin gram
mar?n
This last question aroused tn egentle.
man, and becoming sensible that tht
little fellow at his side was thirstine
for knowledge, he very kindly went
over such parts of his history as ht
thought would be of interest to him
and ended by saying that he was a mem
Der of congress.
The last announcement almost took
the lads breath away. He had heard o
members of congress, but he had ar
idea that they we're myths, whom no
body ever saw. Perhaps the awe will
which Tom regarded him as he glanced
up sideways into his face fiattered the
gentleman, for he said, smiling:
"You are just as likely to be a mem
Der of congress as 1! You know il
America success is to the determined
and brave. If you study as l did, YOU
may possibly rise as high-yeS-perhap