Richland beacon., 1880-03-20

Congress.
This last announcement almost took
the lads breath away. He had heard
of members of Congress, but he had an
idea they were myths, whom nobody
ever saw. Perhaps the awe with which
Tom regarded him as he glanced up
sideways into his face, hattered the gen.
tlemaG, for lie said, smiling:
"YOu are Just as likely to be men,
Der of Congress as /! You know, in
America, success is to be determined and
braved. If you study, as 1 did, you
may possibly rise as high-yes-perhaps
higher"
"But haven any Latin grammar,
sir" said Tom:
'No? Well, would you like One?'
"Yes, sir" cried Tom, with flashing
eyes.
:" We'll, my lad, shall come this way
again, and will leave one at the school
house fox you"
"But have no money"
"Never mind, you can pay me when
you ge: to Congress"
"Thank you." said Tom, "Iwon't
forget it, sir"
The gentleman looked down at him
with a quizzical smile, and the two rode
on in silence, until they reached the
sch00l-bouse.
"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-hey, my lad?"
Nell tossed her head, and the boy soon
lost sight of the rider. Then he looked
down at his shoes, a. his coat, and his
old cap as he hung it on the peg in the
entry, and silently contrasted them all
with the fur-trimmed overcOat and out
! fit of the stranger.
"Never mind" said Tom to himself,
"I will have them all. too, when am
a member of Congress-"
At the end of two weeks bundle of
books was left at the schOOl-hOuse.
There was not only Latin grammar,
but a well.worn copy of Virgil, Esop
Fables and sundry other volumes such
as Tom had never seen.
Pine knets were plentiful where Tom
lived, and he sat up until midnight all
the rest of the winter pondering over
the mysteries of those books.
As O. cd luck would have it. the school
master, who boarded around with his
pupils, hand not eaten the ratiOns due
him at Toms fathers. When he ar
rived he entered warmly into the lads
ambitious projects, and as he had a
smattering OF Latin himself, was quail.
fed to aid his pupil.
Although the schoolmaster was al.
lowed the use of tallow candle, he
vastly preferred the more brilliant light
of Toms pitch knot; so that, as often as
the lorg winter evening set in, the
master and the pupil might be seer
land were seen) sitting before the large
fireplace 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 ir
a manner very creditable to himself ant
master.
1t was uphill work with poor Tom
but he never lost what little he gained
and managed to make what little he &C
com plished to tell on the future.
One day. his father brought home /,
stranger, and told Tom that lie was ap
prenticed, during his minority, to thi
man, who would make him a black
smith.
"But 1 am not going to be black
: smith," cried Tom, in a passion; I'm
going to Congress!" =.
"The more need that you shoult
I learn to shoe the horse that carrie
you there" replied his father, with
shrug.
| Tom packed up his worldly goods, no
/ forgetting his books, and trudged ava,
to a distant village, where he pare
r horses loofs by day, and studied an
D read at night by stealth, for he was a
!. lowed neither knot nor candle.
Six months the poor fellow tried to b
/ faithful to his duty, but one night whe
Q the master had thrown his gramma
; into the fire. and lathed him for his di
e obedience, Tom took leave of the worl
!, shop.
4 He made his way, barefooted as b
was, over bogs and briars, until he vel
9 tured into the main road, and by div
e of begging ride now and then, reache
the CITY, where, as Ben Franklin ha
9 done before him, with his roll und'
j. his arm-he sought and obtained en-
ployment.
t Perhaps the happiest day of Tom
life was when he found himself in Il
n antiquarian book store with plenty
, leisure, plenty of books, and nothing
3. fear from friend or foe.
le 1t is wonderful how he read-ar
read-and read. The parched ear
d does not more greedily take in the SUI
le mer rain.
When his Intellectual thirst was pa
g tally satisfied be began to work. /
saw the ladder MP which he must clim
r, and seixing the lowest round, he ma
" his way steadily upward.
or We all know BY what steps an al
t0 bilious man makes progres-by patie
y toil-by self-denial-by courteous !
y portment-by the constant acquisiti
he Of knowledge.