The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-07-27
Ghildren's Column
Little Johnny.

WINDOW fatner was SICK long time,
and when he could not work he had to
raise money on the house. Deacon Ball
let him have it, little at time, and
when father was gone mother found the
money owed was almost three hundred
dollars. At first she thought she would
have to give up the house, but the deacon
said, Let it wait while, and he turned
to me, and patted me on the head and
said, When Johnny gets big enough to
earn something, l shall expect him to pay
it. l was only nine years then, but now
l am thirteen | remember it, and re-
member how mother cried, and said, Yes,
deacon, Johnny's my only hope now
and wondered and wondered what l
could do. l really felt as if 1 ought, to
begin at once and yet 1 could not think
of anything 1 could do
We'll, what did you do? 1 asked
quickly, for | was afraid he would stop,
and | wanted to hear the rest.
Well, at first did very funny things
tor boy. Mother used to knit socks to
sell, and she sewed the rags to make rag
carpets, and-and helped.
How? What could you do?'
Well, the people who would like a
carpet could not always get time to make
it. So l went from house to house among
the farmers and took home their rags,
old coats, and everything they had, and
out in the woodshed 1 ripped and cut
them up. Then mother sewed them and
sometimes l sewed some too, and then l
rolled them into balls and took them
back to the owners, all ready to be woven
into rugs.
But did that pay for your work?'
"Oh, yes; we got so much pound,
and used to feel quite like merchant
when | weighed them out myself with
one of our steelyards. But that was
only one way; we had two or three old
apple trees out in the back yard by the
wall, and we dried the apples and sold
them. Then some of the farmers who
had good many apples began to send
them to us to dry, and we paid them so
many pounds all dried, and had the rest
to sell.
But you surely could not do much in
ways like this?'
No, not much, but something; and
then we had the knitting.
Did you knit?
Not at first, but after a while mother
began to have the rheumatism in her
hands, and the joints became swollen and
the fingers twisted, and it hurt her to
move them. Then l learned to knit :;
before that / always wound the yarn for
her. l had to sew little, too, for moth
er did not like to see the holes without
patches.
And he looked half smiling at the
specimens on his own knee.
But you did not mend those?' I asked.
Yes, sir; but l was in hurry, and
mother said it was not done as it ought
to be. They had just been washed, and
l could not wait for them to dry.
Who washed them?'
l did, and ironed them, too. I can
wash and iron almost as well as mother
could
But she does not let you do it?
She does not mean to have me, but
how can she help it? She can hardly
use her hands at all, and some days her
feet are so bad she cannot leave her
chair. So | have had to learn to make
the beds, and scrub the floor, and wash
the dishes; and can cook almost as well
as girl
Is it possible? I shall have to take
supper with you on my way back to the
city, and test your skill.
Johnny blushed, and I added:
It's pity, my boy, that you have no
sister
I had one, he said gently, but she
died and-if she had lived 1 wouldn't
have wished her to lift, and bring wood
and water, and scrub, as poor mother
always did. Sometimes 1 wish l could
have sprung all the way from baby to
man. It's such slow work growing
uf; and it was while mother was wait
ing for us to grow up that she worked SO
hard
But my dear boy, you cant expect to
be son and daughter and mother, all in
one. You cannot do the work for
whole family.
Yes, L can; it isn't much, and I'm 90
ing to do it, and the work my father left
undone. I'm going to pay Deacon Ball
that mortgage if [ live
Heaven grant you may, said fer
vently, under my breath, for not many
mothers have such son.
Mother does not know | mean to do
it, and she is very anxious / should GO
to school, and ! mean to 90 some time,
but l know just where the boys in my
class are studvino and / GET the Lessons