Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1883-12-11
TIE BuYHUop or l0iiS E.
uUuaH,

The bOf tt''' VI
uUuaH,
Hi. life had been a peculiarly bitter
one. Born in very humble home at
Sandga.e. on the English coast, cleaning
with his mother and sister after the reap
ers, that they might bave bread to eat'
or cleaning knives and shoes in the gen.
tlemsn's house where his father was .
servant, there was little to make Boys
life bright. When he WAS twelve fam
ily offered to bring him to America II MS
parents would pay fifty dollars for bis
passage. 1t Was difficult to earn this
but his mother thought, after the man
ner of mothers, perhaps in the New
World our John will be somebody. so,
with tears, she packed his scanty cloth
ing putting in little Bible. and Pinnlng
these lines on shirt:
rorpe. me not when death shall close
These eyelils in their last repose;
AMI when the murmuriug breezes wave
The grass upon your mothers grave,
% then, whatc'er Thy age o. lot
MAY pe, my child. forget me not.
JAsE Cocoon.
Then, again and again she pressed her
only boy to her heart, and stole out be-
hind the garden wall, that, unobserved.
she nigh: catch last look Of the stage
which carried him to London.
The voyage was long one OF nearly
two months. The little lad often cried
in his cabin, and he wrote back. 81 wish
mother could wash me tonight, show
ing what a tender "mo,her's boy he
was When New York harbor WAS en-
tered, and he was eager to see his adopt
ed country. he was sent below to black
boots and shoes for the family.
His school days were now over. Al
ter two years Of hard work in the coun-
try, he sold his knife to buy postage
stamp. and wrote his father. asking his
permission to go to New York and learn
trade. Consent was given, and, in the
middle Of the winter, our English lad of
fourteen reached the city, with no home.
no friends. and only fifty cents in his
pocket. Hundreds passed by as he stood
on the dock, holding his little trunk In
his hands, but nobody spoke to him.
Blu, at last, by dint of earnes'ness, he
found place to enter as errand boy and
learn book binding. receiving two dollars
and twenty five cents week, and pay
ing two dollars out of this for his board.
How his employers supposed he could
live on one dollar month for clothes and
washing has never appeared.
The first night he was placed by his
boarding. mistress in an attic, with an
lrishmau who was deathly i'll. The Sec
ond night the man died, and the horror
stricken young boy staid alone with the
dead till morning.
Now nearly two painful years more
went by. Finally, though he earned but
three dollars a week, he sent to England
for his mother and sister. When they
arrived two rooms were rented the girl
found work in straw bonnet factory,
and. poor though they were, they were
very happy. John was now sixteen, de-
voted TO his mother, and still, noble,
uuseli-h, persevering boy.
AT the end of three months, through
dullness of business, both children lost
their places, and now began the struggles
which the poor know so well in our large
cities. In vain they looked for work.
Then they left their two decent rooms.
aud moved into a garrett Winter came
on. and they mad neither fuel nor food
John walked miles out into the country.
and dragged home old sticks which lay
by the roadside. lie pawned his coat
81 he 10 I'D
i'll, might have some mutton broth.
One day he left her in tears, and went
sobbing down the street.
"What is the matter :" said a strang-
er.
I'm hungry. and so is my mother"
"Well, | can't do much. but III help
you little" and he gave John three
cent loaf Of bread.
When the boy reached home, the good
woman put the Bible on the rickety pine
table, read from it, and then all knelt
and thanked God for the precious loaf.
In the spring he obtained employment
at four dollars and half a week, but
poverty and privation had fallen too
heavily and rested too long, upon the moth
er. One day while preparing Johns
simple supper Of rice and milk. she fell
dead. All night long the desolate boy
held her cold hand in his then, in tina,