Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-02-08

His life had been peculiarly bitter one.
Born in very humble homo at Sandgate on
the English coast, cleaning with his mother
and sister after the reapers, that they might
have bread to cat, or cleaning knives and
shoes in the gentleman's house where his
father was a servant, there was little to make
boys life bright. When he was ~, fam
lily offered to bring him to America if his
parents would pay $50 for his passage. 1t
was difficult TO earn this; but his mother
thought, after the manner of mothers, per.
haps in the new world our John will be some.
body" So, with tears, she packed his scanty
clothing, putting in little Bible, and pin
ming these lines on a shirt -
Forget me not when death shall close
These eyelds in their last repOse
And, whcu the murmering breezeA wave
The grass upon your mothers grave,
then, whateer thy age or lot
May be, my child, forget me not.
JANE GoUaH.
Then, again and again she pressed her only
boy TO her heart and stole out behind the
garden wall, that unobserved, she might
catch last look of the stage which carried
him to London.
The voyage was a long one of nearly two
months. The little lad often cried in his cab
in, and he wrote back, Il wish mother could
wash me tonight" showing what a tender
mothers boy" he was When New York
harbor was entered, and he was eager to see
his adopted country, he was sent below to
black boots and shoes for the family.
His school days we're now over After two
years of hard work in the country, he sold
his knife to buy postage stamp and wrote
his father, asking his permission to go to
New York and learn q trade Consent was
given, and, in the middle of the winter our
English lad of II reached the great city, with
no home, no friends and only 30 cents in his
pocket. Hundreds passed by as he stood on
the dock, holding his little trunk in his hands,
but nobody spoke 10 him. But at last, by
dint of earnestness, he found a place to enter
rs errand boy and learn book binding re-
ceying 1925 week, and paying 81 out of
this for his board How his employers sup
posed he could live on 81 month, for
clothes and washing, has never appeared.
The first night lie was placed by his board
ing mistress in an attic, with an Irishman
who was deathly i'll. The second night the
mau 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 50 a week
he sent to England for his mother and sister
When they arrived, two rooms were rented ;
the girl found work in a straw bonnet fac
tory, and poor though they were, they were
very happy. John was now lG, devoted to
his mother, and still a noble, unselfsh, per-
severing boy.
At the end OF three months through dull
ness 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 and moved into gar
ret. Winter came on, and they had neither
flel nor food. John walked miles out into
the country, and dragged home old sticks
which lay by the roadside. He pawned his
coat, that the mother, who had now become
ILL., might have some mutton broth
One day he left her in tears, and went sob
bing down the street
"What is the matter ?" said a stranger
I'm hungry, and so is my mother"
well, can't do much, but I'll help you a
little, and he gave John three-cent loaf of
bread.
When tho boy reached home, the good
woman put the Bible on the rickety pine Ia
BILE, read from ii, and then all knelt aud
thanked God for the precious loaf.
In the spring, he obtained employ ment at
S450 week but poverty and privation had
fallen too heavily, rested too long, upon the
mother. 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 that Christian city, she
was put in pine box, and, without shroud
or prayers carried in a cart, her two chill
dren walking behind it, and was buried in
the Potter's field.
For three days afterward John and his sis
ter never tasted food. Probably the world
said, Poor things!" but it is certain that no.
body offered to help them.-Sdrdh X. Bot
ton IN Htde Atodke.