Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1889-09-30


started for the cemetery thought it likely
he carried his stone to. / was lucky, for at
almost my first question the man IN charge
seemed to know whom / meant, and asked
if would know the stone if saw it. l told
him would, and he started with me toward
a corner of the cemetery that l was afraid
was the Potter's Field. j asked him if he
was taking me to the paupers' burying-
ground, for l could not somehow bear to
think that our little news-man's mother had
had no better place to be laid away in. He
answered:
"'No; but if it hadn't been for one of your
good churches down there in the city, she
would have Jared no better than all other
paupers. You know the big mission church
down on the auenuel Well, they couldn't
think of burying their Sunday-schosl schol-
ars in the Potter's Field, if they were "only
paupers," many Of them; and so several
years ago they bought big lot up here just
for them, and there's where I'm taking you.
Here it is,' he said, as we stopped in front
of a big lot, nicely fixed up-and sure
enough there was our monument, at the
head of one of the larger graves. knew
it at once, just as it was when it left our
yard, 1 was going to say, until got a little
nearer to it, and saw what the little chap
had done. o, boysl can't describe to you
the lettering on that stone; you will have to
90 out and see it for yourselves. will con-
fess, that something blurred my eyes so 1
couldn't read it at first. The little man had
tried to keep the lines straight, and evi-
IDENTIFY thought that capitals would make it
look better and bigger, for nearly every let
ter was a capital 1 copied it, and here it is,
but you want to eeit on the stone to appre-
ciate it,
"MY MOTHER
SHEE DiDE LAST WEAK.
SHEE WAS ALL HAD. SHEE
SED SHEAD Bee WaTTiN FUR
And here, boys. the lettering stopped.
After awhile 1 went back to the man in
charge, and asked him what further he
knew of the little fellow who brought the
stone.
"Not much" he said, mot much. Didn't
you notice fresh little grave near the one
with the stonel WE'LL he lies there. He
had been coming here every afternoon for
some time, working away at that stone, and
one day missed him, and then for several
days. Then the man came out from that
church that had buried the mother and or
dered the grave dug by her side. l asked
if it was for the little chap. He said it was
He had sold his papers all out one day and
was hurrying along the street out this way
He didn't notice the runaway team just
above the crossing, and-well-he was run
over, and didn't live but day or two. He
had in his hand when he was picked up an
old file, sharpened down to point, that he
did all the lettering on that stone with.
They said he seemed to be thinking only of
that until he died, for he kept saying L
didn't get it done, but she'll know meant
to finish it, won't shea I'll tell her so, for
she'll be waiting for me- and, boys, he died
with those words on his lips"
We were still for awhile; none OF US
wanted to say any thing.
"And now, boys, what shall we dos" said
the man who had told US the story.
"Do; why here is what l want to do"
said one of the youngest men, who had only
himself to look after: " Get the best stone
in the yard, and here's v to begin it."
We all threw in, and if we didn't get him
the best stone, we got him good one.
Under his name-we got it from the super
intendent of the school, and put it on be-
cause of the father, who might some day
come back-we put "He loved ms
mother;" and I'll warrant you will find no
better lettering in that cemetery than you
will find on that stone.
The superintendent of the Sunday-school
wanted us to let him know when we put up
the stone, and we did, and a regular delega-
ton of them went out with US, he and some
of the teachers, all of the little news-man's
class, and good many of the other schoi-
ars, and the good man who built the church
got into the city the night before and came
out with them. He had heard something OF
the story from the teacher, but you ought 10
have seen him when he looked at those
stones; the tears ran down his cheeks and
he didn't try to stop them either.
He made little speech, and after we had
set the stone told the scholars how the III
tie fellow had loved and worked for his
mother, and how he had denied himself 10
put up this little stone to her memory. he
told them that the little fellow loved the
Saviour, too, and tried to live to please Him
"Children," he said, 81 would rather be
that brave, loving, Christian little news
boy, and lie there with that on my tomb
stone, than be King Of the world and not
love and respect my mother"
And all have to say is, believe many
great, rich one dies without leaving half as
much to the world as the little news-man
did-Th Advance.
SAM CODE ARDS WOOlNG.